HELP: How to enable 2 line message list preview & Column Layout in Mail.App simultaneously?

[vasra]

Just upgraded to a new M1 with Big Sur and the latest Mail.App.

Really liking the column layout that enables one to quickly sort by clicking Sender/Subject/Date/other colum headers. That's the way all other email clients have worked for years, it was about time!

However, if I enable the Column Layout mode, then the per email message 2-line preview under each email's subject line is disabled. The only way to "preview" the email is to keep the Preview pane (completely different feature) open and click each email message line one by one and watch the preview pane.

I can of course, disable the Column Layout mode and get back the configurable per message 1-3 line preview mode, but then I lose the column layout functionality altogether.

Is there no way in the latest Mail.App in Big Sur enable the Column Layout and the 2-line per message preview at the same time (btw, the latter feature is in Mail/Preferences/Viewing/List Preview: 2 lines)?

No amount of twiddling with the List Preview setting under Preferences enables the per message preview under the Column Layout.

Is it not possible at all? A mail.app preference hack perhaps?

Thanks for any tips/tricks on this one, it is driving me insane.

 

[0128672]

Just upgraded to a new M1 with Big Sur and the latest Mail.App.

Really liking the column layout that enables one to quickly sort by clicking Sender/Subject/Date/other colum headers. That's the way all other email clients have worked for years, it was about time!

However, if I enable the Column Layout mode, then the per email message 2-line preview under each email's subject line is disabled. The only way to "preview" the email is to keep the Preview pane (completely different feature) open and click each email message line one by one and watch the preview pane.

I can of course, disable the Column Layout mode and get back the configurable per message 1-3 line preview mode, but then I lose the column layout functionality altogether.

Is there no way in the latest Mail.App in Big Sur enable the Column Layout and the 2-line per message preview at the same time (btw, the latter feature is in Mail/Preferences/Viewing/List Preview: 2 lines)?

No amount of twiddling with the List Preview setting under Preferences enables the per message preview under the Column Layout.

Is it not possible at all? A mail.app preference hack perhaps?

Thanks for any tips/tricks on this one, it is driving me insane.

I use column view and Show Side Preview. The two-line preview--as you have found out--isn't available in the column view. I wouldn't want to hack Apple Mail though. Maybe another email client would have the features you'd like.

 

[vasra]

I use column view and Show Side Preview. The two-line preview--as you have found out--isn't available in the column view. I wouldn't want to hack Apple Mail though. Maybe another email client would have the features you'd like.

Yes, I came to the same conclusion. Message Preview pane is ok, but only allows to preview one message at a time and preview pane takes way too much screen space. 2-line per message preview is best for my workflow.

Guess I just have to wait for Apple to fix this and until then keep swithing Column Layout ON/OFF constantly.

Thanks!