Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

AXone1814

macrumors regular
Oct 16, 2018
182
255
I am genuinely surprised that people still hold on and actually want to use Apple Mail in 2020. There are so many better alternatives!
For a large number of typical users like myself who only use their phones for basic mail tasks (reading, filing, deleting, occasional composing/replies etc) then the Apple app is more than sufficient and I see no reason to find an alternative. I always prefer to use stock apps if I can as they tend to have smoother/tighter integration.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huw Price and Zazoh

one more

macrumors 601
Aug 6, 2015
4,542
5,713
Earth
For a large number of typical users like myself who only use their phones for basic mail tasks (reading, filing, deleting, occasional composing/replies etc) then the Apple app is more than sufficient and I see no reason to find an alternative. I always prefer to use stock apps if I can as they tend to have smoother/tighter integration.

If Apple Mail works well for you, there is no issue indeed. However, we are writing on the topic “Mail is still terrible.”, remember? 😉 I am just offering a fast and simple way out of this self-inflicted suffering.
 

AXone1814

macrumors regular
Oct 16, 2018
182
255
If Apple Mail works well for you, there is no issue indeed. However, we are writing on the topic “Mail is still terrible.”, remember? 😉 I am just offering a fast and simple way out of this self-inflicted suffering.
Yes and my post was to explain that it’s not terrible for everyone or in everyone’s opinion. It’s always worked fine for me and does everything I need it to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huw Price

one more

macrumors 601
Aug 6, 2015
4,542
5,713
Earth
Yes and my post was to explain that it’s not terrible for everyone or in everyone’s opinion. It’s always worked fine for me and does everything I need it to.

What I can gather from your posts is that you use Apple Mail with your single Gmail account, right? So for you Apple Mail (AM) works like an “envelope” around your Gmail? If this is the case, I can guarantee that you would have a much better experience using a native Gmail app for iOS, such as email labels, much faster notifications for new incoming mail, etc.

You can try it for yourself, using both side by side and see what you prefer.

However, some people here use AM with multiple accounts. For example, my work email is forwarded to my Google mail (accessed via Gmail app) and I also have it setup separately with AM. When someone emails me on my work account, it first pops up in the Gmail app (I see a notification). With AM, on the contrary, I need to physically open the app and manually refresh it, otherwise I will have a badge for incoming mail appearing there the next day, literally. And this is a reasonably simple setup too, i.e. I only have one email account linked to AM. If you imagine someone using it with several email accounts, then things can and do get quite frustrating for people.
 

Zazoh

macrumors 68000
Jan 4, 2009
1,505
1,096
San Antonio, Texas
Email, to me, is such an outdated mode of communication. I wonder if Apple wants to be responsible for killing it off? I get no personal emails from anyone I know. We use many other communication tools that are much more instant and expressive.

I receive emails from business entities as ads, spam, and bills. I don’t care when they come in, as I check them once a day. For work, I monitor in a non-phone app during work hours. But even then I rely more on Slack or Instant Messaging.

I’m not saying, technically there are not issues. I just don’t notice. I wonder how many fit my use case and thus Apple just doesn’t prioritize development here?
 

AXone1814

macrumors regular
Oct 16, 2018
182
255
Email, to me, is such an outdated mode of communication. I wonder if Apple wants to be responsible for killing it off? I get no personal emails from anyone I know. We use many other communication tools that are much more instant and expressive.

I receive emails from business entities as ads, spam, and bills. I don’t care when they come in, as I check them once a day. For work, I monitor in a non-phone app during work hours. But even then I rely more on Slack or Instant Messaging.

I’m not saying, technically there are not issues. I just don’t notice. I wonder how many fit my use case and thus Apple just doesn’t prioritize development here?
For personal communications you’re right it is quite outdated now. But for work/business it is still the primary form of communication and there isn’t any alternative that comes close to replacing it. Especially with the current climate meaning more and more people are working from home there’s absolutely no way email is going anywhere.
 

AXone1814

macrumors regular
Oct 16, 2018
182
255
What I can gather from your posts is that you use Apple Mail with your single Gmail account, right? So for you Apple Mail (AM) works like an “envelope” around your Gmail? If this is the case, I can guarantee that you would have a much better experience using a native Gmail app for iOS, such as email labels, much faster notifications for new incoming mail, etc.

