Email Images Not Displaying for Recipient

For a recipient who cannot see images in email, the most likely causes depend on how the images were included.

1. Check whether the images are externally linked or embedded.
   • If the email uses external HTTP/HTTPS image links, Outlook can show a red X or block the image.
   • If the email uses embedded cid: images in classic Outlook, there was a known issue after the May 12, 2026 updates. That issue is fixed in newer builds.
2. If the issue is in classic Outlook and the image shows a red X, check Windows Internet Options.
   • Close Outlook.
   • Open Internet Options > Advanced tab.
   • Under Security, clear Do not save encrypted pages to disk.
   • Select OK and restart Outlook.
   • If the setting is greyed out, it is controlled by Group Policy and an administrator must change it.
3. If Outlook shows “The linked image cannot be displayed” for HTTP/HTTPS images, check the BlockHTTPimages registry setting.
   • This applies to Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013.
   • If BlockHTTPimages is set to 1, linked images from URLs are blocked.
   • Warning: registry changes are risky. Back up the registry before modifying it.
   • Remove the BlockHTTPimages value from one of these locations if present:
     • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\x.0\Common
     • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\policies\Microsoft\Office\x.0\Common
   • If the value is under the Policies hive, Group Policy will restore it unless an administrator changes the policy.
4. If the problem is in Outlook on the web for business, one documented server-side case is specific to Exchange Server with Download Domains configured and mailbox aliases beginning with oma*.
   • In that case, inline images and text attachments are not visible in OWA.
   • The documented fix is to install Cumulative Update 15 for Exchange Server 2019 or a later cumulative update.
5. If the sender used invalid image sources such as file: or malformed img src values, classic Outlook may not display them.
   • In that case, starting a new email thread or replying in new Outlook or Outlook Web Access can avoid the issue for affected messages.

• Images are not displayed in emails, newsletters, or signatures in classic Outlook | Microsoft Support
• HTTPS linked images in HTML emails display the red X
• The Linked image cannot be displayed error in an Outlook email message
• Inline images and text attachments are not visible in OWA | Microsoft Support
• Classic Outlook shows error "Contacting the server for information" | Microsoft Support