How to Get the Old Apple Mail Back

With caller bundle updates, Apple has made immoderate large changes to the mode its banal Mail app looks and works connected iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Keen to rotation backmost these changes and revert to however Apple Mail functioned earlier the updates? Keep speechmaking to larn however it's done.


When Apple released iOS 18.1, it added a precedence messages diagnostic to the Mail app for devices with Apple Intelligence. Then successful iOS 18.2, it brought america caller Categories that automatically benignant your emails into 4 chiseled sections: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. The alteration besides added interaction photos and concern logos for conversations successful your inbox.

With the merchandise of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4, Apple has present afloat rolled retired these changes crossed iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Fortunately, if you don't similar the caller Mail interface, Apple has besides included ways for users to bring backmost the aged functionality. Let's interruption it down.

How to Disable Mail Categories

The caller Categories view, portion adjuvant for some, mightiness not suit your email absorption style. For example, it has attracted disapproval for introducing complexity wherever galore users worth simplicity and predictability. One large contented is the disconnect betwixt however Mail present organizes email and however long-time users are accustomed to processing their messages via a chronological inbox view.

Categories don't physically determination emails retired of the inbox, but they enforce a caller ocular and functional operation that tin consciousness unintuitive and inconsistent, particularly erstwhile emails look successful aggregate places astatine once.

The narration betwixt Primary and Priority messages adds further confusion, with overlapping but not identical functionality, and badges that lone bespeak a subset of caller mail. And for users who silo accounts crossed apps oregon beryllium connected a feed-like presumption of their inbox, this layered strategy tin consciousness similar a solution successful hunt of a occupation – much disruptive than helpful, and retired of sync with however galore radical really negociate their email.

On iPhone and iPad, you tin swipe near crossed the categories to power to an "All Mail" presumption (the aforesaid enactment tin beryllium recovered connected Mac to the close of the caller class buttons). But if you privation to region the categories completely, travel these steps:

1. Open the Mail app connected your iPhone oregon iPad.


2. Tap the More fastener (three dots) successful the precocious close country of your inbox.


3. On iPhone/iPad, prime List View from the pop-up menu.

The More paper besides has an "About Categories" conception wherever you tin spot however your messages person been categorized implicit the people of the past week, but determination is nary enactment to archer the Mail app if you judge an email has been enactment into the incorrect category.

On Mac, determination is simply a More fastener (three dots) astatine the apical of the inbox view. Click this, and you volition spot an enactment to uncheck Show Mail Categories.


You tin besides find the aforesaid enactment successful the Mail paper barroom (View ➝ Show Mail Categories).

Once you power to List View, your inbox volition instrumentality to showing each emails successful chronological order, conscionable arsenic it did before. The alteration takes effect immediately. While categorization is not perfect, it's apt thing that Apple volition amended implicit time. You tin ever power backmost to Categories presumption utilizing the aforesaid paper if you privation to effort it again later.

How to Get Rid of Contact Photos successful Mail

Contact photos person been added to the Mail app successful an effort to marque it easier to place the senders of each the emails you receive. However, if Apple can't admit a business, oregon a interaction doesn't person an associated photo, it tin extremity up making your inbox look a spot of a mess.

Fortunately, you tin easy crook disconnected the small pictures wholly by pursuing these steps:

1. Open the Settings app connected your iPhone oregon iPad.


2. Swipe to the bottommost of the paper and pat Apps.


3. Search for oregon scroll to Mail successful the database of apps.


4. Under "Message List," toggle disconnected the power adjacent to Show Contact Photos.

That's each you request to bash connected iPhone and iPad. To reinstate the interaction pictures, simply crook connected the aforesaid enactment successful Settings. In iOS 18.5, presently successful beta, Apple volition adhd a much convenient enactment to disable interaction photos close from the Mail app.

If you privation to beryllium escaped of Mail interaction photos connected Mac, simply click Mail ➝ View successful the paper bar, and uncheck the Contact Photos enactment successful the dropdown menu.

How to Disable Priority Messages

Devices that person Apple Intelligence enactment volition amusement precedence emails successful the Primary inbox. This thought down the diagnostic is that it lets you spot what's astir important first. However, the underlying AI is not afloat fleshed out, and determination whitethorn beryllium times erstwhile Mail flags junk message – oregon worst case, adjacent phishing scams – arsenic a precedence message.

To debar specified scenarios, you tin crook disconnected the Priority successful the pursuing way:

1. On iPhone/iPad, pat the More fastener (three dots) successful the precocious close country of your inbox.


2. Uncheck Show Priority.

On Mac, simply click Mail ➝ View successful the paper bar, and uncheck the Priority Messages enactment successful the dropdown menu.


Note that this enactment won't look connected devices without Apple Intelligence support.

Summing Up

As Apple continues to refine the Mail acquisition crossed its platforms, it's wide the institution is laying the groundwork for a much intelligent and organized inbox. But with specified sweeping changes, idiosyncratic preferences tin easy beryllium overlooked. Thankfully, Apple has provided ways to disable oregon revert galore of the caller features, offering a grade of customization that hasn't ever been guaranteed successful past updates.

While the existent implementation whitethorn not suit everyone – and successful immoderate situations tin permission users wholly confused – there's anticipation that Apple volition perceive to feedback and marque the strategy smarter, much flexible, and little intrusive successful aboriginal updates.
This article, "How to Get the Old Apple Mail Back" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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