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Fundamentally, using Mail on Mac is quite straightforward. From setting up emails, composing messages, viewing emails, to replying to messages, ... Refer to the detailed guide to mastering Mail usage on Mac below.
Mastering Mail Usage on Mac
1. Setting up Email
If you haven't configured your email account yet, upon opening Mail for the first time, you'll be prompted to set up your account.
Choose your email provider from the list, then click on Continue.
Enter your username, email address, and password, then click on Create.
If necessary, Mail may prompt you to install additional components. After creating your account, you can add additional accounts by selecting Mail =>Add Account.
2. Composing an Email (New Message) on Mac
To compose a new email, use the shortcut Command + N, then click on the New Message button on the Mail toolbar, or select File =>New Message. A new message window will appear, where you can compose a new email to send on Mac, similar to how you send emails via Gmail.
When you enter a name or email address in the To field or any other address fields, Mail will automatically complete it based on information in the Contacts app, as well as any emails you've sent or received. If necessary, enter the recipient's full address. Use commas to separate recipient names.
Enter the subject of your email in the Subject field, then type the email content in the empty box below. To change the email display interface:
- Click on the Format button and use the options to change the font style or link text.
- Click on the Show Stationery button to use any pre-installed email template.
Once finished, click on the Send button. If offline, Mail will save your outgoing emails in the Outbox until an Internet connection is available. If not ready to send, close the window or select another email. Mail will save unfinished emails in Drafts.
3. Viewing Emails on Mac
Mail automatically checks your email account periodically to find and display new emails. To check emails traditionally, click on the Get Mail button. To view a new email, select it from the list of displayed emails in the left pane of the Mail window. The body of the email is displayed on the right side of the window.
For Windows users, opening and reading emails in Gmail is relatively straightforward. Detailed instructions on reading emails in Gmail can be found here.
4. Responding to Emails (Incoming Mail)
To reply to an email, click on the Reply or Reply All button. Click on Forward to forward the email to another user.
On OS X Yosemite or higher versions, you can use the Markup feature to draw and directly annotate attachments. Use the Attach button to add attachments in your reply email, then hover over the image or PDF in your email. Click on the menu icon displayed at the top right corner of the attachment, select Markup from the menu that appears on the screen. Below are some available Markup tools:
- Use the Sketch tool to create freehand drawings on the attachment.
- Use the Shapes tool to create shapes such as rectangles, ovals, lines, and arrows. Alternatively, use your finger on the trackpad to draw. Use the Zoom tool at the bottom corner of the Shapes window to zoom in and highlight a specific part of the image.
- Use the Text tool to directly input text onto images and PDF files, such as providing feedback within an email thread.
- Use the Sign tool to sign your name by either using your finger to sign on the trackpad or by taking a photo of your signature using the Mac camera.
On Windows, apart from directly replying, you can create automatic reply emails in Gmail when away or too busy to check emails. Refer to how to create automatic reply emails in Gmail here.
5. Chatting within the Mailbox
To easily track the thread of messages between you and other users, Mail will organize reply emails in the conversation and collapse them so you can easily skim through the topic. To view all content of a specific email, click on See More.
With Gmail, users can chat and message each other directly, which is a highly useful feature of Gmail. Chatting on Gmail instead of using other chat apps is the current trend among Gmail users.
6. Attaching Files in Outgoing Emails
To attach a file to an email, such as a photo or document:
- Drag the attachment file into your email.
- Alternatively, click on the Attach button, which resembles a paperclip icon.
- Or select File =>Attach Files.
The attached email will display a paperclip icon:
When you receive an attached file, double-click on it to open the file. Alternatively, you can drag the attachment file out of the email window, or select File => Save Attachments.
Starting from Mail on OS X Yosemite and iOS 9.2, users can send large-sized files (up to 5 GB per email), such as videos, presentations, folders, and images, without worrying about email service provider limitations. This feature is called Mail Drop, which works with any email service as long as you are using Mail on Mac and logged into iCloud on your device.
Mail Drop automatically uploads large-sized attachment files to iCloud. If the recipient is also using Mail on Mac, they will receive these attachment files as part of the email you send.
If the recipient is using a different app or webmail, they will receive a link to download the attached file. All you need to do is click on Send, and Mail will take care of the rest. Attached files are available for 30 days and do not count towards your iCloud storage.
On Windows, sending emails with attached files or images in Gmail is straightforward. You can refer to how to attach files in Gmail here.
7. Managing Emails
You can create Mailboxes to manage your emails. Mailboxes function similarly to folders in Finder.
To create a Mailbox:
Step 1: In Mail, select Mailbox =>New Mailbox.
Step 2: On the displayed window, choose the location for the Mailbox.
- Select On My Mac to create a Mailbox on your Mac.
- Choose an email service (such as iCloud) to create a Mailbox that you can access from any device and check for new mail.
Step 3: Name the Mailbox and then click on OK.
All mailboxes will be listed on the sidebar. If the sidebar is not visible, click on the Mailboxes button on the Favorites bar, or select View =>Show Mailbox List. If you want to move emails into Mailboxes, you can apply one of the following methods:
- Drag emails into the Mailbox.
- While viewing an email, select Move to or Copy to from the Messages menu on the menu bar.
- Press and hold the Control key while clicking to select emails from the list, then choose Move to or Copy to from the displayed menu on the screen.
- Utilize the Rules feature in Mail preferences to create a rule for moving emails based on specified criteria.
Use the Search box in the Mail window to search by sender, subject, attachment, etc. To narrow down your search, select an option from the menu that appears as you type. Additionally, you can enter names or relevant phrases related to the email you're searching for. Choose a search code like People or Subject to search within that frame on Mail. To search within a specific mailbox, select the mailbox from the Mailboxes sidebar or the Favorites bar.
Thus, the article on Mytour has just introduced you to the complete guide on using Mail on Mac. Additionally, you can explore how to convert mail to PDF on Mac and other features by opening Mail, then clicking on the Help Menu at the top corner of the screen. Search for a Mail topic you want more information on, or look for the Mail Menu you need.
