Mail mac search not working

Frustrating! If the Mail app's search function is not working on your Mac, here are some troubleshooting steps to help you resolve the issue:

  1. Restart Mail: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve the issue. Quit Mail, then relaunch it.
  2. Check for updates: Ensure that your Mac and Mail app are up to date. Go to System Preferences > Software Update, and install any available updates.
  3. Clear Mail's cache: Clearing the cache can help resolve search issues. To do this:
    • Quit Mail.
    • Go to ~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData (or ~/Library/Mail/V3/MailData if you're using macOS High Sierra or later).
    • Delete the Envelope Index and Message Index files.
    • Restart Mail.
  4. Check your search settings: Ensure that your search settings are correct:
    • Go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > [Your Account].
    • Click on the "Search" tab.
    • Ensure that "Search all messages" is selected.
    • If you're using a specific search scope (e.g., "Inbox" or "Sent"), try searching with a broader scope (e.g., "All Mail").
  5. Check for corrupted mailboxes: Corrupted mailboxes can cause search issues. Try moving your mailboxes to a different location:
    • Go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > [Your Account].
    • Click on the "Mailboxes" tab.
    • Select the mailbox you want to move.
    • Click "Move to" and choose a different location (e.g., the "On My Mac" folder).
  6. Reset Mail's preferences: Resetting Mail's preferences can sometimes resolve issues:
    • Go to ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist (or ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist if you're using macOS High Sierra or later).
    • Delete the file.
    • Restart Mail.
  7. Reindex your mail database: Reindexing your mail database can help resolve search issues:
    • Go to ~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData (or ~/Library/Mail/V3/MailData if you're using macOS High Sierra or later).
    • Run the following command in the Terminal: sqlite3 Mail.db "VACUUM" (or sqlite3 Mail.db "ANALYZE" if you're using macOS High Sierra or later).
    • Restart Mail.
  8. Reinstall Mail: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, you can try reinstalling Mail:
    • Go to ~/Library/Mail and delete the entire folder.
    • Restart your Mac.
    • Go to System Preferences > Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and set up your email account again.

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