To ensure that images in email campaigns automatically download in Outlook for Mac devices, your IT Team needs to deploy a Microsoft Intune configuration profile that automatically enables it. Completing this setup ensures ContactMonkey open-rate tracking works reliably across all managed Mac devices in your organization, and that all campaign elements load properly.
You can decide to allow images from users in your address book, or regardless of sender. Depending on your organization’s security needs, you can choose whichever option is relevant when creating the Intune profile.
Using a different MDM tool? Click here.
Create and Configure the Intune Profile
- In Microsoft Intune, navigate to Devices → Manage devices → Configurations, then click Create → New policy.
- Set the device type to Mac and the profile type to Settings catalog. Click Create.
- Give the profile a descriptive name, for example: ContactMonkey - Mac Auto-download Images. Add an optional description, then click Next.
- Under the Configuration step, click Add Settings and search for Microsoft Outlook.
-
Within the checkbox options for Microsoft Outlook, scroll down and check off Download Embedded Images, and choose the appropriate value:
- Auto download images from users in address book: Images load automatically only when the sender is in the recipient's Outlook address book. Recommended for most environments.
- Regardless of sender: Images always load automatically, no matter who sent the email. Use this if the address book option does not produce reliable tracking results.
- Save the profile. You will assign device groups in the next section.
After assignment, the profile is visible under Devices → Manage devices → Configurations. You can search for it by name and view assigned devices along with deployment analytics.
Assign the Profile to Device Groups
The profile only takes effect on devices that belong to an assigned group. Complete this step immediately after saving the profile, or edit the profile to add assignments later.
- Open the saved profile from Devices → Manage devices → Configurations.
- Select the Properties tab, then click Edit next to Assignments.
- Under Included groups, click Add groups and select the device group (or groups) containing the Mac devices you want to target.
- Click Review + save, then Save.
Test the Intune Policy
New Intune policies can take some time to reach devices. Use the steps below to speed up deployment during testing and to confirm the setting has applied correctly.
- Within Intune, navigate to Devices → Select Device, and select the specific Mac device you want to test with from the list.
- Click Sync within the device's profile to push the latest policies to that device immediately.
- On the Mac device, open Outlook and go to Settings → Email → Reading.
- Check that Download external images is enabled. If the setting appears greyed out, the policy has been applied and is managed by your organization properly.
Troubleshooting
Problem: The policy has not appeared on the device after assignment.
Solution: Intune policies can take up to 15 minutes or longer depending on your environment. Use Devices → select the device → Sync to force an immediate check-in. Verify the device is online and enrolled in Intune.
Problem: The "download external images" setting in Outlook for Mac is enabled but images are still blocked.
Solution: If you selected Auto download images from users in address book, the sender must be present in the recipient's address book. Switch the policy value to Regardless of sender to remove this requirement.
Problem: The policy shows as assigned but the Configurations list shows no enrolled devices.
Solution: Confirm that the device group assigned to this profile contains Mac devices that are enrolled in Intune. Navigate to the group in Azure AD and verify membership.