anyone else think Big Sur mail sucks?

[Alwis]

So, two more Big Sur Updates since the last post and mail still sucks, none of the bugs in I noticed (and submitted to Apple) has been fixed, which make Mail a pain to use...

Not to mention, everything was fine with Catalina and is with the ail apps on iOS and iPadOS

 

[ValentinStRoch]

So, two more Big Sur Updates since the last post and mail still sucks, none of the bugs in I noticed (and submitted to Apple) has been fixed, which make Mail a pain to use...

Not to mention, everything was fine with Catalina and is with the ail apps on iOS and iPadOS

I agree, Alwis! It's the only thing preventing me from upgrading my office iMac from Catalina still.

 

[drdudj]

for me, mail is just that, mail. you create it and mail it. or you open it, read it, reply, forward, save, delete it. now maybe it's different for someone who has dozens upon dozens of emails to deal with every day, that i can't respond to. but i can't see what else could possibly be needed in a mail program. my mail program has no bugs, as far as what i need it to do.

 

[srbNYC]

I really wish they'd add tagging colleagues by name (my co-workers use that feature a lot via Outlook), but mostly I like the simplicity and don't mind that fancier bells and whistles can be found in other apps.

 

[Alwis]

for me, mail is just that, mail. you create it and mail it. or you open it, read it, reply, forward, save, delete it. now maybe it's different for someone who has dozens upon dozens of emails to deal with every day, that i can't respond to. but i can't see what else could possibly be needed in a mail program.

I could imagine some features, but the current set is mostly OK for my needs. What really sucks are all the bugs in Mail. Mainly the sluggish UI, you click somewhere, even on a single mail and Mail needs some seconds before it is responsive again. Or you sort by a column other than date, restart Mail and it shows that mails are sorted by date when in reality they are still sorted by the previously selected column.

I have to say, that I am a very heavy user of Mails, but the responsiveness was absolutely fine with Catalina, so the amount of mails I work with is not a problem in general. Catalina lacked the columns, which also sucked.

I would be absolutely happy if Apple would have not changed mail since Mojave, but currently even the Catalina version would be much better.

 

[GlenK]

I had trouble for about two days after the last update but it seems to be working fine now.

 

[Martyimac]

Mail app working better, for me, than it ever did in Catalina. But I have no extra accounts, need for tagging, etc., so it's working and spam/junk filter is pretty darn good.

 

[Unsupported]

Still erratic or non-existent notifications and alerts.

 

[martint235]

I really wish they'd add tagging colleagues by name (my co-workers use that feature a lot via Outlook), but mostly I like the simplicity and don't mind that fancier bells and whistles can be found in other apps.

Ah I’ve recently discovered an issue with tagging people in Outlook. On two occasions I’ve been tagged in emails about me not for me. Outlook automatically adds a tagged person to the distribution list. Be careful

 

[mexmanic]

Feel like it forces one to use the menu bar more than in the past...switching the filter between unread messages and flagged messages...sorting email by date/sender/etc...am I missing something? Even within the mail app, you used to be able to customize the toolbar to switch between different inboxes...that seems to be gone, too.

OMG Yes,now have click on search before I search, new mail counts barely differentiated from background, and top bar is cramped because the side bar goes all th way to the top. Someone needs firing....

 

[srbNYC]

I don't think there are any changes in Mail in OS 12

 

[ignatius345]

It's not great in my experience. I have a saved search for "today" (mail received in either of my two accounts today) and it works reliably on my Catalina Mac, and breaks constantly on my Big Sur Mac.

 

[Tozovac]

Feel like it forces one to use the menu bar more than in the past...switching the filter between unread messages and flagged messages...sorting email by date/sender/etc...am I missing something? Even within the mail app, you used to be able to customize the toolbar to switch between different inboxes...that seems to be gone, too.

Is it better now with Monterey? I hate the overly-monochromatic look of Big Sur menu/control items in any given app. I feel like I'm working on one big white piece of paper. Too artsy fartsy, not efficient for workflow.

 

[ValentinStRoch]

Is it better now with Monterey? I hate the overly-monochromatic look of Big Sur menu/control items in any given app. I feel like I'm working on one big white piece of paper. Too artsy fartsy, not efficient for workflow.

