Add your email account
Apple's OS X Mail app has long offered users the ability to preview email attachments directly in the message. While useful in many cases, some users find the previews distracting and prefer to have attachments displayed as icons. Unfortunately, an old Terminal command to do this no longer works in OS X Mavericks, but we'll show you an app that can help. Nov 28, 2019 Launch Terminal. Press Command and spacebar to pull up Spotlight then start typing Terminal. When the Terminal app appears in Spotlight, tap Return to launch it. Alternatively, navigate to the Utilities folder in Applications and double-click Terminal. View processes. When Terminal has launched, type 'top' into the Terminal window.
If you don't have an email account set up, Mail prompts you to add your email account.
To add another account, choose Mail > Add Account from the menu bar in Mail. Or choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Internet Accounts, then click the type of account to add.
- When adding an account, if you get a message that your account provider requires completing authentication in Safari, click Open Safari and follow the sign-in instructions in the Safari window.
- If necessary, Mail might ask you for additional settings.
Learn more about how to add or remove email accounts.
Send and reply
Learn how to compose, reply to, and forward email.
Send new messages
- Click New Message in the Mail toolbar, or choose File > New Message.
- Enter a name, email address, or group name in the 'To' field. Mail gives suggestions based on your contacts and messages on your Mac and devices signed into iCloud.1
- Enter a subject for your message.
- Write your email in the body of the message.
- To add an attachment, drag an attachment to the body of the message. Or choose File > Attach Files, choose an attachment, then click Choose.
- To change your font and format, use the options at the top of the message window.
- Beginning with macOS Mojave, it's even easier to add emoji to your messages. Just click the Emoji & Symbols button in the toolbar at the top of the message window, then choose emoji or other symbols from the character viewer.
- Send or save your message:
- To send, click the Send button or choose Message > Send.
- To save your message as a draft for later, close the message, then click Save.
Reply and forward
To reply to a single person, click Reply , type your response, then click Send .
To reply to everyone on a group email, click Reply All , type your response, then click Send .
- To forward a message to other people, click Forward , type your response, then click Send .
Organize and search
Sort your emails into folders and use multiple search options to find specific messages.
Create folders
You can create Mailboxes to organize your emails into folders.
- Open Mail, then choose Mailbox > New Mailbox from the menu bar.
- In the dialog that appears, choose the location for the Mailbox.
- Choose your email service (like iCloud) to access your Mailbox on your other devices, such as an iPhone signed into the same email account.
- Choose On My Mac to access your Mailbox only on your Mac.
- Name the mailbox and click OK.
If you don't see the mailboxes sidebar, choose View > Show Mailbox List. To show or hide mailboxes from an email account, move your pointer over a section in the sidebar and click Show or Hide.
Sort your emails
To move a message from your Inbox to a mailbox:
- Drag the message onto a mailbox in the sidebar.
- In macOS Mojave, you can select the message, then click Move in the Mail toolbar to file the message into the suggested mailbox. Mail makes mailbox suggestions based on where you've filed similar messages in the past, so suggestions get better the more you file your messages.
To delete a message, select a message, then press the Delete key.
To automatically move messages to specific mailboxes, use rules.
Search
Use the Search field in the Mail window to search by sender, subject, attachments, and more. To narrow your search, choose an option from the menu that appears as you type.
Add and mark up attachments
Attach documents and files to your messages and use Markup to annotate, add your signature, and more.
Attach a file
To attach a file to your message:
- Drag an attachment to the body of the message.
- Choose File > Attach Files, choose an attachment, then click Choose.
Use Markup with your attachments
You can use Markup to draw and type directly on an attachment, like an image or PDF document.2
- Click the Attach button or choose File > Attach Files in the message window.
- Choose an attachment, then click Choose File.
- Click the menu icon that appears in the upper-right corner of the attachment, then choose Markup.
- Use the Sketch tool to create freehand drawings.
- Use the Shapes tool to add shapes like rectangles, ovals, lines, and arrows.
- Use the Zoom tool in the Shapes menu to magnify and call attention to a part of an attachment.
- Use the Text tool to add text.
- Use the Sign tool to add your signature.
- Click Done.
Learn more
- Contact Apple Support.
1. All devices signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID share contacts. Contacts addressed in previous messages that were sent and received on those devices are also included. To control this feature, turn Contacts on or off for iCloud. On Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud. On iOS devices, go to Settings, tap your name at the top of the screen, then tap iCloud.
2. Markup is available in OS X Yosemite and later.
Certain actions that you perform on your Mac will cause default apps to open. For example, clicking a document may open Pages. But what if you want Microsoft Word to open instead? You can also set your default web browser and email reader.
Here's how!
How to change the default Mac app for specific file types
- Right-click on a file that uses the file type you'd like to change the default for. For example, one with a .jpg extension (a photo).
- Click on Get Info in the pop-up.
- Click Open With if the section isn't already expanded.
Click the dropdown and choose an app.
Source: iMore
- Click Change All...
Click Continue when the Finder asks you if you're sure.
Source: iMore
Now any time you open a file with that extension, the Finder will automatically open it with the app you've selected.
How to set your default web browser
- Launch System Preferences from the dock, Finder, or by clicking the Apple icon in the Menu bar.
- Click General at the top left of the window.
- Click the dropdown next to Default web browser.
Click the web browser you'd like to use as the default.
Source: iMore
How to set your default email reader
Mail is likely the default email app on your Mac, but just in case you have others downloaded, you can set the default reader. Here's how:
- Launch Mail from your dock or the Finder.
- Click Mail in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Click Preferences.
- Click the dropdown next to Default Mail Reader.
Click the app you'd like to set as the default.
Source: iMore
Questions?
Let us know in the comments below.
Updated February 2020: Updated for macOS Catalina!
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