Will Apple Mail Privacy Protection affect Mac OS Monterey users and Outlook?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Stack Overflow mentions that if a Mac OS Monterey user is using Apple Mail, regardless of whether it's a Gmail, Outlook, or other account, MPP will affect open tracking, as Apple Mail downloads all images through a proxy.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that MPP affects all mail accessed through the Apple Mail app, regardless of the email provider (like Gmail or Outlook) as long as they are using the Apple Mail app. They are also now masking IP addresses.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that MPP will impact the accuracy of open rates and geolocation data for users who open emails in the Apple Mail app on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, irrespective of the email account used within the app (Gmail, Outlook, etc.).
Email marketer from SuperOffice states that Apple Mail Privacy Protection affects all emails opened in the Apple Mail app, irrespective of the email account (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). The IP address will be hidden, and emails will be registered as opened regardless of whether the recipient actually opened them.
Email marketer from EmailToolTester indicates MPP affects Mac OS Monterey users accessing mail via Apple Mail. They further explain it hides the IP address, impacting geolocation tracking, and masks open data.
Email marketer from Sendinblue reports that Apple’s MPP will affect any email opened via Apple Mail on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey and protects users’ privacy by hiding their IP address and masking open data. This is regardless of email provider or client being used in the app.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains it will be a feature of Apple Mail in the new Mac OS as well.
Email marketer from Reddit user u/email_expert responds MPP impacts all email clients within Apple Mail on Monterey. Even if someone uses Outlook. It's about the app used, not the service.
Email marketer from Influitive explains that Apple's MPP impacts Apple Mail on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey. This means even if someone uses Outlook on macOS Monterey with Apple Mail, the privacy features will apply.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Spamresource notes that Apple Mail Privacy Protection affects all emails accessed through the Apple Mail app, regardless of the email provider, if they are using Mac OS Monterey.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Apple Mail Privacy Protection on macOS Monterey will function similarly to iOS and iPadOS. It will impact open rates and geolocation tracking, even if users are using Outlook within the Apple Mail app.
Expert from Email Geeks shares on Monterey you’ll see traffic from apple proxies from most Apple Mail users, but you’ll also see it from, e.g., Outlook on Mac if the user is using the Private Relay feature.
Expert from Email Geeks explains Private Relay is an apple VPN(ish) that affects all traffic from the machine when it’s enabled. MPP is using the same infrastructure, so the traffic looks similar.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Apple Developer highlights Mail Privacy Protection in macOS Monterey. They state it hides the user's IP address so it can’t be linked to their other online activity or used to determine their location, and prevents senders from seeing if the recipient has opened their email.
Documentation from Apple Support explains Private Relay is a service that hides your IP address and browsing activity in Safari and protects unencrypted internet traffic so that no one — including Apple — can see both who you are and what sites you’re visiting. This feature impacts all traffic on the machine when active.
Documentation from Word to the Wise reports that MPP on macOS Monterey functions the same way as on iOS and iPadOS, impacting open rates and IP-based geolocation for emails opened in the Apple Mail app. Private Relay also affects all network traffic.
Documentation from Apple explains that iCloud+ includes Private Relay, which encrypts traffic leaving the user’s device and uses two separate internet relays so no one can use the IP address, location, and browsing activity to create a detailed profile about the user.