Big sur mail crash

The infamous Big Sur Mail crash!

The Big Sur Mail crash is a known issue that affects some Mac users who have upgraded to macOS Big Sur (11.0 or later). It's characterized by a sudden and unexpected crash of the Mail app, often accompanied by an error message that says "Mail has stopped working" or "Mail has quit unexpectedly."

The crash is usually caused by a combination of factors, including:

  1. Outdated or corrupted Mail database: The Mail app uses a database to store its settings and data. If this database becomes corrupted or outdated, it can cause the app to crash.
  2. Conflicting plugins or add-ons: Third-party plugins or add-ons for Mail can sometimes cause conflicts that lead to crashes.
  3. System resource issues: Insufficient system resources, such as memory or CPU, can cause the Mail app to crash.
  4. Corrupted preferences: Corrupted Mail preferences can also cause the app to crash.

To troubleshoot and potentially fix the Big Sur Mail crash, try the following steps:

  1. Restart your Mac: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve the issue.
  2. Clear the Mail cache: Go to ~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData and delete the Envelope Index and Message Store files. Then, restart the Mail app.
  3. Reset the Mail database: Go to ~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData and delete the entire MailData folder. Then, restart the Mail app.
  4. Disable third-party plugins and add-ons: Try disabling any third-party plugins or add-ons you're using with Mail to see if they're causing the issue.
  5. Check for system resource issues: Close other resource-intensive apps or background processes to free up system resources.
  6. Reset Mail preferences: Go to ~/Library/Preferences and delete the com.apple.mail.plist file. Then, restart the Mail app.
  7. Reinstall Mail: If none of the above steps work, you can try reinstalling Mail by going to System Preferences > Mail, Contacts, Calendars, clicking on the "Mail" tab, and then clicking the "Reset" button.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may want to consider seeking assistance from Apple Support or a professional Mac repair service.