Red X icons appearing in place of email images are an Outlook-specific display issue caused by security settings. This affects how recipients view your emails and can be resolved by adjusting Internet Explorer and Outlook settings.
Why This Happens
Outlook uses Internet Explorer security settings to render HTML emails. When the "Do not save encrypted pages to disk" option is enabled, Outlook blocks images from displaying and shows a red X icon instead.
Note: This setting affects Outlook even if you don't actively use Internet Explorer as your browser.
Solution 1: Update Internet Explorer Security Settings
This is the primary fix for red X icons on images. Recipients or IT administrators should complete these steps:
- Close Outlook completely
- Open Internet Explorer
- Click the settings icon (gear icon in the top right)
- Select Internet Options
- Click Security
- Uncheck "Do not save encrypted pages to disk"
- Click OK
- Restart Outlook
Can't access this setting? Contact your system administrator - this option may be controlled by company security policies.
Solution 2: Enable Automatic Image Downloads in Outlook
If images still don't display after updating Internet Explorer settings, adjust Outlook's download preferences:
- Open Outlook
- Click File in the top menu
- Click Options
- Click Trust Center → Trust Center Settings
- Click Automatic Download in the left menu
- Uncheck "Don't download pictures automatically in standard HTML email messages or RSS items"
- Click OK to save changes
Important Notes
- This issue affects how recipients view your emails, not how you send them
- Changes only need to be made once per computer
- These are standard Outlook security settings - adjusting them doesn't compromise email security