Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

How to Create an 'Unread' Folder in the iOS Mail App

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,106
38,858



In iOS 7, Apple introduced the option to add an "Unread" mailbox to the iOS Mail app, giving users a place to aggregate all incoming email for quick access. The feature was never widely publicized, and as a result, many iOS users today are unaware that it exists.

Adding an "Unread" mailbox takes just a few taps, but it's highly useful, especially when you've got a lot of incoming emails. We've created a video that shows how to enable the Unread mailbox on your iPhone or iPad, and below that, you'll find step-by-step instructions on the process.


Steps to enable the "Unread" Mailbox:
  1. Open the Mail app.
  2. Tap "Edit" in the upper right corner.
  3. Scroll down beyond the currently enabled mailboxes, and check the "Unread" box.
  4. Use the hamburger button to move the Unread box to a spot that's most convenient for your usage habits.
  5. Tap "Done."
Each incoming email will be filtered into the "Unread" mailbox as its received, and when read, the email will be removed from the box so you can always keep tabs on what hasn't been read. You can also filter emails by other parameters using specialized boxes found in the Mail app, including total emails received in a day, emails with attachments, flagged emails, and more.

For more quick tips on hidden iOS features, make sure to check out and subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel.

Article Link: How to Create an 'Unread' Folder in the iOS Mail App
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/create-an-unread-folder-in-mail-for-ios/
  • Like
Reactions: V.K., DempaX, 997440 and 3 others
Hey MR, genuine thanks from me for your team posting this. This is really useful. I often leave a message unread so that I can review it later, though it inevitably becomes swamped within a few days.
 
jonnysods said:
Why would I want a dedicated spot for unread mail?

Isn't just having it marked unread in your inbox good enough?
Click to expand...
It's not really a spot as much as a filter to quickly get to just the unread messages, in case they might be mixed in with read messages in the inbox (so you wouldn't have to hunt them down by scrolling around and looking for them).
 
  • Like
Reactions: orbital~debris
This is a great tip. Is there any way to select what accounts contribute to this unread mailbox? I would rather keep my work email out of that folder!
 
jonnysods said:
Why would I want a dedicated spot for unread mail?

Isn't just having it marked unread in your inbox good enough?
Click to expand...
Not if you have different emails and many emails coming your way daily and many with attachments and other stuff that might take some time to load from different servers. It's a way to only see and reply to the most instant needs of your emails. As someone that doesn't put important and older emails into folders since years ago this is a feature I like using.


---------

Now if only the mail app could get my gmail accounts mail instantly again like the old days I might start using it again. For now outlook all the way for me. Apple has the money they should eat the small cost of people using other mail addresses that are not apples. They need to support the most used mail servers properly if they really cared for people to use the mail app with no way to un-install or have redirects work easier.
 
  • Like
Reactions: V.K. and Florpy
Carlanga said:
Not if you have different emails and many emails coming your way daily and many with attachments and other stuff that might take some time to load from different servers. It's a way to only see and reply to the most instant needs of your emails. As someone that doesn't put important and older emails into folders since years ago this is a feature I like using.


---------

Now if only the mail app could get my gmail accounts mail instantly again like the old days I might start using it again. For now outlook all the way for me. Apple has the money they should eat the small cost of people using other mail addresses that are not apples. They need to support the most used mail servers properly if they really cared for people to use the mail app with no way to un-install or have redirects work easier.
Click to expand...
Google were the ones that stopped providing exchange access (and thus push) to free Gmail accounts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orbital~debris
Carlanga said:
Now if only the mail app could get my gmail accounts mail instantly again like the old days I might start using it again. For now outlook all the way for me. Apple has the money they should eat the small cost of people using other mail addresses that are not apples. They need to support the most used mail servers properly if they really cared for people to use the mail app with no way to un-install or have redirects work easier.
Click to expand...

Not to derail this thread too far, but posts like this really torque my jaws. People assume that because Apple "has the money" they should pay for things for their users. Can you say "entitlement"? Just because Apple has the money to fund something, that does not necessarily mean that they should foot the bill for the world.

Of course there's also the fact that, in this case, this was NOT a change by Apple that removed the exchange access to gmail - it was Google. Facts are stubborn things.

Now, back on topic:

This is a great feature, and one that I have been using since Apple introduced it with the release of iOS 7.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orbital~debris
C DM said:
Google were the ones that stopped providing exchange access (and thus push) to free Gmail accounts.
Click to expand...
Yes they stopped paying. That is the reason I said Apple can easily cover the fees. Outlook app does it for gmail for free
[doublepost=1455331174][/doublepost]
dwfaust said:
Not to derail this thread too far, but posts like this really torque my jaws. People assume that because Apple "has the money" they should pay for things for their users. Can you say "entitlement"? Just because Apple has the money to fund something, that does not necessarily mean that they should foot the bill for the world.

