What is rebuild in mac mail

In macOS Mail, "Rebuild" is a feature that helps to resolve issues with your email account's mailbox structure and content. When you rebuild your mailbox, Mail re-scans your email account's server and re-downloads all your email messages, contacts, and other data.

Here are some scenarios where you might need to rebuild your mailbox:

  1. Corrupted mailbox: If your mailbox becomes corrupted, rebuilding it can help to restore your email data and fix any issues with your mailbox structure.
  2. Missing emails: If you're missing emails or they're not being synced correctly, rebuilding your mailbox can help to re-download the missing emails.
  3. Account issues: If you're experiencing issues with your email account, such as login problems or errors, rebuilding your mailbox can help to resolve these issues.
  4. Migration issues: If you've migrated your email account from another email client or provider, rebuilding your mailbox can help to ensure that all your email data is transferred correctly.

To rebuild your mailbox in macOS Mail:

  1. Open Mail on your Mac.
  2. Go to Mail > Preferences.
  3. Click on Accounts.
  4. Select your email account from the list of accounts.
  5. Click on the Advanced tab.
  6. Click on the Rebuild button.

Mail will then start rebuilding your mailbox. This process may take some time, depending on the size of your mailbox and the speed of your internet connection.

Note that rebuilding your mailbox will delete any local changes you've made to your mailbox, such as custom folders or labels. If you've made any customizations, you may want to back up your mailbox before rebuilding it.