Email App Review: Apple Mail macOS

When it comes to email apps, chances are you’re just going with whatever came pre-installed on your computer or device. If you’re on a macOS system, then that’s going to be Apple Mail (or just ‘Mail’, as it’s known).

While there are plenty of apps out there, sticking with Mail is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. This is especially considering the updates they’ve made.

But don’t just take our word for it!

Let’s get into the full ins and outs of Apple Mail for macOS. You can be the judge of whether or not this is the best email app for you!

What is Apple Mail macOS?

Apple Mail macOS is Apple’s email client, specifically for macOS devices (MacBooks, iMacs, etc).

Apple acquired NeXT in 1997, who had developed NeXTMAIL for their NeXTSTEP operating system. This would be the framework for Mac OS X, with NeXTMAIL eventually becoming Mail.

Apple Mail is now installed automatically on all macOS versions, and has been integrated with Address Book, iChat, and iCal.

With every new macOS, Mail has been updated.

The current latest macOS, Ventura, has various features which were developed to compete against other popular email apps.

Apple Mail macOS Features

There are plenty of email apps out there which have many added bells and whistles. While some of these are useful, some may be a bit too specific for some users.

Apple’s been smart in integrating some of the more sought after features, while still keeping it focused on user experience and what you may actually need from your email client.

Expect the same sleek-look UI across your Apple Mail inboxes, and don’t forget– you can still import all of your email accounts into one place!

This includes accounts with:

✔️ iCloud

✔️ Microsoft Exchange

✔️ Google

✔️ Yahoo

✔️ AOL

✔️ Other POP3 email accounts.

In addition to the standard ability to compose and send emails, here are some of the new features that were rolled out with macOS Ventura:

1. Undo Send

Descriptive image of undo send feature in Apple Mail for OS

If you’ve ever accidentally hit send on an email before you were ready, or spotted a typo last minute, Mail now allows you to rectify that error.

With Undo Send, you’ll have 10 seconds grace before your email is sent from your inbox. Simply click the Undo Send button, found at the bottom of your Mail sidebar.

You can also change this grace period or turn off this function entirely in your Mail settings.

This is now a fairly standard function in other email clients, so this finally puts Apple Mail on an even footing with them.

2. Send Later

Don’t want to send that email right now? Easy, just schedule it for later!

Next to the Send icon in your toolbar, just click on the drop-down menu. You can then choose when you’d like to send your email.

All emails for sending at a later time will be moved into the Send Later mailbox. You’ll find that in your Mail sidebar.

3. Reminders

On the go and don’t have time to reply right now? Control-click or swipe right with two fingers on your trackpad to bring up the Remind Me icon.

With Remind Me, you can choose to be reminded in an hour, 9pm that evening, 8am the next day, or choose your own date and time.

At the time you’ve chosen, you’ll receive a notification and any emails you need to deal with will be moved to the top of your inbox, as well as in the Remind Me mailbox.

4. Follow-Up

Descriptive image of email follow-up reminder in Apple Mail for OS

If you have an overflowing inbox, it can be hard sometimes to remember to follow-up with the emails that matter.

With the Follow-Up feature, if you haven’t had a reply in three days, your last sent email will automatically move to the top of your inbox as a reminder.

You can choose to ignore this, by swiping right on the message, or even turn off the feature entirely in your settings.

5. Missing Recipients

Sometimes, when sending group emails, you may accidentally miss a contact or two off your recipients’ list. Now, Mail will notify you before you send, just in case.

This is similar to a feature Gmail has had for a while now.

However, where Gmail will simply prompt you in the recipient box with contact suggestions, Mail takes it one step further with an actual notification.

If you’re managing a lot of group emails manually, this could be an especially useful function.

6. Smart Search

Descriptive Image of Smart Search feature in Apple Mail for OS

The search function has finally gotten a proper upgrade with Mail, enabling both corrections and suggestions with smart search.

Without needing the exact name or contact details, you can search for terms like, “emails sent yesterday to Alan”, or through suggestions and filters.

This natural language search function is a great feature and one that isn’t necessarily included in most other email apps yet.

As AI continues to improve, there’s no doubt that this kind of search engine technology will get better and better.

7. Focus

With Focus you can specify which mailboxes you want to have visible when you’ve got the Focus feature turned on, to help you avoid distractions.

If you’ve got several mail accounts — some work or school related, and some personal — then this could help your productivity.

8. Rich Links & BIMI Support

Descriptive Image of Rich Links feature in Apple Mail for OS

These last two are purely aesthetic, which is why we’ve bundled them together.

Apple Mail now allows you to add rich links to your emails, as well as identify verified BIMI (brand indicators for message identification) icons.

Sure, it may only be a couple of small aesthetic changes– but with a design as minimalist as Apple keeps it, these are the things that matter.

Apple Mail macOS Reviews: What Do People Think of It?

Generally, recent user reviews are very positive.

Users like that it can integrate with their other mailboxes and keep them organized. Additionally, the interface has always been a big selling point, with reviewers saying that it’s easy to use and intuitive.

However, some pointed out that other email apps are still better and– truthfully– it has taken a while for Apple to up its game.

Even those who loved the app noted that it has its glitches and downsides. Sometimes mailboxes take a while to update, connect to servers, or can be a little confusing.

Even though there have been some obvious upgrades with Apple Mail in the last year, its biggest complaint is still that it’s a little basic and hasn’t caught up to the big email client players.

Apple Mail macOS Pricing

Apple Mail comes pre-installed on your macOS devices and is completely free!

You may want to upgrade your storage with iCloud+. This allows for more storage of photos and files, as well as a custom email domain.

If so, across the U.S. it’ll currently cost you:

💰 $0.99 for 50GB

💰 $2.99 for 200GB

💰 $9.99 for 2TB.

Apple Mail macOS Pros and Cons

Pros

👍 The UI matches across iOS devices

👍 Mailboxes are smart

👍 Integrates with other Apple products

👍 Has a mark-up tool built into the app

👍 Free to use and comes pre-installed

👍 Easy integration of email clients

👍 Very user friendly and intuitive to use

👍 New updates have brought Mail closer to the most popular email clients.

Cons

👎 Very basic filters for spam

👎 Basic flagged email option (only by color)

👎 Can be slow to update

👎 Lack of plugins

👎 Can be slow when searching

👎 Cannot attach large attachments

👎 Still a bit of a basic email client, especially when compared to competitors.

The Bottom Line: Should You Use Apple Mail macOS?

If you’re looking for a simple, clean email client, there’s not really many reasons why you shouldn’t be using what already comes with your macOS.

At the end of the day, Apple Mail for macOS is perfectly fine for reading and sending emails. And if your other devices are Apple, too, then the integration is a big bonus in its favor.

However, what Apple Mail still fails to do is compete with leading email client competitors when it comes to the bells and whistles.

Its functionality is still a little on the basic side, and even the upgraded smart search and inbox organizational features feel a little lacking if those are both things that are important to you.

Ultimately, it really depends on what you’re looking for from an email client for your macOS.

If you value ease of use, an simple-to-navigate mailbox, are an Apple fan, and use iOS on your other devices, Apple Mail is an ideal choice!