With the release of iOS 18.2, Apple launched an entirely redesigned Mail app. It features enhanced mail categorization, a new aesthetic, contact images/business logos for messages, an improved email grouping system, and more. While these changes seemed promising when first announced at WWDC, my experience using the app has left me feeling somewhat uncertain.
Mail Categorization
One of the standout features of the new Mail app is the categorization system, which organizes emails into categories such as Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.
This idea sounds beneficial for simplifying your inbox, with important items appearing in the Primary section. However, in reality, I found numerous emails misclassified, leading me to frequently switch to the “All Mail” view to see everything without encountering the sorting inaccuracies.
Yes, you can recategorize emails if Apple’s sorting doesn’t meet your expectations. However, I find this process a bit cumbersome when compared to the option of disabling categorization altogether.
How to Disable It
Apple recognized that not every user may prefer categorization and has offered an easy method to turn it off.
To do this, tap the three dots in the upper-right corner of your inbox and switch from Categories to List View. This gives you an “All Mail” experience while still retaining the profile pictures and design features of the new Mail app.
This adjustment can be made on a per-inbox basis, allowing you to keep categorization enabled for some inboxes while opting for a list view in others.
Priority Notifications
Fortunately, Apple has already implemented Priority Notifications in the Mail app, which effectively highlights important messages without the worry of missing emails due to suboptimal categorization. This feature has proven to be quite useful on several occasions. However, it requires a device compatible with Apple Intelligence (such as the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPad mini 7, and M1 or later Macs/iPads) — it’s my favorite way to stay on top of important emails.
Apple has plans to broaden the availability of Priority Notifications to all devices that support Apple Intelligence in an upcoming iOS 18 update, so you can monitor what’s most significant across all your various applications, not just the Mail app. However, this feature isn’t available just yet.
What are your thoughts on the updated Mail app in iOS 18.2? Share your opinions in the comments section below.
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