Inbox Icons

Display your brand logo or personal photo in recipients’ inboxes to improve open rates and brand recall

Adding your brand logo or personal photo to emails can significantly enhance your email marketing effectiveness. Research shows that visual identifiers in the inbox improve brand recognition, increase open rates by up to 21%, and strengthen recipient trust in your communications.

Why Inbox Icons Matter

Having your company logo or personal photo appear in recipients’ inboxes offers several important advantages:

Enhanced brand recognition

Visual identifiers help your emails stand out in crowded inboxes, creating immediate recognition even before recipients open your messages

Higher open rates

Emails with recognizable logos or photos can increase open rates by up to 21%, significantly improving campaign performance

Improved trust

Recipients feel more confident about email legitimacy when they can see a familiar logo or face, reducing concerns about potential phishing attempts

Professional appearance

A consistent visual identity across all communications presents a more polished, professional brand experience

Setup Options

There are two primary ways to add your logo or photo to emails, varying in complexity and coverage:

Email Client Setup (Easy)

This approach lets you add icons to individual email providers by setting up profiles, with support for both company logos and personal photos/headshots.

Advantages of email client setup:

• Supports both personal photos and company logos
• No additional costs beyond basic accounts
• Simple setup process with minimal technical skill

Limitations of email client setup:

• Must set up separately for each email provider
• Limited to supported email clients only
• No verification or trust indicators

Gmail

1. Log in to the Google/Gmail account associated with your sending address
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
3. Click “Manage your Google Account”
4. Select “Personal info” from the left menu
5. Under “Profile,” click on your profile picture
6. Upload your logo or photo
7. Click “Set as profile photo”

Gmail displays icons in the mobile app (including push notifications) and inside opened emails on desktop, but not in the inbox list view on desktop.

Apple Mail

Apple Branded Mail lets you display your logo as an avatar in Apple Mail inboxes on supported devices (iOS, iPadOS, macOS). This increases brand recognition and trust for recipients using Apple Mail.

Apple Branded Mail only works in Apple Mail on recent iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions. Your logo will not show in other mail clients or older Apple Mail versions.

1. Prerequisites

   • Create an Apple Business Connect account (Sign up here)
   • Make sure your DNS records are set up—specifically DMARC, which is a requirement for Apple Branded Mail to work. This is part of your Brew onboarding and ensures your emails are authenticated and protected
   • Have a company identification number for Apple to verify your company
2. Configure DMARC (part of your DNS records)

   • DMARC is an email authentication record that helps protect your brand and is required for Apple Branded Mail
   • If you followed Brew’s DNS setup guide, you already have DMARC set up
   • You may need to update your DMARC policy to p=quarantine; or p=reject; and pct=100. This is a quick and simple change in your DNS settings. If you’re unsure how to do this, just reach out to us or ask your IT team—we’re happy to help
   • Example DMARC record:
     v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; pct=100; rua=mailto:[e-mail]

   If you’re updating your DMARC policy, it’s a good idea to test your email deliverability first to ensure everything is working as expected.

3. Add your company and brand details

   • After creating your Apple Business Connect account, enter your company address, name, and other required details
   • In Business Connect, select the Branded Mail option in the sidebar
   • Add your brand name and website
4. Upload your logo

   • Apple requires the logo to be at least 1024 x 1024 px in .png, .heif, or .jpeg format
   • Upload your logo in the Branded Mail section
5. Add your domain(s)

   • Specify the domains or email addresses where you want your logo to appear
   • You can register your logo for your root domain or a subdomain. If you don’t set a specific logo for a subdomain, the root domain logo will automatically display for any email sent from your subdomains
   • For more on choosing between root and subdomains, see our Set Sending Domain guide. Make sure your choice matches how you send emails from Brew
6. Verify your company

   • Provide your company identification number (e.g., Federal Taxpayer ID in the US, local equivalent elsewhere)
   • Apple will prompt you to add a DNS record to verify you control your domain. Follow their instructions to complete this step
7. Apple review and activation

   • Apple will review your submission. This process may take up to seven business days
   • Once your logo is approved, you’ll receive an email notification and your logo will display in Apple Mail for supported recipients

This only works with commercial domains (not gmail.com, etc.) and requires that you’ve properly set up your domain’s DNS records, which you’ve already done if you completed Brew’s DNS setup.

For best results, follow all available methods for adding your logo to emails, including Apple Branded Mail, BIMI, and email client profile setup.

Outlook

1. Log in to your Outlook account
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
3. Select “My profile” or “View account”
4. Click on “Edit profile”
5. Upload your logo or photo
6. Save changes

Outlook primarily displays icons in the mobile app and inside opened emails on desktop.

