Some individuals obtain and preserve zero unread emails; some let that purple badge climb into the hundreds. It’s by no means too late — you possibly can turn out to be a type of clear inbox individuals like me. What will help you alongside the best way to Inbox Zero are these six suggestions in Apple’s personal Mail app for iPhone and Mac that you just won’t have identified about.
Properly, past the apparent Tip Quantity 0: It is best to at all times hit the Unsubscribe button on the backside of each unsolicited promotional electronic mail as quickly as you get the primary one. After you kill all these undesirable subscriptions, these six lesser-known options of the Apple Mail app will make you a real professional at managing your electronic mail.
Secret options in Apple Mail app
If you happen to’re too busy to learn our roundup of lesser-known Apple Mail app suggestions, you possibly can watch our fast video:
No. 1: Redirect as a substitute of Ahead
Think about somebody sends you an electronic mail that must be handed alongside to another person, however you don’t need to be concerned within the dialog anymore. There’s a greater option to deal with this — Redirect. This can take away you from the dialog from right here on out, so that you’re not on the whim of everybody else within the chain. In accordance with Apple Assist, “Solely the deal with of the unique sender is proven to the recipient, and the recipient’s reply goes solely to the unique sender.”
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
To allow this on the Mac, it’s essential to add a Redirect button to the Mail toolbar. Proper-click (or maintain the Management key) on the toolbar and click on Customise Toolbar. Click on and drag the Redirect button into the toolbar. Sadly, this function has not made its option to the iPhone or iPad. Perhaps we’ll see it in iOS 19. 🤞
No. 2: Customise the swipe gestures in Apple’s Mail app
I not often delete emails; I’m a serial archiver. Actually, I’m at all times alarmed once I arrange a brand new gadget and discover the default swipe-left motion tries to Delete as a substitute of Archive. And NetNewsWire, my beloved RSS shopper, has educated me to make use of swipe-right as Mark Unread.
Perhaps your mind works completely in another way and you discover holding on to all of your previous electronic mail horrifying. Fortunately, we are able to all have what we would like if we customise the swipe actions in Apple’s Mail app.
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
On the iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Swipe Choices. You’ll be able to set completely different actions for left and proper swipes. I like to recommend retaining it constant together with your Mac settings so that you don’t get confused.
On the Mac, hit ⌘, (the shortcut is definitely command-comma) or go to Mail > Settings within the menu bar. Click on the Viewing tab. Sadly, you possibly can’t actually customise which swipe motion does what. Swipe-right at all times toggles Learn or Unread; swipe-left at all times discards the message. However you possibly can decide whether or not discarded messages go to Archive or Trash.
No. 3: Activate extra mail classes
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Swipe again in your record of emails and you will notice an inventory of mailboxes with all the same old suspects: Flagged, Unread, Archive, and so forth. However in the event you faucet Edit within the high proper, you possibly can customise this record.
You’ll be able to activate sensible folders that present your muted threads, electronic mail that got here in in the present day, electronic mail with attachments, despatched mail you need to comply with up on, and emails from VIP contacts. I feel these are probably the most helpful ones, though there are just a few extra you possibly can select from.
No. 4: Compact multi-window mode on Mac model of the Apple Mail app
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The complete three-column format in Apple’s Mail app can take up a number of your Mac’s display screen area. If you happen to use a 13-inch MacBook Air, you won’t need the mailbox record and the e-mail preview on the display screen on a regular basis.
To vary issues up, hover your cursor over the divider between the 2 columns. Click on and drag it in order that the preview column disappears. You are able to do the identical factor for the sidebar (or simply go to View > Conceal Sidebar). Then, you possibly can shrink down the Mail window to a lot smaller than earlier than.
To open an electronic mail, double-click it within the record. It’ll open in a brand new window you can transfer round, resize and shut utterly independently of the message record. You’ll be able to simply have a bunch of emails facet by facet. To navigate completely different mailboxes like Despatched and Archive, you need to use the keyboard shortcuts ⌘1 to ⌘7.
No. 5: See a number of emails directly in Apple Mail app on iPhone and iPad
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Within the Mail app on the iPhone, the New Mail window slides up and takes over the entire display screen. However what if you wish to return and have a look at a distinct electronic mail for reference? What if it’s essential to compose a number of emails directly? There’s a simple option to view a number of emails directly. Simply swipe down on the pop-up and hold shopping the app. Come again to it at any time by tapping on the minimized title bar.
Actually, you possibly can compose one other electronic mail on the identical time. Faucet on the title bar on the backside to see all the things you have got open and change between your drafts.
No. 6: Greater previews
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
By default, the messages record of the Apple Mail app reveals two traces of textual content to preview the contents of the e-mail. You may need to see extra; you won’t want electronic mail previews in any respect. Fortunately, it’s straightforward to customise precisely how a lot or how little of a preview you see. On the iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Preview and set it anyplace from None to 5 Strains. On the Mac, that’s in Mail > Settings > Viewing > Record preview.
Some individuals set it to 5 traces to have the ability to see chunk of the e-mail’s contents earlier than opening it. Personally, I attempted having them off for some time, however didn’t like how dense the record obtained, so I set it again to 2 traces.
Get much more Apple Mail suggestions
Can’t get sufficient Apple Mail suggestions? We’ve obtained a great deal of different how-tos that specify superior options like unsending messages and taking advantage of Apple’s privateness options:
Be taught all of them and also you’ll undoubtedly spend much less time coping with electronic mail.
We initially printed this put up on six Apple Mail app suggestions for reaching Inbox Zero on Could 20, 2023. We up to date the knowledge.
