What causes this email sent from Outlook Mobile to display as Chinese/Japanese characters in iPhone mail app?

Question

I've attached the actual email chain below, redacted and de-identified as much as possible.

UserA sent an email to UserB. Sent from Outlook mobile on iPhone. UserB complained they could not read the email, claiming it was in "chinese". UserA went into the Sent folder and forwarded the email to me (UserC). Indeed, opening it on my iPhone app, the email body was displayed in ideograms (chinese/japanese/korean, not sure which).

I thoroughly verified all the settings for both UserA and UserC, both are fairly standard US-English setups, without any foreign language settings. Neither UserA or UserC speak any Asian languages or had any reason to have any Asian language settings, ever. UserB is not under our control.

What might be causing this problem?

Forwarded email...

Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of UserA@example.com designates 99.99.99.99 as permitted sender) client-ip=99.99.99.99;
From: UserA Last Name <UserA@example.com>
To: "UserC@gmail.com" <UserC@gmail.com>
Subject: Fwd: Showing tomorrow is confirmed
Thread-Topic: Showing tomorrow is confirmed
Thread-Index: AQHUh41jXBWkwhOAEkqLJ6K9zd8oDKVnuH4A
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2018 04:18:54 +0000
Message-ID: <BYAPR11MB34450421C489C4F6614C108DBFD30@BYAPR11MB3445.namprd11.prod.outlook.com>
References: <BYAPR11MB3445DBCC87745FED96979987BFD20@BYAPR11MB3445.namprd11.prod.outlook.com>
In-Reply-To: <BYAPR11MB3445DBCC87745FED96979987BFD20@BYAPR11MB3445.namprd11.prod.outlook.com>
Accept-Language: en-US
Content-Language: en-US
received-spf: None (protection.outlook.com: example.com does not designate permitted sender hosts)
spamdiagnosticoutput: 1:99
spamdiagnosticmetadata: NSPM
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_000_BYAPR11MB34450421C489C4F6614C108DBFD30BYAPR11MB3445namp_"
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-MS-Exchange-CrossTenant-Network-Message-Id: decf7467-d3bc-4bcf-4462-08d6567af11d
X-MS-Exchange-CrossTenant-originalarrivaltime: 30 Nov 2018 04:18:54.9636 (UTC)
X-MS-Exchange-CrossTenant-fromentityheader: Hosted
X-MS-Exchange-CrossTenant-id: 2ee229a9-3b45-4980-b85f-6ac86d92f069
X-MS-Exchange-Transport-CrossTenantHeadersStamped: BYAPR11MB3335

--_000_BYAPR11MB34450421C489C4F6614C108DBFD30BYAPR11MB3445namp_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable



UserA Last Name | Realtor =AE
... redacted ...
________________________________
From: UserA Last Name
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 6:47:44 PM
To: UserB Last
Subject: Showing tomorrow is confirmed

Hi UserB,
We are confirmed to see both properties tomorrow. I will see you tomorrow, =
Thursday at 12 pm at Main street. We will see 2nd Street right after. Pleas=
e let me know you received this email. Thank you! :)
UserA

UserA 
... redacted ...

