The annoying e-mails that accumulate in your mailbox unsolicited come from companies that check whether you have opened their messages. The method we’re looking at here is tracking via a tracking pixel. If you work with Gmail and you do not want to be tracked in that way, you can prevent this via a simple setting on your computer and mobile phone.
Step 1: Invisible pixel
Email tracking notifies the sender when the recipient has opened a sent email. The tracking software places an invisible image pixel in the message that can record the exact time and date when the recipient opened the message. This way of tracking mainly works on the basis of an embedded, but invisible mini-mini image. To give you an idea of ​​how much software is available to do email tracking, find here an overview. The solution we explain here to protect your privacy prevents Gmail from automatically loading images from your email.
Step 2: Ask first
To prevent this form of tracking, open the Settings by clicking on the gear. Then you choose View all settings. Then you go to the tab General and scroll until you reach the rubric on the left Pictures coming. The option is set by default: Always show external images. This makes tracking pixels do their job. You change that setting in Ask to view external images first. Confirm this change and click Saving Changes. When you receive emails with such invisible images from now on, Gmail will ask you every time if you want to download the image. Keep in mind that this also disables Gmail’s dynamic email feature. Dynamic email lets you perform certain tasks from within a message without leaving Gmail, such as responding to an invitation or completing a questionnaire or survey.
Step 3: Mobile Gmail
You can do the same on your smartphone or tablet by first opening the Gmail app and then tapping the three-lined hamburger icon in the top left corner. Swipe up until you reach Settings coming. Select the email account you want to keep free from tracking pixels. A little lower you go to Pictures and finally you enable the option: Ask before showing external images.
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