Why does apple mail keep opening

The frustration of Apple Mail opening repeatedly! There are several reasons why this might be happening. Let's troubleshoot together to identify the cause and find a solution.

Here are some possible reasons why Apple Mail might be opening repeatedly:

  1. Background refresh: Apple Mail might be set to refresh your email accounts in the background, causing it to open repeatedly. To check this, go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > [Your Account] > Advanced > Uncheck "Automatically refresh mail"
  2. Notification settings: If you have notifications enabled for Apple Mail, it might be opening repeatedly to alert you to new emails. Try disabling notifications for Apple Mail or setting them to only alert you when you're actively using the app.
  3. Email client settings: Check your email client settings to ensure that Apple Mail is not set to automatically open or refresh at regular intervals. Go to Mail > Preferences > General > Uncheck "Open Mail at login" and "Open Mail when you connect to the internet"
  4. Third-party app interference: Sometimes, third-party apps can interfere with Apple Mail's behavior. Try closing any recently installed apps or disabling any apps that might be causing the issue.
  5. System settings: Apple Mail might be opening repeatedly due to system settings. Try resetting your System Preferences to their default settings:
    • Go to System Preferences > Reset
    • Select "Reset System Management Controller"
    • Restart your Mac
  6. Corrupted cache: A corrupted cache can cause Apple Mail to behave erratically. Try clearing the cache:
    • Go to ~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData
    • Delete the "Envelope Index" and "Message Store" files
    • Restart Apple Mail
  7. Outdated software: Ensure that your Mac's operating system and Apple Mail are up to date. Go to System Preferences > Software Update to check for updates.
  8. Email account issues: If you're experiencing issues with a specific email account, try resetting the account:
    • Go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > [Your Account] > Advanced > Reset
    • Restart Apple Mail

If none of these solutions work, you can try resetting Apple Mail's preferences:

  1. Go to ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist
  2. Delete the file
  3. Restart Apple Mail

If the issue persists, you may want to consider reinstalling Apple Mail or seeking further assistance from Apple Support or a Mac expert.