Of course there's also the fact that, in this case, this was NOT a change by Apple that removed the exchange access to gmail - it was Google. Facts are stubborn things.

Now, back on topic:

This is a great feature, and one that I have been using since Apple introduced it with the release of iOS 7.
Click to expand...
Your posts are the ones that push the serious lack of polish of Apple software products for the last few years. Other apps support gmail as exchange and many other services. If Apple is including an app they should provide proper support for the most common email providers. There is a reason we pay the Apple tax. If software becomes less polish than the rest and we start using third party software then why pay the tax in the first place? But don't worry, I know I can't reason with applelogetics.
 
Carlanga said:
Yes they stopped paying. That is the reason I said Apple can easily cover the fees. Outlook app does it for gmail for free
[doublepost=1455331174][/doublepost]
Your posts are the ones that push the serious lack of polish of Apple software products for the last few years. Other apps support gmail as exchange and many other services. If Apple is including an app they should provide proper support for the most common email providers. There is a reason we pay the Apple tax. If software becomes less polish than the rest and we start using third party software then why pay the tax in the first place? But don't worry, I know I can't reason with applelogetics.
Click to expand...

No need to be testy. Not sure what you're babbling about... but clearly you have an issue with my opinion of Apple...and one more time, just because Apple can afford to cover the fees (if that's really the issue), that does not mean that they should.

Now, can you not read your gmail on the iOS mail app? If not, or if you think the Outlook app (or any other app) works with gmail better, then use it. Nothing is stopping you.
 
Carlanga said:
Yes they stopped paying. That is the reason I said Apple can easily cover the fees. Outlook app does it for gmail for free
[doublepost=1455331174][/doublepost]
Your posts are the ones that push the serious lack of polish of Apple software products for the last few years. Other apps support gmail as exchange and many other services. If Apple is including an app they should provide proper support for the most common email providers. There is a reason we pay the Apple tax. If software becomes less polish than the rest and we start using third party software then why pay the tax in the first place? But don't worry, I know I can't reason with applelogetics.
Click to expand...
Is it because Apple stopped paying or is it that Google stopped providing that service to non-native clients essentially?
 
C DM said:
Is it because Apple stopped paying or is it that Google stopped providing that service to non-native clients essentially?
Click to expand...
Its because google stopped paying for free users. Considering the outlook app can do it for the free gmail users, I don't see a technical issue of apple paying MS for the exchange service to work directly with the mail app. Of course the business side of the situation is what governs in the end.
[doublepost=1455343769][/doublepost]
dwfaust said:
No need to be testy. Not sure what you're babbling about... but clearly you have an issue with my opinion of Apple...and one more time, just because Apple can afford to cover the fees (if that's really the issue), that does not mean that they should.

Now, can you not read your gmail on the iOS mail app? If not, or if you think the Outlook app (or any other app) works with gmail better, then use it. Nothing is stopping you.
Click to expand...
I'm not being 'testy', I'm replying quid pro quo and yes I'm using the Outlook app ever since it supported all types of services so I can receive my email instantly. I have the mail app thrown in the extras folder where I have all the unused/incomplete apple apps that can't be erased. The last one I added there was 'music' since it doesn't support ad supported radio anymore instead I use goggle music where I have my personal 16K song collection ready to be streamed and for free plus others. Apple is falling behind in their apps, they are not polished anymore nor are they as functional as they were before and all this just to push paying services while the competition apps are getting better/cheaper every day.
 
Carlanga said:
Its because google stopped paying for free users. Considering the outlook app can do it for the free gmail users, I don't see a technical issue of apple paying MS for the exchange service to work directly with the mail app. Of course the business side of the situation is what governs in the end.
Click to expand...
I believe apps like Outlook do it by saving your credentials and essentially checking for new mail server-side and notifying you via an app push notification. More or less like having a go-between that is doing it for you by giving that go-between your keys, which some aren't that comfortable with as it's not exactly a good secure way of going about it.
 
Carlanga said:
I'm not being 'testy', I'm replying quid pro quo and yes I'm using the Outlook app ever since it supported all types of services so I can receive my email instantly. I have the mail app thrown in the extras folder where I have all the unused/incomplete apple apps that can't be erased. The last one I added there was 'music' since it doesn't support ad supported radio anymore instead I use goggle music where I have my personal 16K song collection ready to be streamed and for free plus others. Apple is falling behind in their apps, they are not polished anymore nor are they as functional as they were before and all this just to push paying services while the competition apps are getting better/cheaper every day.
Click to expand...

You still haven't explained why Apple should pay for YOUR exchange access to gmail.
 
Never knew that existed, that will come in handy. Very useful tip
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back