Mail went from bad to worse with Sierra.

[srazz]

I use IMAP for a few accounts and from time to time it just doesn't work. Messages don't show up and I have to close mail and reopen etc etc. Can't delete multiple messages without an error. Now, Mail says its downloading messages but just hangs. Probably the next step will be to delete accounts and re add which is a joke.

This issue is on a few thousand dollar iMac with a mail program thats junk. However, my few hundred dollar iPhone works like a champ. Always works. Whats wrong with this picture.

I'd hate to jump on that bus but I have to say it. Nothing seems to work like it use to Apple. I use to rely on this 100% of the time and never have any issues. Not anymore. Especially on my iMac and Mail.

Looks like its time to bag Mail once again and go back to Airmail. What a joke Apple.

 

[fisherking]

yes, you're not having this problem, everyone is. 'nothing works like it use to". ah, the 'good old days' of flawless, bug-free computer experiences...

these endless whiny posts have taken over the macrumors forums. instead of people saying 'i have an issue' and asking for help, there's so much bitching & moaning. sad, really...

 

[Rok73]

Apple Mail is a trainwreck. 100% CPU usage most of the time, nothing fixes it. It's eating up battery. There is a good amount of users here who have the same issue. Just one example.

 

[MacGizmo]

I have none of the issues you guys are mentioning... on any of the Macs I run. So the problem is likely you, not Apple. And I don't mean that in a "you're an idiot" way. The fact is, the Mac runs nearly perfectly for everyone out of the box. It isn't until we start installing other software and configurations that things start going sideways.

That being said, Google runs a wonky version of IMAP for Gmail. You can build an app that works perfectly with Gmail or one that works perfectly with every other IMAP server on the planet. Apple chose to work with every other IMAP server.

 

[fisherking]

that's the point, that not everyone has these problems, so it's not that 'mail is a trainwreck', but that it's a trainwreck for you. and the next step would be to get help; here, an applestore, apple on the phone... somewhere.

i have no issues with Mail (except that i miss 'mark as junk', and that's not a deal-breaker).

for anyone, if you have a problem, asking for help will be more useful than whining. just a humble thought...

 

[srazz]

Thanks for the replies. Yes I did want to rant a bit. Some have mentioned that Google is the issue or ask for help rather than complaining.

I've done that.

I have asked for help and it yielded nothing. I've worked with Apple on this numerous times and the end result is its my problem. Its never an Apple issue its your ISPs issue or your email providers issue (its their servers and the way they use IMAP). I've researched and tried everything I could find on the Internet and on macrumors forums. Nothing has resolved the issue. Well, I kinda lied. When El Capitan came out Mail worked great for me. Prior to El Capitan it didn't. When Sierra first came out all was good for awhile then issues came back once again.

Now I circle back for the few that state I shouldn't whine and ask I should ask for help. Explain this one. Mail works great on my iPhone with the same IMAP settings and accounts as my iMac. iMac can't handle what the iPhone can... ya that makes sense.

 

[fisherking]

i don't have a fix, i'd probably have to be in front of it to make any sense of the problem. but my experiences with apple support have been (mostly) stellar, and i don't understand; they can't figure it out? or, if they say it's a provider issue... what has your provider done to help?

it's not the hardware, at any rate, it's a software issue; nothing to do with what you spend on your mac...

 

[srazz]

i don't have a fix, i'd probably have to be in front of it to make any sense of the problem. but my experiences with apple support have been (mostly) stellar, and i don't understand; they can't figure it out? or, if they say it's a provider issue... what has your provider done to help?

it's not the hardware, at any rate, it's a software issue; nothing to do with what you spend on your mac...

I'd agree. I've always had a great experience with Apple support. But when it comes to this issue that I've had to deal with for a while as I've mentioned above Apple points the finger towards the provider and the provider says must be an Apple thing.

Honestly, its just buggy at times. Example, since I wrote the original post its been working fine so maybe that was the fix.

 

[fisherking]

it's imap, it seems the issues would be on the server. but airmail.. works without issue? anyway, sounds more like a 'good day' than a fix. good luck with it for real...

 

[MacGizmo]

Explain this one. Mail works great on my iPhone with the same IMAP settings and accounts as my iMac. iMac can't handle what the iPhone can... ya that makes sense.

I went back and re-read your first post. My apologies for assuming you were using Gmail. You actually didn't say, I just assumed it. And your last statement, this puts things in a different light for me. I've also run into this exact problem... on two different iPhone/Mac combinations. My wife and I both have an iMac and iPhone, and I had the same issue with both (we both use the same email providers but have different addresses/accounts), neither of which are Gmail.

It turns out that macOS added at some point a checkbox in the Mail Accounts preferences to "automatically manage connection settings" in the Server tab and it's turned on by default. Unchecking that fixed the issue after re-launching Mail.

I don't know if it will help in your case, but it's worth trying.