- Save time and space by downloading only headers in Outlook.
- Download headers only for large messages in Outlook
- Receive the rest of the message
Save time and space by downloading only headers in Outlook.
Protect yourself from email messages that contain malicious code, viruses, or large image attachments. Set Outlook to download headers only. This makes your email more secure and speeds up the process considerably.
The instructions in this article apply to Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010, and Outlook for Office 365.
Download headers only for large messages in Outlook
Here’s how to set Outlook to automatically download only the subject, sender, and other minimum information for large messages that exceed a certain size.
As of Outlook 2013, header only download is no longer available for IMAP and Exchange accounts.
-
Open Outlook Mail.
-
Go to the tab Send/Receive †
-
In a group Send and receive select Send and receive groups †
-
Select Defining Send/Receive Groups †
-
In the dialog box Send/Receive Groups select the desired group.
-
Select Change †
-
In the dialog box Send/Receive Options select a POP3 account from the list bills †
-
Check box Add the selected account to this group †
-
In section Folder options select folder inbox †
-
Select Download the full item including attachments †
-
Check box Only load titles for items greater than †
-
Enter the desired threshold value. The default value is 50 KB.
Repeat steps 9 through 12 for each folder configured to receive incoming email.
-
Select Okay †
Receive the rest of the message
When you choose now Send/Receive , Outlook will only download header information for messages that are greater than the threshold. Retrieving entire emails is easy, as is deleting messages directly on the server without having to download them in full.