Yahoo

1. Log in to your Yahoo account
2. Click your profile icon
3. Select “Account info”
4. Navigate to “Personal info”
5. Click on your profile image
6. Upload your logo or photo
7. Save changes

Yahoo Mail offers more comprehensive icon support, displaying them in both the message list and message view.

Gravatar

Gravatar is used by several email clients including Thunderbird, Airmail, and Postbox:

1. Go to Gravatar.com
2. Create an account or log in
3. Add your brand logo or photo
4. Verify the email addresses you’re sending from
5. Your icon will now display in clients that use Gravatar

This approach lets you add icons to individual email providers by setting up profiles, with support for both company logos and personal photos/headshots.

Advantages of email client setup:

• Supports both personal photos and company logos
• No additional costs beyond basic accounts
• Simple setup process with minimal technical skill

Limitations of email client setup:

• Must set up separately for each email provider
• Limited to supported email clients only
• No verification or trust indicators

Gmail

1. Log in to the Google/Gmail account associated with your sending address
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
3. Click “Manage your Google Account”
4. Select “Personal info” from the left menu
5. Under “Profile,” click on your profile picture
6. Upload your logo or photo
7. Click “Set as profile photo”

Gmail displays icons in the mobile app (including push notifications) and inside opened emails on desktop, but not in the inbox list view on desktop.

Apple Mail

Apple Branded Mail lets you display your logo as an avatar in Apple Mail inboxes on supported devices (iOS, iPadOS, macOS). This increases brand recognition and trust for recipients using Apple Mail.

Apple Branded Mail only works in Apple Mail on recent iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions. Your logo will not show in other mail clients or older Apple Mail versions.

1. Prerequisites

   • Create an Apple Business Connect account (Sign up here)
   • Make sure your DNS records are set up—specifically DMARC, which is a requirement for Apple Branded Mail to work. This is part of your Brew onboarding and ensures your emails are authenticated and protected
   • Have a company identification number for Apple to verify your company
2. Configure DMARC (part of your DNS records)

   • DMARC is an email authentication record that helps protect your brand and is required for Apple Branded Mail
   • If you followed Brew’s DNS setup guide, you already have DMARC set up
   • You may need to update your DMARC policy to p=quarantine; or p=reject; and pct=100. This is a quick and simple change in your DNS settings. If you’re unsure how to do this, just reach out to us or ask your IT team—we’re happy to help
   • Example DMARC record:
     v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; pct=100; rua=mailto:[e-mail]

   If you’re updating your DMARC policy, it’s a good idea to test your email deliverability first to ensure everything is working as expected.

3. Add your company and brand details

   • After creating your Apple Business Connect account, enter your company address, name, and other required details
   • In Business Connect, select the Branded Mail option in the sidebar
   • Add your brand name and website
4. Upload your logo

   • Apple requires the logo to be at least 1024 x 1024 px in .png, .heif, or .jpeg format
   • Upload your logo in the Branded Mail section
5. Add your domain(s)

   • Specify the domains or email addresses where you want your logo to appear
   • You can register your logo for your root domain or a subdomain. If you don’t set a specific logo for a subdomain, the root domain logo will automatically display for any email sent from your subdomains
   • For more on choosing between root and subdomains, see our Set Sending Domain guide. Make sure your choice matches how you send emails from Brew
6. Verify your company

   • Provide your company identification number (e.g., Federal Taxpayer ID in the US, local equivalent elsewhere)
   • Apple will prompt you to add a DNS record to verify you control your domain. Follow their instructions to complete this step
7. Apple review and activation

   • Apple will review your submission. This process may take up to seven business days
   • Once your logo is approved, you’ll receive an email notification and your logo will display in Apple Mail for supported recipients

This only works with commercial domains (not gmail.com, etc.) and requires that you’ve properly set up your domain’s DNS records, which you’ve already done if you completed Brew’s DNS setup.

For best results, follow all available methods for adding your logo to emails, including Apple Branded Mail, BIMI, and email client profile setup.

Outlook

1. Log in to your Outlook account
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
3. Select “My profile” or “View account”
4. Click on “Edit profile”
5. Upload your logo or photo
6. Save changes

Outlook primarily displays icons in the mobile app and inside opened emails on desktop.

Yahoo

1. Log in to your Yahoo account
2. Click your profile icon
3. Select “Account info”
4. Navigate to “Personal info”
5. Click on your profile image
6. Upload your logo or photo
7. Save changes

Yahoo Mail offers more comprehensive icon support, displaying them in both the message list and message view.

