Apple finally brings the redesigned Mail app, previously introduced on iPhones with iOS 18.2, to Macs and iPads with the release of macOS 15.4 and iPadOS 18.4 developer beta updates. The most significant enhancement is the introduction of email categorization, designed to streamline inbox management.
This new system sorts emails into four distinct categories:
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Primary: This category prioritizes personal messages and time-sensitive content, ensuring you don’t miss crucial communications.
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Transactions: Keeps track of essential transactional emails like order confirmations, receipts, and shipping notifications, making it easier to manage online purchases.
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Updates: Gathers all your subscriptions, including newsletters, news updates, and social media notifications, keeping you informed without cluttering your primary inbox.
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Promotions: Filters marketing and promotional emails, such as coupons and sales alerts, allowing you to browse them at your convenience.
Categories in Apple Mail app.
While categorized, Apple ensures time-sensitive emails from the latter three categories will also appear in the Primary category. Additionally, a new digest view, reminiscent of social media profiles, presents all messages from a specific sender within Transactions, Updates, or Promotions in a scrollable card format. This feature is particularly useful for tracking financial activities or staying up-to-date with specific services. For example, banking alerts will display all transactions in a clear, chronological order.
However, if this new categorized view isn’t for you, the classic list view remains an option, displaying all emails in chronological order. Although innovative, the categorized system isn’t without its limitations, lacking the ability for users to create custom categories, a feature many users might find beneficial.
This update addresses a significant inconsistency for users accustomed to the redesigned Mail app on their iPhones. Previously, the lack of a unified experience across Apple devices was a notable drawback. The rollout of macOS 15.4 and iPadOS 18.4 beta finally provides a consistent Mail experience across the Apple ecosystem. The official release of these updates is expected soon, bringing this improved email management to all Mac and iPad users.
Beyond categorization, Mac users also gain access to AI-powered features already available on iPhones, including email summaries, smart replies, and priority message identification, further enhancing productivity and communication efficiency.
