Apple Mail Unread Count

[GilDawson]

In Apple Mail V16 in Sonoma V14.2.1, what does it mean for a Smart Mailbox to have zero messages, but 39 unread?

The rules for this mailbox are as follows:

--Gil

 

[nollimac]

It might mean that you got zero new messages and 39 unread...

 

[GilDawson]

Thanks for your suggestion, nollimac. Now I am wondering how Mail can tell the difference between a new message and an unread message?

--Gil

 

[jcscol]

Perhaps it is more like 'out of your 39 unread messages, there are 0 that fit the rules you have specified'

 

[nollimac]

Now I am wondering how Mail can tell the difference between a new message and an unread message?

--Gil

The date and time of each message received and upon last checked, you had not open any or 39 unread.

 

[GilDawson]

Perhaps it is more like 'out of your 39 unread messages, there are 0 that fit the rules you have specified'

That makes sense. Now I have two more items I'd like to understand:

I have hundreds of unread messages in other smart mailboxes. Which are the 39 contained in this smart mailbox? We cannot see them in the mailbox, so are they somewhere else?​

​

One of my chosen rules is "message is unread". I would think that that meant that a message would not be in this smart mailbox, unless that message is unread. Is there another interpretation?​

​

The date and time of each message received and upon last checked, you had not open any or 39 unread.

Hmm. I wonder how much time Mail allows after the date and time that a message has been received, before Mail decides that the message is no longer "new"?

 

[jcscol]

Smart mailboxes are not 'physical' mailboxes or folders, they are actually searches. So when you set up a Smart Mailbox with the rule "message is unread", Mail searches all the locations (Inbox, Junk etc) on your mail server and lists the results as individual messages in the smart mailbox. The messages themselves are actually located elsewhere. You can find the 'physical' location of a message by clicking on the message. It should say in the header which actual mailbox the message is located in.

I have hundreds of unread messages in other smart mailboxes. Which are the 39 contained in this smart mailbox?

To work that out, you would have to start with a simpler rule set. E.g. just start with unread messages, then gradually apply your rules, one at a time.

 

[GilDawson]

Smart mailboxes are not 'physical' mailboxes or folders, they are actually searches. So when you set up a Smart Mailbox with the rule "message is unread", Mail searches all the locations (Inbox, Junk etc) on your mail server and lists the results as individual messages in the smart mailbox. The messages themselves are actually located elsewhere. You can find the 'physical' location of a message by clicking on the message. It should say in the header which actual mailbox the message is located in.



To work that out, you would have to start with a simpler rule set. E.g. just start with unread messages, then gradually apply your rules, one at a time.

Thanks for your insight, jcscol. I'll give that a try.

--Gil