How to stop downloading mail on mac

There are a few ways to stop downloading emails on a Mac:

Method 1: Disable Automatic Mail Download

  1. Open Mail app on your Mac.
  2. Click on "Mail" menu and select "Preferences".
  3. Click on "Accounts" tab.
  4. Select the account you want to stop downloading emails for.
  5. Uncheck the box next to "Automatically download new messages".
  6. Click "OK" to save changes.

Method 2: Disable IMAP

  1. Open Mail app on your Mac.
  2. Click on "Mail" menu and select "Preferences".
  3. Click on "Accounts" tab.
  4. Select the account you want to stop downloading emails for.
  5. Click on the "Account Information" tab.
  6. Uncheck the box next to "Use IMAP".
  7. Click "OK" to save changes.

Method 3: Disable Push

  1. Open Mail app on your Mac.
  2. Click on "Mail" menu and select "Preferences".
  3. Click on "Accounts" tab.
  4. Select the account you want to stop downloading emails for.
  5. Click on the "Advanced" tab.
  6. Uncheck the box next to "Enable this account using Push".
  7. Click "OK" to save changes.

Method 4: Use a Third-Party Email Client

If you're using a third-party email client like Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird, you can configure it to not download emails automatically. Check the client's settings or documentation for more information.

Method 5: Use a Script

You can also use a script to stop downloading emails on your Mac. For example, you can use the following AppleScript:

tell application "Mail"
    set theAccount to account "your_email_account"
    set theMailbox to mailbox "your_email_folder"
    set theRule to rule "Download new messages"
    delete theRule
end tell

Replace "your_email_account" and "your_email_folder" with your actual email account and folder names. Save the script as an application and run it to stop downloading emails.

Note: These methods may vary depending on your email provider and the version of macOS you're using.