This article explains how to see remote images attached to email messages in Gnome Evolution without compromising your privacy by default.

What to Know

  • Load images: Select Load remote content > downward arrow > Allow remote content for [email address].Prevent auto-loading: Select Edit | Preferences in menu > Mail Preferences > HTML Messages tab.Next: Toggle on Never load remote content from the Internet under Loading Remote Content.

Load Images in a Message in Evolution

To have Gnome Evolution download and show you images (as well as other content from remote servers) for an email:

  • Open the message.​​You can do that in the Evolution reading pane or in a separate window.
  • ​Click Load remote content in the Remote content download has been blocked for this message. bar at the message’s top.​​You can also add the sender to Evolution’s list of addresses whose emails are allowed to show remote content automatically:​​Click the downward-pointed caret (⌄) next to Load remote content.
  • Select Allow remote content for [email address] from the menu that has appeared.​​Evolution lets you safelist entire domains as well as hosts from which content is downloaded as well; typically, it is best to stick to adding individual sender’s addresses to this list, though.
  • ​​If you do not see the Remote content download has been blocked for this message. bar:​​Select View | Load Images from the menu or press Ctrl-I.

Set Up Evolution Not to Download Images and Remote Content Automatically

To make sure Evolution does not fetch images from the internet automatically when you open emails (unless they are from a trusted sender):

  • ​Click Load remote content in the Remote content download has been blocked for this message. bar at the message’s top.​​You can also add the sender to Evolution’s list of addresses whose emails are allowed to show remote content automatically:​​Click the downward-pointed caret (⌄) next to Load remote content.

  • Select Edit | Preferences from the menu in Evolution.Open the Mail Preferences category.Go to the HTML Messages tab.Make sure ​Never load remote content from the Internet is selected under Loading Remote Content.Images and other content in messages from senders that you have explicitly allowed to include such content will still be downloaded automatically.​​You can also select Load remote content only in messages from contacts; this will have Evolution treat emails from senders that are in your address book like messages from senders always allowed to include remote content.​Click Close.

Add and Remove Addresses From Your Safe Senders List in Evolution

To add an email address or domain to the list of senders whose messages will always have remote content downloaded automatically in Evolution — or to remove an address from that list:

  • Select Edit | Preferences from the menu.Go to the Mail Preferences category.Make sure you are on the HTML Messages tab.To add an email address to the list of safe senders:​Type the address under Allow for senders:.​​​To add an entire domain, enter just that domain name including the ‘@’ sign (e.g. “@example.com”).Click Add.​​To remove a domain or address from the list of safe senders:Highlight the address or domain name under Allow for senders:.Click Remove.​Click Close.

Load Images in a Message in Evolution 1

To load the remote images in a message in Evolution:

  • Open the message either in the preview pane or in its own window.Select View | Message Display | Load Images from the menu.

(Updated September 2016, tested with Evolution 3.20 and Evolution 1)

A Nuisance and Necessity

Images in emails can be a major nuisance (especially in spam), and a privacy problem, too (especially in spam). Evolution, wisely, can be configured to not load remote images.

There may be one or the other email (certainly not spam) where the image is crucial (uh… the daily Dilbert, for example). Fortunately, you can tell Evolution to load the images in the current message.

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