Many people are surprised to learn that the United States Postal Service provides a digital window into your incoming mail. Informed Delivery is a free service that sends grayscale images of your envelopes to your email or mobile app, allowing you to see what is coming before it arrives. While this feature is designed to add convenience and security, some users find it invasive or simply unnecessary. If you are looking to stop Informed Delivery, the process is straightforward but requires a few specific steps to ensure the service is fully disabled.
Understanding Informed Delivery and Why You Might Want to Opt Out
Before you take action, it helps to understand exactly what Informed Delivery does and why you might want to turn it off. The service scans the exterior of your mailpieces to generate a digital preview. You might wish to stop Informed Delivery if you are concerned about privacy, if the notifications are no longer useful, or if you simply prefer a more traditional approach to checking your mail. The key to stopping it is not about changing your mail delivery, but rather about stopping the digital imaging and notification process associated with your address.
Accessing the Official USPS Informed Delivery Portal
The only official channel to manage this service is through the USPS website. You cannot adjust these settings through the standard USPS tracking interface or a mobile carrier account. To begin the process, you must navigate to the Informed Delivery registration page. Attempting to find the settings through other parts of the USPS system will lead to frustration and wasted time, so going directly to the source is the most efficient path to stopping the service.
Logging In and Locating Your Profile Settings
Once you are on the Informed Delivery page, you will need to log in using your USPS account credentials. If you do not have an account, you will be prompted to create one, which usually requires verifying your identity and confirming your address. After logging in, look for the profile or settings section, often represented by a user icon or a gear icon. This area houses the preferences that control the digital preview feature, and it is here that you will find the switch to turn the service off.
The Specific Steps to Disable the Service
Navigation within the portal is generally intuitive, but it is specific. You are looking for a section related to notification preferences or image settings. The interface may occasionally update, but the core options remain consistent. You will typically see toggles for email notifications, mobile notifications, and the image preview itself. To stop Informed Delivery, you will need to disable these active settings. Unchecking or turning off these options ensures that the system stops processing the visual data for your mail.
Verifying the Confirmation of Cancellation
After you have adjusted the settings, it is important to verify that the change took effect. Do not assume the toggle switch worked immediately; check for a confirmation message or a return to the default state indicating that you are no longer enrolled. You should stop receiving the daily email digests within 24 to 48 hours. If the notifications continue, repeat the steps to ensure the settings were saved correctly, or consider reaching out to customer support for further assistance.
