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Common Reasons Photos Don’t Open in Mac Mail

The most common reasons a photo from an email won’t open on a Mac are restrictive privacy settings in the Mail app, security software blocking content, or issues with the image file itself.

Quick Solution: Open the Image Directly

• Download the image to your Mac.
• Double-click the image to open it directly.

Next Steps if Email Photo Still Doesn’t Open

If the photo opens directly in the Preview app but not in Mail, privacy settings or external mail factors may be blocking it.

Check Mail Privacy Settings

Privacy protections in Apple Mail are often the cause of this issue. By default, Mail may block content from unknown senders. Follow these steps if you want to change your privacy settings:

1. Open the Mail app.
2. In the menu bar, go to Mail → Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions).
3. Click the Privacy tab.
4. If Block All Remote Content is checked:
   1. Uncheck the box next to Protect Mail Activity.
   2. Uncheck the box next to Block All Remote Content.
   3. Check the box next to Hide IP Address or Protect Mail Activity.
5. Close the Settings window.

You may need to quit and restart the Mail app for the changes to take effect.

Troubleshoot Software Conflicts

Some third-party applications can interfere with Mail’s ability to display images. Try these steps to resolve the problem:

• Update macOS: Ensure your Mac operating system and Mail app are fully updated. Software bugs can sometimes cause these issues, and an update can resolve them.
  1. Click the Apple logo () in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  2. Select System Settings.
  3. Select General, in the left panel.
  4. Select Software Update, in the right panel.
  5. If an update is available, download and install it.
• Disable your VPN: If you are using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), temporarily disable it and try opening the email again. Some VPNs prevent remote content from loading.
• Check antivirus software: Antivirus programs can sometimes block images or attachments from unknown senders. If you are using third-party antivirus software, check your antivirus settings to see if it’s interfering with the Mail app.

Pro Tip: It is not necessary to run antivirus software on a Mac. Apple has built into its operating system their own security features that works behind the scenes to prevent malware and keep your system safe.

Address File and Sender Issues

If the photo opened directly, and privacy and software settings aren’t the problem, the issue may be with the email or image file itself. Here’s what you can try to fix it:

• Use Preview for the attachment: If the image is a separate attachment, try opening it with the Preview app.
  1. In the Mail app, double-click the attachment to open it with the default application, or right-click and select Open With and select Preview.
• Ask sender to resend: The photo file may be corrupted. Ask the sender to resend the photo, ideally by using a common file format like JPEG or PNG.
• Try a different email client: Log in to your email account through a web browser (like Safari, Firefox or Chrome) or use a different email app. If the photo opens there, the problem is specific to your Mac’s Mail app.

What to Do If the Image File Is Corrupted

• Open with Preview: Download the image and try opening it in the Preview app.
  1. Double-click the downloaded file, or right-click and select Open With and then Preview.
  2. Save the image as a JPEG or PNG file.
     1. Go to File in the Photo app menu bar.
     2. Press the Option key (⌥) and select Save As.
• Ask sender to resend: If the photo file is corrupted, ask the sender to resend the it, ideally with a common file format like JPEG or PNG.
• Repair the image: If Preview doesn’t work, third-party software like EaseUS Fixo can sometimes repair corrupted photo files.