How to Flag Emails Using Different Colors on iPhone and iPad

[MacRumors]

In iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, Apple's Mail app retains the swipe gestures of previous iOS versions that help you reduce the amount of time you spend managing messages in your inbox.

The basic inbox gestures still involve swiping right or left on an email to reveal tappable actions that you can perform instantly, without having to call up additional menus.

One of the default options that appear is the Flag action, which you might use to categorize a message that requests information needed by a certain date, for example.

Using only the swipe gesture, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Mail app provides only one color to use when flagging emails, but iOS 13 actually introduces support for multicolor flags - it's just hidden away in the menu that appears when you hit the Reply button.

Tap the Flag button there, and you'll reveal a submenu that allows you to choose one of seven colors, including the option to remove a flag. Note that whichever color you select here subsequently becomes the default color when you tap the Flag action or the More -> Mark... option via the inbox swipe gesture.

Did you know that you can customize the actions that appear when you use the Mail app's inbox gestures? Click here to learn how.

Article Link: How to Flag Emails Using Different Colors on iPhone and iPad

 

[adrianlondon]

"it's just hidden away in the menu that appears when you hit the Reply button."

Who thought of that? iOS 13 developer meeting:

"Oh, let's move most of the options, including move and archive, behind an arrow that makes people think they're going to reply to an email."

"Shall we also remove loads of icons from the bottom so that it's just wasted space?"

"Sure! hahaha"

"OK, I'll get right on it after I've messed up notifications, gMail access, and actually displaying mails in the combined inbox".

 

[FlyingDutch]

Nice to know! That’s something I’m using on MacOS, very useful to highlight different mail
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"it's just hidden away in the menu that appears when you hit the Reply button."

Who thought of that? iOS 13 developer meeting:

"Oh, let's move most of the options, including move and archive, behind an arrow that makes people think they're going to reply to an email."

"Shall we also remove loads of icons from the bottom so that it's just wasted space?"

"Sure! hahaha"

"OK, I'll get right on it after I've messed up notifications, gMail access, and actually displaying mails in the combined inbox".

Gmail is working just fine for me

 

[Taustin Powers]

I have two email addresses and therefore inboxes. Can I automatically have emailed flagged/colored based on which address received it? For viewing in „all inboxes“?

 

[twistedpixel8]

For once, the crappy news outlets are spot on: iOS 13 is a complete mess. If I could go back to 12, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

 

[gim]

The Mail App on iOS 13 is a buggy mess. Since the update it’s constantly showing me unread E-Mails (red badge over the icon) even though there are none. Will have to make the switch to outlook I guess.

 

[itsmilo]

remember when Apple just worked? Now we got options being „hidden“ behind the most unintuitive areas.

Two more things come to mind: the AA icon in Safari hiding everything from desktop view to content blockers. Maybe it’s just me but that icon implies font sizes to me.

also really hidden is the drawing tool on images. Literally no one I know even knows about it existence.

Of course the iPad gestures over the years take the cake

 

[profets]

I make heavy use of flags, so this was nice to see coming to iOS. Nice that coloured flags sync everywhere.

Just unfortunate the design decision to bury it under the reply arrow.

 

[FlyingDutch]

The Mail App on iOS 13 is a buggy mess. Since the update it’s constantly showing me unread E-Mails (red badge over the icon) even though there are none. Will have to make the switch to outlook I guess.

Very strange. It’s working just fine for me.

 

[Joniz]

All of this, along with the huge, ugly banner when you’re in Privacy mode in Safari, plus the Are You Sure? that now comes up when you try to close multiple tabs….

What happened? Now that Joni’s gone, did some engineer take control and say “I’ll show you how this should’ve been done.”

 

[FlyingDutch]

I make heavy use of flags, so this was nice to see coming to iOS. Nice that coloured flags sync everywhere.

Just unfortunate the design decision to bury it under the reply arrow.

Not the best solution, maybe, but it takes a few minutes to realize everything is under the arrow basically

 

[gim]

also really hidden is the drawing tool on images.

This drove me nuts 3 days ago, I often mark pictures and have no idea why they would hide this, it was perfectly placed in iOS 12.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

For once, the crappy news outlets are spot on: iOS 13 is a complete mess. If I could go back to 12, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

I’m sticking to iOS 12 on my phone because of these mail issues. I’m too dependent on getting emails on my phone to have that function disrupted.

If you hurry, and download the iOS 12.4.x .ipsw, you may be able to put your device into DFU mode and restore back to iOS 12. You’ll have to hurry though, as Apple will stop signing this version of iOS soon, forcing everyone to 13.

 

[Braderunner]

First, get the Mail app to work correctly. Then, iron out the details.
I mean seriously...is Mail gonna be like this forever?

 

[Joniz]

If you hurry, and download the iOS 12.4.x .ipsw, you may be able to put your device into DFU mode and restore back to iOS 12. You’ll have to hurry though, as Apple will stop signing this version of iOS soon, forcing everyone to 13.

Thanks for the reminder. I had already downgraded my phone after 13.1 broke sending messages from my Apple Watch. Now, I’ve downgraded my iPad and, I must say, iOS 12 seems pretty nice.

