Apple’s Mail App Is Actually Useful Now: 10 Things to Try
With iOS 13 and iPadOS, Apple adds a few new tricks to its Mail app. Could these new features get you to ditch Gmail?
Apple’s reliable but basic Mail app has been enhanced with a few new and improved features courtesy of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13.1, including convenient new formatting options; the ability to include scans, photos, videos, drawings, and other attachments; and a beefed-up Reply menu. Plus, you can now more easily block a sender. Let’s check out the changes.
Formatting Menu
Open the Mail app and compose a new message. Once you enter the recipient and subject line, tap into the message body. Tap the arrow at the right of the predictive text bar to access a variety of icons and commands.
Change Formatting
Tap the Aa icon to display the new Formatting menu. You can apply attributes like bold, italics, underline, and strikethrough. Change the size of the font by tapping the small A to make it smaller or the large A to make it bigger. Tap the circular palette icon to change the color of the text or select the current font to change it.
Change Alignment
The formatting menu also allows you to align the current paragraph left, center, or right. You can also tap the icon with the right arrow and four horizontal lines to indent the entire paragraph. Tap the icon with the left arrow and four horizontal lines to outdent the paragraph.
You can also add bullets or numbering. Indent your current paragraph with vertical quote lines by tapping the icon with three vertical lines. Outdent your current paragraph by tapping the icon with one vertical line.
Add Media
Open the second icon on the keyboard toolbar to add photos and video from your library. Your photo thumbnails display in the lower half of the screen so you can still see your email. Tap the photo or video you want to add, and it’s inserted into your message.
Swipe up on your photo gallery to see more images. Tap any additional media you want to add and then tap the X to close the photo gallery view.
Take Pictures and Add Files
Tap the camera icon in the keyboard toolbar to snap a picture or video to insert in your message. Tap the file icon to access the Files app, where you can insert a document, image, or other file from any of your online services. You can also scan a printed document and add it to your email by tapping the document-scanning icon on the keyboard toolbar.
Markup Tools
You have access to markup tools by tapping the pen icon in the keyboard toolbar. The app allows you to select different drawing implements to mark up attached photos and documents. You can also create a brand new drawing to add to your message.
Reply Menu
Open an email to which you want to reply. Tap the Reply icon in the lower right, and instead of just a few commands, you now have a variety of options. You can reply to the message, reply to multiple recipients, forward the message, or archive the message.
Additional options allow you to flag the message as important, mark it as unread, move it to another folder, or delete it. You can also move the message to the Junk folder to mark it as spam.
Stop receiving notifications for a specific message thread by tapping the Mute button. Tap the Notify Me option if you want to be alerted to any follow-up messages. Tap the Print icon to print out the email.
Pop-Up Commands
Apple has added a pop-up command menu that will appear if you press down on an email listed in your inbox. It offers specific quick actions, allowing you to reply, reply all, forward, mute, move, delete, and more.
Block Sender
Open an unwanted email and tap the name of the sender. The new version of Mail now offers an option to block the sender along with other commands. Tap the link to Block this Contact. Confirm by tapping the message to Block this Contact. If you ever change your mind, just tap the link to Unblock this Contact.
Select Multiple Emails
The new and improved Mail app now also provides an easy way to select a batch of messages. Tap the Edit button at the top right of the inbox, then tap the circle next to the messages you wish to select. You can also select multiple messages by swiping across the circles you wish to select.
Tap Edit > Select All to choose all the messages in the folder. Once your selections have been made, you can mark, move, or delete/archive all the selected messages in one shot.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com on January 2, 2020.