Gravatar

Gravatar is used by several email clients including Thunderbird, Airmail, and Postbox:

1. Go to Gravatar.com
2. Create an account or log in
3. Add your brand logo or photo
4. Verify the email addresses you’re sending from
5. Your icon will now display in clients that use Gravatar

This approach provides a standardized way to display your brand logo (not personal photos) across multiple email clients with a single setup, but requires more technical setup and potential investment.

Advantages of BIMI:

• Works across multiple email clients with one setup
• Provides verification and trust indicators
• Creates consistent brand presentation

Limitations of BIMI:

• Only works with company logos, not personal photos
• Requires technical DNS configuration
• Often involves certificate costs ($800-1,500/year)

What is BIMI?

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email standard that lets your logo appear automatically in compatible email clients. It works with the DNS settings you’ve already configured with Brew.

What does BIMI do?

• Displays your logo in supporting email clients
• Works across multiple email platforms with a single setup
• Adds a verification layer that builds trust with recipients
• Some providers add verification checkmarks next to your logo

Which email clients support BIMI?

• Gmail and Google Workspace
• Apple Mail (macOS Ventura 13+, iOS 16+, iPadOS 16+)
• Yahoo Mail
• Fastmail, AOL, Netscape, and Pobox

Not supported by: Outlook and other Microsoft clients

How BIMI Works Behind the Scenes

BIMI isn’t just about uploading a logo - it’s an email authentication technology that works with your existing email setup:

1. Authentication check: When you send an email, the recipient’s email provider verifies your DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records (already set up if you’ve completed Brew’s domain verification)
2. Logo retrieval: If authentication passes, the email provider accesses your BIMI record to find and display your logo
3. Trust verification: With a VMC, your logo ownership is verified, adding additional trust signals in supported clients

This process happens automatically behind the scenes, creating a seamless experience for your recipients while adding an extra layer of security for your brand.

BIMI Certificate Options

To use BIMI, you’ll need one of these certificates (with some exceptions):

Verified Mark Certificate (VMC):

• Requires a registered trademark for your logo
• Costs approximately $1,500/year
• Compatible with all BIMI-supporting email clients
• Adds a blue verification checkmark in Gmail

Common Mark Certificate (CMC):

• For businesses without a trademark
• Requires proof you’ve used your logo consistently for at least one year
• Costs approximately $800/year
• Currently only works with Gmail (not Apple Mail)
• No verification checkmark

No Certificate:

• Works only with Yahoo Mail
• No verification checkmark is displayed
• Free, but limited coverage

If most of your audience uses Gmail, a CMC might be sufficient. If you want the broadest coverage including Apple Mail, a VMC is your best option.

BIMI Setup with Brew

Good news! If you’ve already completed the Add DNS Records step in Brew, you’ve already set up the necessary DMARC foundation for BIMI. To complete the BIMI setup:

1. Authenticate your emails

Brew already helped you set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. For BIMI to work, confirm your DMARC policy is at enforcement level:

• Must use p=quarantine or p=reject (p=none is not accepted)
• Ensure pct=100 (anything less is not accepted)
• Apply to both domain and subdomains (sp=quarantine or sp=reject)

2. Prepare your logo

• Create a square SVG logo in the Tiny PS format
• Maximum file size: 32KB
• Host it on a secure server with HTTPS
• Use the BIMI Generator tool to create and validate your SVG

3. Obtain a certificate (recommended)

• Purchase a VMC or CMC from Entrust or DigiCert
• For VMCs: You’ll need a registered trademark in supported jurisdictions
• For CMCs: You’ll need to demonstrate consistent logo usage over time
• Self-asserted BIMI (without certificates) has limited email client support

4. Add the BIMI DNS record Add this TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings:

Name: default._bimi
Type: TXT
Value: v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/logo.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/certificate.pem;

Where:

• l= points to your hosted logo (HTTPS required)
• a= points to your certificate (include for VMC/CMC, optional otherwise)

5. Verify your setup After adding the record, use the BIMI Inspector to check that everything is configured correctly.

For complete details, refer to the official BIMI implementation guide.

Allow 24-48 hours for DNS changes to propagate completely. Email providers may also take additional time to begin displaying your logo.

BIMI requirements may change as the standard evolves. Each email provider sets their own criteria for displaying BIMI logos. Check the BIMI Group website for the latest information.

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Search Documentation

Type in the “Ask any question” search bar at the top left to instantly find relevant documentation pages.

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Click the sparkle ✨ icon next to the “Ask any question” search bar in the top left to chat with our AI assistant that’s been trained on our entire documentation.

ChatGPT/Claude Integration

Click “Open in ChatGPT” at the top right of any page to analyze documentation with ChatGPT or Claude for deeper insights.

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