You can try it for yourself, using both side by side and see what you prefer.

However, some people here use AM with multiple accounts. For example, my work email is forwarded to my Google mail (accessed via Gmail app) and I also have it setup separately with AM. When someone emails me on my work account, it first pops up in the Gmail app (I see a notification). With AM, on the contrary, I need to physically open the app and manually refresh it, otherwise I will have a badge for incoming mail appearing there the next day, literally. And this is a reasonably simple setup too, i.e. I only have one email account linked to AM. If you imagine someone using it with several email accounts, then things can and do get quite frustrating for people.
I use it for gmail and my iCloud email accounts. I have used the gmail app before but aesthetically and from UI perspective I much prefer the native iOS Mail app to anything else I’ve seen. As I said I can do everything I want and need to do with it and I just prefer it.

I don’t doubt for yourself and many other people that other apps are far better and more suitable. I’m not trying to persuade you or anyone else to use that app instead of what you’re using now. The initial comment you made that I replied to stated you were surprised anyone still used it. So I simply explained to you why users like myself prefer to still use it, that’s all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huw Price

Bazza1

macrumors 6502a
May 16, 2017
706
532
Toronto, Canada
Apple has grown bored with Mail (iOS or Mac) and has, if experience is anything go by, put little to no effort in it for years. They would rather spend the time and people-power creating software to personalize emoticons for Messenger, than they would make a decent mail app.

As long as you need a basic service offering sometimes reliable service, then Mail (in either OS) will be adequate to your needs. But that pretty much negates most companies, SOHO or personal users from finding it a best bet.
 
Last edited:

Dwalls90

macrumors 603
Feb 5, 2009
5,428
4,416
I see iOS 14.1 has not fixed the phantom email badge count bug.

At this point it seems like it won’t be resolved. It’s been around iOS 13.0. I have moved to Gmail and it’s worked well. This wasn’t my preference but I couldn't miss work emails anymore.
 

Remington Steel

macrumors 6502
Dec 26, 2016
374
570
I want to like the native Apple email, I really do, but I just can't with its issues. Used to use Gmail but I have switched to Spark (just on iphone) and it seems to work fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dwalls90

Pagemakers

macrumors 68030
Mar 28, 2008
2,835
1,143
Manchester UK
At this point it seems like it won’t be resolved. It’s been around iOS 13.0. I have moved to Gmail and it’s worked well. This wasn’t my preference but I couldn't miss work emails anymore.
Strangely for me it worked perfectly under iOS 13. I’ve had this issue since iOS 14
 

Remington Steel

macrumors 6502
Dec 26, 2016
374
570
The last time Apple mail app worked for me was iOS 12.

The Gmail app is better...at least it supports push.
That is actually the main and only issue I have with Apple email. It's really a first world issue, but I want to receive my emails as soon as they are sent, not 5-10 minutes later.
 

Remington Steel

macrumors 6502
Dec 26, 2016
374
570
Email, to me, is such an outdated mode of communication. I wonder if Apple wants to be responsible for killing it off? I get no personal emails from anyone I know. We use many other communication tools that are much more instant and expressive.

I receive emails from business entities as ads, spam, and bills. I don’t care when they come in, as I check them once a day. For work, I monitor in a non-phone app during work hours. But even then I rely more on Slack or Instant Messaging.

I’m not saying, technically there are not issues. I just don’t notice. I wonder how many fit my use case and thus Apple just doesn’t prioritize development here?
Well I work for the DoD and it is the most effective in that arena, and I can remember back when we first started using it (1993-1994 timeframe).
 

Zazoh

macrumors 68000
Jan 4, 2009
1,505
1,096
San Antonio, Texas
sure, instead we’ll just use that iMessageWhatsAppSMSMMSRCSMessengerLineSnapChatInstagram app? ;)

for my circle, mail is still the default that everyone has and still uses.

I use IM, Slack, and email at work, in that order.
At home, I receive bills and ads in email.
 
Last edited:

Chumkiu

macrumors member
May 23, 2008
44
21
Hollywood
2 years later and mail is still not pushing like it should. Tried to give it a chanced and missed out on 6 emails that all showed up 4 hours late when I opened the app. Wtf.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.