Reindex apple mail

The joys of managing a large email inbox!

Reindexing Apple Mail can help resolve issues with slow performance, missing emails, or errors when searching or filtering messages. Here's a step-by-step guide to reindex Apple Mail on your Mac:

Method 1: Reindex Apple Mail using the Mail app

1. Open the Mail app on your Mac.
2. Go to Mail > Preferences (or press Cmd +,).
3. Click on the Accounts tab.
4. Select the account you want to reindex from the list on the left.
5. Click on the Advanced tab.
6. Click on the Rebuild button next to Index.
7. Wait for the reindexing process to complete. This may take some time, depending on the size of your mailbox.

Method 2: Reindex Apple Mail using the Terminal

1. Open the Terminal app on your Mac. You can find it in the Applications/Utilities folder or use Spotlight to search for it.

2. Type the following command and press Enter:

   mdutil -i on /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/your_username/Library/Mail

   Replace /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/your_username/Library/Mail with the actual path to your Mail folder. You can find this path by going to the Mail app > Preferences > Accounts > Advanced > Store Settings > Mailbox Path.

3. Press Enter to run the command.

4. Wait for the reindexing process to complete. This may take some time, depending on the size of your mailbox.

Tips and Variations

• If you're using a large mailbox or a slow computer, you may want to consider reindexing your Mail folder while you're not actively using the app.
• If you're experiencing issues with specific folders or accounts, you can try reindexing those individually by selecting the folder or account in the Mail app and following the same steps as above.
• If you're using a network-attached storage (NAS) device or an external hard drive to store your Mail folder, you may need to reindex the folder on the NAS device or external hard drive instead of your Mac.
• If you're still experiencing issues after reindexing, you may want to try resetting the Mail app or seeking further assistance from Apple Support or a third-party email expert.