If you cannot see pictures in your Outlook email messages, read this post to learn how to fix the issue. Many Outlook users have been experiencing issues where images embedded in their email messages fail to display.
Instead of the image, a red cross appears with the following message:
Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
The inability to see images leaves the users frustrated, especially when they need to understand the context or message of the email. You have come to the right place if you’re struggling with the same issue. In this post, we will look at the root cause of the issue and explore possible solutions to resolve it.
Why are images not showing in Outlook emails?
Images may not show in Outlook emails due to several common reasons. Outlook blocks automatic downloads of images by default to prevent tracking, requiring manual permission to display images. If an image link is broken or the file (on the server) has been moved or deleted, Outlook cannot retrieve it, resulting in a missing image. Firewalls or proxy servers can also block external content, preventing images from loading, especially in secure or corporate networks.
Fix Cannot see Pictures in Outlook email
If you cannot see pictures in your Outlook email messages, use these fixes:
- Enable automatic image downloads
- Modify the BlockHTTPimages registry setting
- Change the location of temporary files in IE
Let us see this in detail.
1] Enable automatic image downloads
Outlook has a default setting that blocks automatic downloads of images in email messages to protect users’ privacy. This prevents tracking pixels, which can monitor when and where an email is opened.
While the setting is meant to prevent email senders from tracking your activity through embedded images, you may choose to download images if you trust the sender.
To enable image downloads in specific emails, open the email, right-click the blocked image, and select Download Pictures.
To permanently allow image downloads from trusted senders, follow these steps:
Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings. Select Automatic Download.
Uncheck ‘Don’t download pictures automatically in standard HTML email messages or RSS items‘ and ‘Don’t download pictures in encrypted or signed HTML email messages‘.
Also, if the email is in plain text format, it will not display images. To change the email format, select the Format Text tab in the Outlook toolbar and choose HTML or Rich Text format. Both of these formats allow for images and other visual elements to display properly in the email.
2] Modify the BlockHTTPimages registry setting
Sometimes, even when users attempt to manually download the images by right-clicking the message placeholder and selecting the download option, they receive an additional error message stating, “The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location.”
This error appears if the link to the image is broken or incorrect or the image file has been removed, moved, or renamed on the email server. However, it may also appear if your system (or network) settings block access to the image source.
To fix the error, you need to modify a registry value called BlockHTTPimages. This setting controls whether images from the internet (HTTP sources) are automatically downloaded and displayed in email messages.
Modifying the Windows Registry can cause serious system issues if not done correctly. Always back up the registry before making any changes to avoid potential problems.
Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control.
Next, navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor window:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\<x.0>\Common
where <x.0> corresponds to your version of Outlook (16.0 for recent Outlook versions including Outlook 2021 and so on).
Double-click on the BlockHTTPimages DWORD and change its Value data to ‘0‘. Or right-click on it, and select Delete. Select Yes when prompted for confirmation. Exit the Registry Editor and restart Outlook for changes to take effect.
When you delete the BlockHTTPimages key from the registry (or set it to ‘0’), Outlook will revert to its default behavior and allow automatic downloads of images from HTTP sources.
3] Change the location of temporary files in IE
A few users have successfully resolved the issue by changing the location of the temporary files in Internet Explorer (IE).
Outlook uses the Temporary Internet Files folder structure, a legacy system tied to Internet Explorer (IE), to store temporary copies of email attachments, even though IE is outdated and Microsoft Edge is the preferred browser (IE Mode still exists in Windows 11/10 primarily for backward compatibility).
When you open an attachment directly from an Outlook email, Outlook places a copy in the SecureTemp folder (so your antivirus can scan it before opening), under the Temporary Internet Files directory at the following path:
C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Outlook
If there are issues with this directory’s default location (such as file corruption, permission issues, or a full disk), Outlook may struggle to access the SecureTemp folder. This can prevent images from being displayed correctly, resulting in the red cross icon.
By changing the location of the temporary files in IE, you effectively redirect where IE (and thus Outlook) stores them, potentially resolving any path-related issues.
I hope this helps!
Cannot see contact photos in Outlook
In Outlook, there’s a specific setting under File > Options > People called ‘Show user photographs when available‘. If this setting is turned off, Outlook won’t display contact photos, even if they’re available on the server or within the contact information. Enabling this option allows photos to appear alongside contacts in emails and the address book.
If Outlook is in Cached Exchange Mode, outdated profile information can cause missing images. Switch Outlook temporarily out of Cached Mode, restart, and then re-enable Cached Mode to refresh profile photos.
Also, sometimes, Outlook fails to sync with Microsoft 365 or Exchange server profile photos, leading to missing contact images. Force a sync with the server by going to Send/Receive > Update Folder.
Read: Cannot attach files to email in Outlook.com or Desktop app.
How do I get pictures to show in Outlook?
Make sure your network settings are not blocking external images. Adjust firewall or proxy settings if necessary. If Outlook blocks automatic image downloads, images will remain hidden until you choose to download them. You can view these images as needed by right-clicking on the placeholder and selecting ‘Download Pictures‘ or changing your settings for trusted senders.
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