Functionally nothing has changed in the recent updates of Monterey accept for the addition of Protect Mail Activity which works sometimes with the new iCloud Private Relay. I still feel like there is missing functionality such as jumping back to the top of the viewed message list, which used to be achieved by double-clicking in the toolbar above the list.

 

[rpmurray]

Don’t hold back, guys. Let it all out. It is therapeutic for you.

Cheaper than a therapist.

 

[nickdalzell1]

Monterey did skeuo the icons more consistently than Big Sur did (they all got a sorta 3D look to them, not just a few, and it looks more refined for lack of better terms) but I still miss the way the various apps looked back in Mountain Lion. I still got a VM of Mountain Lion though to play around with if I felt nostalgic.

The apps such as Contacts, Messages, Mail and so on share a similar, very basic UI that looks more fitting for an iPad than a full blown Mac. It's very mobile-esque. They work, and you can get things done efficiently I'll give them that, but I do miss the UI variety, such as the leather bound contacts, the notepad paper of Notes, and the old GarageBand UI. I'm just not too fond of each app looking alike, especially if they expect a Mac to be a tablet, mobile UI and all.

For example, I hate the lack of a ribbon of buttons for Mail. No buttons. The only way I could find to delete a message without resorting to the menu bar was to swipe on the subject header to reveal a trash can icon. Does anyone remember when it took cues from Mozilla Thunderbird and had a toolbar? Does anyone know how to bring the toolbar back?

 

[rforno]

The UI changes in Big Sur mail is part of what drove me to Mailmate ... the lack of an adjustable/customizable icon/button bar was one of the major reasons.

 

[nickdalzell1]

So I'm guessing the toolbar is gone for good, right? I only knew to try the swipe gesture because that's how it's being done on iOS lately. On my iPhone 6S on iOS 15, the 'edit' button is gone. I basically have to swipe each message, tap delete one by one. No mass select or at least none I could discover.

What happened to the Human Interface Guidelines over there at Apple? I knew something was massively wrong the instant my grandmother (who's 93) couldn't unlock her 4 when it got iOS 7 because the familiar 'slide to unlock' slider was gone. She had no clue where to slide. I think Apple is starting to care more about the younger generations these days because there's no way any elderly person or anyone with limited dexterity can handle all the gesture controls they're forcing these days. Apple used to for everyone, not just Generation Z.

 

[jagooch]

I almost don't use Apple Mail any more, but then I don't often use email for correspondence.It gets my newsletters, confirmations of purchases, and such. It's never me communicating with a person.

I mostly use the Fastmail Web client which has really good server-side email rules ( spamsieve engine ) built in.

Not that I would never think of switching mail clients, but I don't see a reason to use Apple Mail right now.

 

[prefuse07]

stopped using the mail app a long time ago -- it's utter garbage

 

[nickdalzell1]

Oh, yea the only use for any Email client (currently using the one built into my Note II which is way better) these days is for notification emails from my bank, any subscriptions, etc. I never write or send email to anyone. I do use SMS quite often; the most important app on my phone is the Messages app. I text far more than anything else, and music is the second most used app.

 

[jjbond]

I think Apple is starting to care more about the younger generations these days because there's no way any elderly person or anyone with limited dexterity can handle all the gesture controls they're forcing these days. Apple used to for everyone, not just Generation Z.

It literally went to feces at Apple the minute they announced proudly in a keynote that they had a new pile of **** emoji. Right there and then I knew that Apple had lost ANY respect for mature and professional users. The trashing of the entire Pro line over the years has validated that but that was the nail on the head for me, they obviously care more about teeeny boppers than professionals.

PS: I found this threat because I installed Monterey and this mail app SUCKS, I hate the GUI for all the reasons you all said and am seriosly thinking of going back to Outlook after being on Mail almost 10 years. Sad Apple, you use to have usability testing, did you lay them all off when Steve passed away?

 

[Tozovac]

The trashing of the entire Pro line over the years has validated that but that was the nail on the head for me, they obviously care more about teeeny boppers than professionals.

Slaves to shareholder growth expectations.