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:
- Restart Mail: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve the issue. Quit Mail, then relaunch it.
- 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.
- 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
andMessage Index
files. - Restart Mail.
- 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").
- 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).
- 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.
- Go to
- 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"
(orsqlite3 Mail.db "ANALYZE"
if you're using macOS High Sierra or later). - Restart Mail.
- Go to
- 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.
- Go to
If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may want to consider seeking assistance from Apple Support or a professional IT expert.