How to Block Email Trackers and Spy Pixels on macOS

Did you know that over 70% of professional emails contain invisible tracking pixels?

When you open an email, a tiny, 1x1 pixel image often loads from a remote server. This simple action tells the sender exactly when you opened the email, what device you used, and even your approximate physical location via your IP address.

Why Tracking Pixels are Invasive

Email tracking happens without your consent. It allows sales teams to see if you're "ignoring" them and allows data brokers to build a profile of your habits. On macOS, these trackers are often buried in newsletters, receipts, and even personal correspondence.

How to Block Them on Mac

Reclaiming your privacy isn't difficult, but it requires changing a few settings and choosing the right tools.

1. Disable "Load Remote Content"

The most basic defense is to stop your email client from automatically loading images. In Apple Mail, you can find this under Settings > Privacy. However, this also breaks the look of many emails you actually want to read.

2. Use Apple's Mail Privacy Protection

Apple offers a feature that routes image loading through their servers, hiding your IP address. While better than nothing, it doesn't actually stop the "open" event from being recorded—it just masks some of the metadata.

3. Use a Tracker-Blocking Client

The best solution is a client that proactively identifies and strips tracking pixels before they can ever ping a server. Inboxed includes a built-in tracker shield that monitors incoming HTML for known tracking signatures. When it finds one, it prevents the request and notifies you with a small icon.

Checking for Trackers

If you want to see who's tracking you, you can use tools like Little Snitch to monitor network connections when you open an email. You'll be surprised at how many "hidden" connections are made to domains like `track.hubspot.com` or `em.mailchimp.com`.

Privacy in 2026 shouldn't be a luxury. Blocking trackers is the first step in taking back control of your inbox.