Mail - cannot load remote contact

[SpeedThree5500]

A senior with a Mail problem joined my Zoom session this morning.

She has a newish iMac running Ventura and Apple’s Mail.app.

Out of the blue, says she, her incoming emails contain large, blank squares with a small blue “?” in the center.

We researched it, found Apple’s suggestion to go to Mail > Settings > Privacy and turn off [Protect Mail Activity] and [Block All Remote Content].

We did so, restarted Mail, and the problem persists.

We went back to Mail > Settings > Privacy and turn off [Protect Mail Activity] and [Block aAl Remote Content], toggled each one on then off again, quit and restarted Mail again…but the problem persists.

I suspect that one of those Mail .plist files is corrupted but I am ever so cautious about messing about with them, in particular on someone else’s computer.

Does anyone have any advice on how to solve this?

For the time being she can click on the [Load Remote Content] bar which appears at the top of each email displaying the “?” inside a blank square.

 

[IWT]

When the lady receives such an email with blank squares/rectangles and a ? in the middle - ask her to look top right of the mail. She sees a rectangular box with "Load Content Directly" inside?

Like this:



I get this a great deal and I believe it's to make sure that you want to see all the data/content. If seen, Click on it.

This is the "proper" way to deal with such emails. It's a security protection and my advice is to keep that option. It's normal.

Ian

 

[SpeedThree5500]

Hi Ian -

Thanks for weighing in!

You know, I do not recall seeing [Load Content Directly], only [Load Remote Content].

However there was a notice [Your network preferences prevent content from loading privately].

There is nothing in Settings > Network Settings that pertains to privacy AFAIK; I presumed this was referring to the Settings in Mail, which we changed...to no effect.

Her settings mirror mine. I don't get those "?"; she does.

Complete mystery.

 

[IWT]

Her settings mirror mine. I don't get those "?"; she does.

"She" is special

I get "Load Content Directly" all the time. I guess there's a way of avoiding this, but I take the view that Apple is saying "are you okay with this email" because what you see now won't harm you, but if you want the "Full Monty" (a UK film, maybe you recognise it), you can delete the email, but if it's all OK, then download the rest.

The reason you don't get these ? things is that somewhere in Safari settings, you've overridden that feature. No, I don't recall where that is............ should do but age and wine......... I'm taking a humorous view; hope you don't mind.

And "She" is very special, and why not?

Ian

 

[SpeedThree5500]

I just went through all the Safari settings and I don't see anything in there which would have an effect on how her emails open.
Which setting might it be that is interfering with the Mail displays in her Inbox?

 

[MacInWin]

Try going to Mail/Settings/Accounts and on the Account Information pane make sure the account is set up to download attachments.

 

[IWT]

That's exactly how my Mail Settings > Accounts are set up, Jake - and I get the "Load Content Directly" on almost every email I get whether or not there are actual downloads - BUT - this doesn't happen with personal emails from Contacts with/without attachments.

I've never found a way of changing that behaviour and have become so accustomed to this that's it's really no big deal for me. And there is a security issue in that for emails from outside my Contacts, I can decide whether to "Load Content Directly" or not.

Ian

 

[SpeedThree5500]

Try going to Mail/Settings/Accounts and on the Account Information pane make sure the account is set up to download attachments.

I checked my own settings for that and I see that each of my Mail Accounts is set to Recent and I cannot remember the last time I had to click on [Download Remote Content].
I follow several Mac forums on groups.io and I find that Mail is one of the applications that most bedevils people. Someone is always having one problem or another.
I sent her a screenshot of my Mail Settings with instructions on what to check.
Will report back if this sorts it out for her.
Thanks once again!

 

[pine man]

Out of the blue, says she, her incoming emails contain large, blank squares with a small blue “?” in the center.

Several of my regular email contacts show this phenomenen. One of them is a major, world wide credit card company and the others are well known companies.

No matter how I access these emails, and I have tried several email clients, or how I set up their individual settings, I still get the same result.

As Ian (IWT) above says, "I've never found a way of changing that behaviour and have become so accustomed to this". I couldn't agree more.

 

[SpeedThree5500]

Thanks so much for weighing in and providing yet another's experience with Mail

 

[pm-r]

Out of the blue, says she, her incoming emails contain large, blank squares with a small blue “?” in the center.

We researched it, found Apple’s suggestion to go to Mail > Settings > Privacy and turn off [Protect Mail Activity] and [Block All Remote Content].

We did so, restarted Mail, and the problem persists.

Does her Apple Mail. app have the old Viewing Preferences set to "load remote content"???:
Something similar to this:





- Patrick
=======

 

[MacInWin]

Also, look under Mail/Settings on the "Privacy" pane and you will see an option for "Protect Mail Activity" that hides your real address, but if that is turned off, there are two options, one for "Hide IP Activity" and the other for "Block All Remote Content." I would think that latter one needs to be un-checked.

 

[IWT]

Good post, Patrick.

The current equivalent of what you posted is:



But you are correct in reminding folks about what still exists in earlier Operating Systems. We often forget that not everyone has the latest

Ian

 

[SpeedThree5500]

Does her Apple Mail. app have the old Viewing Preferences set to "load remote content"???:
Something similar to this:

View attachment 38476



- Patrick
=======

Nope. She is running Ventura.

 

[pm-r]

Nope. She is running Ventura.

Apparently, one can supposedly get the same fix when using Apple Mail.app in Ventura:

It looks like if you turn off "Hide IP Address" in the privacy tab, it fixes it.

Such a setting apparently allows remote access. Might be worth a try and see if it actually works.
Who knows...???

EDIT:
Here's another suggestion summary:
>[Mail .app] >preferences
>Privacy
>turn off Protect mail activity
>turn off hide IP Address
>Turn off Block all Remote Content
>Quit Mail and restart

Certainly not very intuitive Apple!!! Maybe a bit of editing of those various options may be necessary and then throw it in a Mail Restart just for good measure, and maybe say a small prayer.

Maybe they have something in the Mail Help index topics, or did they delete that feature in the latest OS versions???




- Patrick
=======

 

[MacInWin]

The "Hide IP Address" is more aggressive than the two options that are greyed out when hiding is active. When you turn off the hiding, Apple offers two other security items, as described in post #12.

 

[SpeedThree5500]

Really appreciate all the suggestions here. When I hold my Zoom session with her next Tuesday, I will to through all of her settings and report back.