How to input the command "defaults write com.apple.mail DisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool yes" in Terminal.app to show Email attachments as Icons in OS Catalina mail.

Open the Terminal in the Utilities folder. At the Terminal prompt paste this command line:

     defaults write com.apple.mail DisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool yes

Press RETURN.

Note: Mail only displays documents of one page. The icon is used when the document is more than one page.

what is important to me is what the recipient of the mail sees. And I would like that to be a clean text followed by attachments in he form of Icons.

There is no way you can control how the recipient "chooses" to view your email. Their email client, possibly with input from the user, determines how emails are displayed.

There is nothing in the email protocol which forces a client to display the message in any particular way.

There are hints that can be embedded to suggest whether an attachment be viewed inline or as an attachment, but how "inline" and "attachment" directives are interpreted and display is not specified and is quite differently handled amongst the many email clients.

The best you can do is set the message to use "Send Windows-friendly attachments" and "Insert attachments at end" (Edit menu > Attachments).

Another helpful modification is to send plain text messages (Format menu).

Iscozacin wrote:

Etresoft, thank you. Present might no be the right word. Show as Icons might be more precise. The way I view the mail is not so important, what is important to me is what the recipient of the mail sees. And I would like that to be a clean text followed by attachments in he form of Icons.

That’s what I’m saying. This setting only changes how you view the message. You have absolutely no control over how the recipient views the message.

This particular issue has been a pet peeve of mine for years. This misinformation has been circulating on the internet for well over a decade. It was wrong on day one and is still wrong.

Barney-15E, thank you. We will have to wait for Apple modifications/corrections regarding this annoying item.

There's nothing to correct. The email standards do not require anything to be displayed in any particular manner. Email is purely a plain text protocol. Rich Text was incorporated later, and Attachments are handled by encoding the non-text to an ascii text stream. You can create HTML email by encoding the HTML like you would an image. The email client then must decode the "attachment" and display it however it pleased the developer of the client app.

There is nothing for Apple to do. They are actually email standards compliant.

The predominant email client on Windows, Outlook, was never designed for standard email. It was designed around their own proprietary email system, Exchange. They bolted on some very non-compliant support of standard internet email. That's why those users have so much trouble viewing email that is standards compliant.

Iscozacin wrote:

Will have to wait Apple modification/correction.

I wouldn't recommend doing that. You might get a lot of e-mail backed up over the next couple of decades while you wait for the fix. To be clear, you are simply going to have to live with it as is.

Thank you Barney-15E. “Correct” might not be the appropriate term. Let’s say “modify” so users like me are able to choose how text and attachments are shown to the recipient. Regards

You are not getting it. Nobody can do that unless you change the email standards. All anyone can do is suggest the placement of the attachment. You can't force it. You can't heavily emphasize it.

What do you mean by "present"? That command-line hack does what it says, it changes how e-mails are "viewed" - by you. How are "presented" to the recipient does not change.