I feel like a boomer more and more each day. Last night, after weeks of prompting from my iPhone, I decided to update the software to iOS 18.3 as my way of doing due diligence on the industry.
Yes, I warned you that iOS 18.3 completely changed how Apple Mail works. But I needed to experience it for myself.
And personally, I hate it because I was used to how Apple Mail functioned and came to enjoy it.
But professionally? I kinda love it.
In iOS 18.3 images in emails do not load on their own—and this also applies to weird HTML formatting too. In fact, I just opened an email from Walgreens on my phone… and it’s a completely white email with absolutely no content other than a weird ? in a blue box—the icon for a broken image.
That’s their entire email!
There are 22 white nothing boxes with 22 teeny-tiny question marks in a blue box.
Here's what it looks like (press the play button on the video below):
This is what your emails that use images or HTML formatting of any kind look like to the end user—unless your list clicks the “Load Content” button at the top of their email. An extra step just to be able to see and read your email!
If you’re familiar with how the spam folder doesn't load images automatically, that’s what every email in Apple Mail looks like that uses heavily-designed templates and lots of images.
And this applies to all images—even innocent looking ones like your logo at the top of your email, an image-heavy signature, etc. Every image and every colorful HTML background and even things like product boxes do not load automatically in Apple Mail.
And you know what?
It won’t be long until the rest of the industry copies Apple.
If you’re still relying on the use of images to be persuasive, the time has come to stop.
This is no longer a warning or recommendation.
Your business’s livelihood depends on your ability to write persuasive copy without the use of cheap tricks like images and HTML templates. Especially if your business is like most businesses where the vast majority of emails are opened, read, and bought from via mobile devices.
While Walgreens is a hilarious example—click here if you want to see what their email looks like on my phone, I refuse to add an image to this email—there are many brands who aren’t making as obvious as a mistake, but they’re still sacrificing sales because they kneel at the altar of unloaded images—which ain’t nothing more than the tiniest of white question marks in a blue box.
But you know what?
You never needed to rely on images in the first place.
Why?
Because they don’t have the benefits that people (wrongly) give them credit for.
For example:
* Images don’t signal buyer intent. Just because a pretty picture attracts someone’s eyeballs doesn't mean they have intent to buy anything from you. It just means they were a moth attracted to a bright lightbulb.
* Images cater to lazy and instantly gratified customers, which tend to become the most entitled and headache-inducing customers you’ll deal with, not your best customers.
* Images don’t enhance deliverability, they only add complexity to your email marketing software, to your email creation, and to your reader’s email service provider (like Apple Mail or Gmail).
* Images don’t improve your content. In fact, they actively ruin your content on Apple Mail like a pee stain can ruin a couch.
* Images don’t increase open rates—and even if someone does open an email on Apple Mail, their open is absolutely meaningless if they don’t click the “Load Content” button that makes your email make a lick of sense.
And the list goes on and on.
Moral of the story?
I’ve warned against the use of images for years.
But it is now a necessity.
And it will only become more necessary as time ticks on.
If you need help writing emails that don’t rely on any images whatsoever, hit reply, and let’s chat.
But I recommend your urgency, especially if you rely on template-heavy emails.
They are literally snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
John
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