To make Gmail ask before showing pictures in emails, open Gmail on a computer, click Settings > See all settings, scroll down to Images, select Ask before displaying external images, and click Save Changes. After that, a message with pictures opens without them, and you click Display images below when you want to see them.
The steps below follow Google’s own help page, Turn images on or off in Gmail, which has separate tabs for computer, Android, and iPhone and iPad. Menu names can change when Google updates Gmail, so if a label on your screen differs slightly, look for the nearest match.
What “External Images” Means and What You Need
An external image is a picture that is not stored inside the email itself. The message only contains a web address, and the picture is fetched from the internet when the message is opened. Logos, banners and photos in newsletters and store emails usually work this way.
By default, Gmail shows these images automatically. The setting in this guide changes that to a prompt. Before you start, check these points:
- You need to be signed in to the Gmail account you want to change. The setting belongs to that account, so repeat the steps for each account you use.
- On a computer, use Gmail in a web browser. There is nothing to install.
- On a phone or tablet, use the official Gmail app. The app has its own Images menu, covered below.
- If you use dynamic email (interactive messages that let you reply to a calendar invitation or fill out a form inside the email), note that Google says dynamic email needs Gmail set to always display images. Choosing to be asked first means those messages will not be interactive.
How to Make Gmail Ask Before Displaying External Images on a Computer
- Open Gmail in your browser and sign in.
- At the top right, click Settings (the gear icon). A Quick settings panel opens on the right side of the window.
- Click See all settings at the top of that panel. The full Settings page opens on its first tab.
- Scroll down to the Images section. It has two choices: Always display external images and Ask before displaying external images.
- Select Ask before displaying external images.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes. The change is not applied until you save.
How to Change the Setting in the Gmail App
Google lists the app setting separately from the computer setting, with different wording on each platform. If you read Gmail on more than one device, open the Images menu on each one and confirm it shows the choice you want.
iPhone and iPad
- Open the Gmail app.
- At the top left, tap Menu (the three lines), then scroll down and tap Settings.
- Under “Inbox,” tap Email preferences.
- Tap Images.
- Tap Ask before displaying external images.
When a message has pictures, tap Display images in that message to load them. If you read email in Apple’s Mail app instead, see how to stop loading email pictures on the iPhone.
Android
- Open the Gmail app on your Android phone or tablet.
- At the top left, tap Menu (the three lines).
- Tap Settings, then tap the account you want to change.
- Under “Data usage,” tap Images.
- Tap Ask before showing.
When a message has pictures, tap Show pictures in that message to load them. Because the Android setting sits under each account, repeat the steps for any other Gmail account added to the app.
How to Confirm the Setting Worked
Open an email that normally contains pictures, such as a newsletter or a store receipt. Instead of the pictures you should see empty spaces or placeholder text, plus a link to show them: Display images below on a computer, Display images on iPhone or iPad, or Show pictures on Android. Choosing that link loads the images for the message you are reading.
If pictures still appear right away, go back to the Images setting. On a computer, the most common cause is leaving the Settings page without clicking Save Changes.
Always Display vs. Ask Before Displaying
Both choices use the same protections from Google. The difference is only whether images appear on their own or wait for you.
| Where | Path | Option to ask first | Link that loads images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | Settings > See all settings > Images | Ask before displaying external images | Display images below |
| iPhone and iPad | Menu > Settings > Email preferences > Images | Ask before displaying external images | Display images |
| Android | Menu > Settings > your account > Images | Ask before showing | Show pictures |
Why Turn Off Automatic Images?
- Slow connections and mobile data: This is the reason Google gives. If your internet connection is slow or you want to save mobile data, turning images off means pictures are downloaded only when you ask for them.
- Open tracking: Google says that senders may sometimes know whether you have opened an email that has an image. If images do not load until you choose, opening a message does not load them.
- Less clutter: Text-only messages are quicker to skim, and you can still load pictures in the emails where they matter.
The trade-off is convenience. Many newsletters are built mostly from images, so they can look broken or nearly empty until you load the pictures, and you will be doing that one message at a time.
How Gmail Protects You With Either Setting
Asking first is not the main safety feature here. Google says it scans images for signs of suspicious content before you receive them, and that these scans make images safer in three ways:
- Senders cannot use image loading to get information about your computer or location.
- Senders cannot use the image to set or read cookies in your browser. A cookie is a small file a website saves to recognize you later.
- Gmail checks the images for known harmful software.
Google’s documentation for Workspace administrators explains how: Gmail serves images through Google’s secure proxy servers, meaning Google fetches the picture and passes it to you rather than your device contacting the sender’s server directly.
There is also an override that works in the other direction. If Gmail thinks a sender or message is suspicious, it does not show images automatically even when you have chosen Always display external images. You are asked whether you want to see them.
How to Always Show Images Again
To undo the change, return to the same menu and pick the other option:
- Computer: Settings > See all settings > Images > Always display external images, then Save Changes.
- iPhone and iPad: Menu > Settings > Email preferences > Images > Always display external images.
- Android: Menu > Settings > your account > Images > Always show.
Switch back if you want to use dynamic email. Google’s page on completing tasks without leaving a message says to make sure Gmail is allowed to always display images first.
Troubleshooting
- Images still load automatically on a computer: Open the Images section again and confirm that Ask before displaying external images is still selected. If it is not, select it and click Save Changes before leaving the page.
- Images still load on your phone: Check the Images menu inside the Gmail app. On Android, make sure you opened the settings for the right account.
- You can’t find the Images section: On a computer it is on the first Settings tab, a good way down the page. In the apps it is under Email preferences (iPhone and iPad) or “Data usage” (Android). If your app looks different, update it and look again.
- Images won’t load even with Always display selected: Gmail may consider the sender or message suspicious and is asking first. Only load the images if you trust the sender.
- A different mail app still shows pictures: These steps cover Gmail in a browser and the Gmail app. Other mail apps have their own image setting. On an iPhone, for example, the Mail app uses Load Remote Images.
- Work or school account: Your organization manages some Gmail features. Its administrator can let chosen image addresses skip the image proxy, so ask your administrator if images behave differently there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t images load in my Gmail?
Either the Images setting is set to ask first, or Gmail considers the message suspicious. Google’s advice is to check the Images setting and choose Always display external images if you want pictures to load automatically. Messages Gmail flags as suspicious will still ask.
Does asking before displaying images stop all email tracking?
No. It stops images from loading when you open a message, which is the signal image-based open tracking relies on. Google only says senders may sometimes know whether you opened an email that has an image. Links are separate: clicking a link in an email can still tell the sender you clicked.
Does this setting hide attachments?
The setting is named for external images, the pictures a message loads from the web. Google’s help page does not describe any change to files attached to a message, such as a photo someone sends you as an attachment.
Can I always show images from one sender only?
Google’s current help page describes only the two account-wide choices and the link that displays images in the message you have open. If Gmail offers you an extra option for a specific sender when you display images, it is optional, and the main setting stays as you left it.
Is it safe to click Display images?
For senders you recognize, yes. Google scans images before you receive them with either setting. Be cautious with unexpected messages, and treat a message as suspect when Gmail holds back images even though you chose to always display them.
Will this save mobile data?
It can. Google recommends turning off images if your connection is slow or you want to save mobile data. How much you save depends on how many image-heavy emails you receive.
More Gmail Guides
With images under control, these guides cover other ways to tidy up your inbox:
- How to block someone in Gmail
- How to switch to compact view in Gmail
- How to stop Gmail marking messages as read in the preview pane
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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