watchOS 8.5 Fixes Mail Privacy Protection Loophole That Could Expose IP Addresses

watchOS 8.5 fixes a security vulnerability in the Mail app that could leak a user's IP address when downloading remote content, security researchers have found.

ios15 mail privacy feature
Last year, it emerged that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection feature was undermined by a lack of Apple Watch support. Mail Privacy Protection was a new feature introduced with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey that hides your IP address so senders are not able to determine your location or link email habits to your other online activity. It also prevents senders from tracking whether you opened an email, how many times you viewed an email, and whether you forwarded the email.

The feature works by routing all content downloaded by the Mail app through multiple proxy servers to strip your IP address, and then it assigns a random IP address that corresponds to your general region, making email senders see generic information rather than specific information about you.

Apple's legal documentation on Mail Privacy Protection indicates that the feature is available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac only, but security researchers and developers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk discovered that since the Apple Watch does not hide a recipient's IP address, it can compromise the overall security provided by Mail Privacy Protection.

The Apple Watch downloads remote content, such as images, using the recipient's real IP address, both when receiving a Mail notification and when opening an email, meaning that even for users who had enabled Mail Privacy Protection on their ‌iPhone‌, their IP address can be exposed.

While Mail Privacy Protection is a feature exclusive to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, the fact that simply receiving a Mail notification on the Apple Watch could reveal a user's IP address and bypass Mail Privacy Protection on other devices seemed to be an oversight. Now, Bakry and Mysk have found that Apple has fixed the issue in watchOS 8.5.

As of watchOS 8.5, loading remote content is automatically blocked on the Apple Watch, and instead provides an option to "Load Content Directly." Users can also select "Always Load Content Directly" for all new emails or "Ask to Load Content" on a per-email basis. The improvement was not included in watchOS 8.5's release notes.

watchOS 8.5 was released to the public yesterday and the update brings a number of other improvements, including updates to irregular heart rhythm notifications designed to improve atrial fibrillation identification, audio hints in Apple Fitness+ workouts, the ability to authorize Apple TV purchases and subscriptions, and the ability to restore an Apple Watch using an iPhone.

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
LG UltraFine 6K Display TB5

LG UltraFine 6K (32U990A) TB5 Display: Pre-Orders Open September 30

Monday September 29, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Pre-orders for LG's new UltraFine evo 6K display (model 32U990A) with Thunderbolt 5 support will begin on September 30, according to a major U.S. retailer listing. LG first revealed the 32-inch display at CES 2025 in January, teasing its status as the first monitor to support Thunderbolt 5. At the time, LG only provided high-level specs, but left pricing, availability, and full technical...

Top Rated Comments

msackey Avatar
46 months ago

The watchOS team really needs a shake-down. I’ve got the newest watch, and it has recently been the glitchiest of all my Apple devices.
Shortcuts on Apple Watch are very glitchy too.

Anytime you have a Prompt with text in which the input is numeric (e.g., “Please input your weight” and the input is numbers only), the Apple Watch will not display the prompt and only ask you to input numbers. When you have a Shortcut with various prompts (e.g., What is your weight? What is your BMI? etc.) you need to see what the prompt is asking otherwise you lose your place and don’t know what the context is for inputting numbers! This doesn’t even need explanining.

This issue has been with us since about the last two Apple WatchOS versions!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
twistedpixel8 Avatar
46 months ago

Security vulnerability is a part of life.

It will always happen.
True, but this one was ridiculous for Apple to miss.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
46 months ago
The watchOS team really needs a shake-down. I’ve got the newest watch, and it has recently been the glitchiest of all my Apple devices.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dk001 Avatar
46 months ago
Things like this make you wonder how segregated Apple teams are.
This should not have been missed.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
twistedpixel8 Avatar
46 months ago

The two most egregious glitches for me are the random failure to charge (even with the oem charger) and my inability to turn off screen time downtime. Downtime randomly turns on and I have to reboot the watch to get it to turn off, otherwise the watch is useless. There are other glitches, but those stand out!
I was almost late for work this morning because haptics just completely stopped and my watch alarm is set to vibrate only.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
46 months ago

Shortcuts on Apple Watch are very glitchy too.

Anytime you have a Prompt with text in which the input is numeric (e.g., “Please input your weight” and the input is numbers only), the Apple Watch will not display the prompt and only ask you to input numbers. When you have a Shortcut with various prompts (e.g., What is your weight? What is your BMI? etc.) you need to see what the prompt is asking otherwise you lose your place and don’t know what the context is for inputting numbers! This doesn’t even need explanining.

This issue has been with us since about the last two Apple WatchOS versions!
The two most egregious glitches for me are the random failure to charge (even with the oem charger) and my inability to turn off screen time downtime. Downtime randomly turns on and I have to reboot the watch to get it to turn off, otherwise the watch is useless. There are other glitches, but those stand out!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)