--_000_BYAPR11MB34450421C489C4F6614C108DBFD30BYAPR11MB3445namp_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html dir=3D"ltr">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-=
1">
<meta content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<meta content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<style id=3D"ms-outlook-ios-style" type=3D"text/css">
<!--
html
=09{background-color:transparent}
body
=09{color:#333;
=09line-height:150%;
=09font-family:"-apple-system","HelveticaNeue";
=09margin:0}
.ms-outlook-ios-reference-expand
=09{display:block;
=09color:#999;
=09padding:20px 0px;
=09text-decoration:none}
.ms-outlook-ios-availability-container
=09{max-width:500px;
=09margin:auto;
=09padding:12px 15px 15px 15px;
=09border:1px solid #C7E0F4;
=09border-radius:4px}
.ms-outlook-ios-availability-container > .ms-outlook-ios-availability-delet=
e-button
=09{width:25px;
=09height:25px;
=09right:-12px;
=09top:-12px;
=09background-image:url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAEsA=
... redacted ...
cxH6z4be2qZrPCG5XvCFi1FQu8SZ1j6YdXYeC9YuLxiZyGicQltpuoRPiEmJVLwqPgZwXOtNKO0=
v8BzRAPSFNM7HEAAAAASUVORK5CYII=3D");
=09background-size:25px 25px;
=09background-position:center}
#ms-outlook-ios-main-container
=09{margin:0 0 0 0;
=09margin-top:120;
=09padding:8}
#ms-outlook-ios-content-container
=09{padding:0;
=09padding-top:12;
=09padding-bottom:20}
.ms-outlook-ios-mention
=09{color:#333;
=09background-color:#f1f1f1;
=09border-radius:4px;
=09padding:0 2px 0 2px;
=09text-decoration:none}
.ms-outlook-ios-mention-external
=09{color:#ba8f0d;
=09background-color:#fdf7e7}
-->
</style>
<meta name=3D"viewport" content=3D"width=3Ddevice-width, user-scalable=3Dno=
, initial-scale=3D1.0">
</head>
<body style=3D"">
<style id=3D"ms-outlook-ios-style" type=3D"text/css">
<!--
html
=09{background-color:transparent}
body
=09{color:#333;
=09line-height:150%;
=09font-family:"-apple-system","HelveticaNeue";
=09margin:0}
.ms-outlook-ios-reference-expand
=09{display:block;
=09color:#999;
=09padding:20px 0px;
=09text-decoration:none}
.ms-outlook-ios-availability-container
=09{max-width:500px;
=09margin:auto;
=09padding:12px 15px 15px 15px;
=09border:1px solid #C7E0F4;
=09border-radius:4px}
.ms-outlook-ios-availability-container > .ms-outlook-ios-availability-delet=
e-button
=09{width:25px;
=09height:25px;
=09right:-12px;
=09top:-12px;
=09background-image:url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAEsA=
... redacted ...
v8BzRAPSFNM7HEAAAAASUVORK5CYII=3D");
=09background-size:25px 25px;
=09background-position:center}
#ms-outlook-ios-main-container
=09{margin:0 0 0 0;
=09margin-top:120;
=09padding:8}
#ms-outlook-ios-content-container
=09{padding:0;
=09padding-top:12;
=09padding-bottom:20}
.ms-outlook-ios-mention
=09{color:#333;
=09background-color:#f1f1f1;
=09border-radius:4px;
=09padding:0 2px 0 2px;
=09text-decoration:none}
.ms-outlook-ios-mention-external
=09{color:#ba8f0d;
=09background-color:#fdf7e7}
-->
</style>
<meta name=3D"viewport" content=3D"width=3Ddevice-width, user-scalable=3Dno=
, initial-scale=3D1.0">
<div style=3D"direction:ltr">
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div class=3D"ms-outlook-ios-signature">
<div style=3D"direction:ltr"> ... redacted ...</div>
</div>
</div>
<hr tabindex=3D"-1" style=3D"display:inline-block; width:98%">
<div id=3D"divRplyFwdMsg" dir=3D"ltr"><font face=3D"Calibri, sans-serif" co=
lor=3D"#000000" style=3D"font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> UserA Last Name<=
br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, November 28, 2018 6:47:44 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> UserB Last<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Showing tomorrow is confirmed </font>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div>
<meta content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<style id=3D"ms-outlook-ios-style" type=3D"text/css">
<!--
html
=09{background-color:transparent}
body
=09{color:#333;
=09line-height:150%;
=09font-family:"-apple-system","HelveticaNeue";
=09margin:0}
.ms-outlook-ios-reference-expand
=09{display:block;
=09color:#999;
=09padding:20px 0px;
=09text-decoration:none}
.ms-outlook-ios-availability-container
=09{max-width:500px;
=09margin:auto;
=09padding:12px 15px 15px 15px;
=09border:1px solid #C7E0F4;
=09border-radius:4px}
.ms-outlook-ios-availability-container > .ms-outlook-ios-availability-delet=
e-button
=09{width:25px;
=09height:25px;
=09right:-12px;
=09top:-12px;
=09background-image:url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAEsA=
... redacted ...
v8BzRAPSFNM7HEAAAAASUVORK5CYII=3D");
=09background-size:25px 25px;
=09background-position:center}
#ms-outlook-ios-main-container
=09{margin:0 0 0 0;
=09margin-top:120;
=09padding:8}
#ms-outlook-ios-content-container
=09{padding:0;
=09padding-top:12;
=09padding-bottom:20}
.ms-outlook-ios-mention
=09{color:#333;
=09background-color:#f1f1f1;
=09border-radius:4px;
=09padding:0 2px 0 2px;
=09text-decoration:none}
.ms-outlook-ios-mention-external
=09{color:#ba8f0d;
=09background-color:#fdf7e7}
-->
</style>
<meta name=3D"viewport" content=3D"width=3Ddevice-width, user-scalable=3Dno=
, initial-scale=3D1.0">
<div style=3D"direction:ltr">
<div style=3D"direction:ltr">Hi UserB,</div>
<div style=3D"direction:ltr">We are confirmed to see both properties tomorr=
ow. I will see you tomorrow, Thursday at 12 pm at Main street. We =
will see 2nd Street right after. Please let me know you received=
 this email. Thank you! :)&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"direction:ltr">UserA&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"direction:ltr"><br>
</div>
<div class=3D"ms-outlook-ios-signature">
<div style=3D"direction:ltr"> ... redacted ... </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

--_000_BYAPR11MB34450421C489C4F6614C108DBFD30BYAPR11MB3445namp_--

If User A uses OWA to do the same thing(forward the same message to User C), is there the same issue? If no, it could be an Outlook mobile app related issue, you can open an in-app Outlook support ticket to ask for help from Microsoft. Link: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/get-in-app-help-for-outlook-for-ios-and-android-218a22d1-9fa5-4889-b689-de1c63493243 — Niko.Cheng, Dec 03 '18 at 06:39

What causes this email sent from Outlook Mobile to display as Chinese/Japanese characters in iPhone mail app?

0 Answers0