Read tracking
For mail you send with tracking on, Bottle Mail shows what it knows about each person, and how sure it is. It never says “Not read”.
Windows and webWhat the ticks mean
Sent mail shows one tick when it is delivered and two ticks when a signal comes back. The words appear when you point at the ticks.
- Delivered (“Delivered, no signal”). It was sent and nothing has come back yet. That does not mean unread: many people read mail with pictures turned off.
- Possibly auto-opened (low confidence). The tracking image loaded through Apple Mail Privacy Protection or a security scanner, or within 30 seconds of delivery. A machine may have opened it, not a person, so these opens are not added to the open count.
- Opened (medium confidence). The tracking image loaded on a normal device, or through a webmail image proxy such as Gmail’s, more than 30 seconds after delivery.
- Read (high confidence). The person’s mail app sent back a read receipt, or a person clicked a tracked link (not a security scanner).
A number next to the ticks is how many times the message was opened, when it is more than once. In the list, the ticks show the strongest signal from anyone you sent it to. The open message shows a line for each person.
How it works
Bottle Mail uses three signals: a read receipt request, a tiny tracking image and tracked links. For each person it shows the strongest signal it received.
No signal can prove that a person read an email. Many mail apps block images and ignore receipt requests, and some providers and scanners open mail by themselves. So Bottle Mail says “possibly” when it cannot be sure, and never “Not read”.
See when each person opened it
- In Sent, point at the ticks to take a quick look, or click them to keep the details open.
- You see each person’s opens, link clicks and read receipt, newest first, with the time. An open that came seconds after delivery is marked “may be automatic”.
- Opens by mail scanners and Apple privacy are grouped in one line. Select Show to see them.
- Press Esc or click anywhere else to close the details.
In the open message, select See details (or See all 3 opens) next to a person to open the same details for them.
Mail to several people
When you send tracked mail to a group, each person gets their own copy, so Bottle Mail can tell who opened it. Your Sent folder keeps one copy per message, and its ticks show the opens for every person.
Turn tracking off for one message
- While you write, find the Pixel, Links and Receipt boxes at the bottom of the composer.
- Untick the ones you do not want for this message. Untick all three to send it without tracking.
- To change what new messages start with, open Settings, then Accounts. Each account has its own tracking defaults there.
Questions
Do my own opens count?
No. Opening your own sent mail in Bottle Mail is never counted.
Can I be told when someone opens my mail?
Yes, in the Windows app. Open Settings → Notifications and turn on Notify when a tracked email is read or opened.
Does the tracking service see my mail?
No. It learns only that a tracked message was opened or a link was clicked. It never receives message content, subjects or email addresses, and it does not store IP addresses. The privacy policy has the details.
Does read tracking work in the web app?
Yes, while you are signed in. The web app keeps nothing after you sign out, so the tracking history is gone then.
Is tracking removed when I reply or forward?
Yes. Replies and forwards you write in Bottle Mail have the tracking taken out.