The only reason I upgraded to 13.1 was because I was having AirDrop problems between my iPad & MBA and I hoped it was a bluetooth issue fixed in 13.1. It didn’t fix anything. Then I did tests with another Mac & my iPad and discovered that I simply had to move my MBA a couple of inches to the left and now it’s working perfect.

Glad I was able to get myself out of 13.1, which I did because of your posting. Thanks!

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Thanks for the reminder. I had already downgraded my phone after 13.1 broke sending messages from my Apple Watch. Now, I’ve downgraded my iPad and, I must say, iOS 12 seems pretty nice.

The only reason I upgraded to 13.1 was because I was having AirDrop problems between my iPad & MBA and I hoped it was a bluetooth issue fixed in 13.1. It didn’t fix anything. Then I did tests with another Mac & my iPad and discovered that I simply had to move my MBA a couple of inches to the left and now it’s working perfect.

Glad I was able to get myself out of 13.1, which I did because of your posting. Thanks!

Glad I could help!

You reminded me that Bluetooth issues also kept me from upgrading as there are tons of reports in the iOS 13 forum of Bluetooth in the car being messed up with constant disconnections and not being able to connect at all to 2012-2013 era car Bluetooth systems.

 

[Jws]

"it's just hidden away in the menu that appears when you hit the Reply button."

"Oh, let's move most of the options, including move and archive, behind an arrow that makes people think they're going to reply to an email."

"Shall we also remove loads of icons from the bottom so that it's just wasted space?"

This is probably the most annoying thing about iOS 13 for me. Why hide commonly used actions inside a menu (that doesn’t even look like it could be used for such actions “reply”) when there’s plenty of space for an archive or move command? So incredibly dumb. I just can’t understand how this is their solution.

 

[jasonefmonk]

This is probably the most annoying thing about iOS 13 for me. Why hide commonly used actions inside a menu (that doesn’t even look like it could be used for such actions “reply”) when there’s plenty of space for an archive or move command? So incredibly dumb. I just can’t understand how this is their solution.

I also dislike this change, but I will say the move to use menus with icons *and* text describing their action is better for normal people. Most people didn’t know what the mail icons did (move, trash, archive) and hitting them can change something that normal folks don’t know how to undo. It wasn’t friendly.

 

[twistedpixel8]

Very strange. It’s working just fine for me.

Think it works fine with iCloud mail but is a mess with third-party IMAP. Mine is a mess too.

 

[ignatius345]

Using only the swipe gesture, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Mail app provides only one color to use when flagging emails, but iOS 13 actually introduces support for multicolor flags - it's just hidden away in the menu that appears when you hit the Reply button.

This is more of an easter-egg than it is a discoverable feature.

Also, anybody else notice that if you rotate your iPhone 180° while Mail is up, it will show upside-down on the phone? Certainly not normal UI behavior.

I hate to be one of those people who says Apple is losing their touch, but Apple is really losing their touch.

 

[adrianlondon]

I hate to be one of those people who says Apple is losing their touch, but Apple is really losing their touch.

Well, they've lost their 3D touch.

 

[Joniz]

Also, anybody else notice that if you rotate your iPhone 180° while Mail is up, it will show upside-down on the phone? Certainly not normal UI behavior.

Actually, I had seen this same problem on the Home screen when it asked for a password for something. The screen was upside down because of the way it way lying flat on the desk and when I picked it up, the password request window turned over the right way, as did the dock, but my entire Home screen with the icons stayed upside down. I couldn’t get it to right itself.

I just tried reproducing the problem, but then realized that I had downgraded to 12.4.1 an hour or two ago.

 

[gim]

Think it works fine with iCloud mail

Unfortunately it doesn’t, my “phantom unread E-mails“ bug is caused by my iCloud mail account, the other three (3rd party) mail accounts work fine for whatever reason..

The mail app is just complete mayhem.

 

[jezbd1997]

For once, the crappy news outlets are spot on: iOS 13 is a complete mess. If I could go back to 12, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Wish I could run iOS 12 on my 11 Pro
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I’m sticking to iOS 12 on my phone because of these mail issues. I’m too dependent on getting emails on my phone to have that function disrupted.

If you hurry, and download the iOS 12.4.x .ipsw, you may be able to put your device into DFU mode and restore back to iOS 12. You’ll have to hurry though, as Apple will stop signing this version of iOS soon, forcing everyone to 13.

I’ve kept my 7 on iOS 12 and it’s still running super smooth, but hoping they’ll fix up iOS 13 soon as I got the 11 Pro

 

[Defthand]

I'm curious how tagging emails with different flags is an efficient strategy for addressing them. An email's significance is either urgent or it's not.

I no longer have to routinely swim in dozens of daily messages. And before I retired from a full-time career, I made it obvious to others that I don't use emails to collaborate as part of the workflow. I required colleagues and clients to communicate project details in tools linked to the specific project files. Urgent matters required a phone call. Otherwise, I scanned messages once in the morning and not again until the next day.