How to Flag Emails Using Different Colors on iPhone and iPad

[Gutwrench]

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

But wait, AAPL is up. That’s all that matters.

 

[Tivoli_]

The same is true with the Home app. It took me forever to realize that when choosing Sunset or Sunrise for time of day in automation, the "i" inside a circle that appears on the same line does not mean information but an adjustment of minutes before or after. Internet search did not help much either. Why not put "+/-" symbol which is more intuitive.

 

[Joniz]

The same is true with the Home app. It took me forever to realize that when choosing Sunset or Sunrise for time of day in automation, the "i" inside a circle that appears on the same line does not mean information but an adjustment of minutes before or after. Internet search did not help much either. Why not put "+/-" symbol which is more intuitive.

Why, on the AppleTV, did they put the underwater screensavers under “Aerial?”

Because they don’t care anymore.

 

[twistedpixel8]

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.

I use the different colors to signify different types/reasons for flagging. Green: finance, Red: work, Purple: shipments, etc.

Flagging has always been part of my email workflow but it’s not designed to provide a means to address them. It’s simply an organizational tool to refer back to certain emails in the short term.

 

[profets]

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

True - feels like instead of looking like the reply arrow that it should be an action icon of some sort. Feels weird at first, but it is in a good location behind low on the screen - faster to reach compared to the top end of the phone.
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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.

I use the different colors to signify different types/reasons for flagging. Green: finance, Red: work, Purple: shipments, etc.

Flagging has always been part of my email workflow but it’s not designed to provide a means to address them. It’s simply an organizational tool to refer back to certain emails in the short term.

Very similar for myself, though a bit different.

I always flag emails with red colour as something I need to address the same day or something to do. Flag yellow as follow up (not urgent but does need attention), and then green, blue and purple for few different topics that I refer back to during certain projects.

 

[rotlex]

Nice feature as I use flags often, yet they still can't figure out how to allow me to return to my inbox after deleting a read e-mail.

 

[DeepIn2U]

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 honestly thought would be able to filter emails create rules directly from iOS. Seems they missed giving us that feature.

 

[neliason]

Apple design is astounding stupid here. We should have icons for common functions on a mail message. We do have delete and move. We also have an icon for reply, another very common function. But it doesn’t reply. Nope. Rather it hides a bunch of features including reply. Why on earth would they not have a reply, reply all, and forward icon? There are well established icons for those functions. In fact those icons do show on the sheet when you touch the reply icon. So the reply icon has two meanings on a mail message. I don’t know much about design theory but this certainly is at odds with the most common of sense.

 

[profets]

I honestly thought would be able to filter emails create rules directly from iOS. Seems they missed giving us that feature.

Yup - and I feel like there was rumours of ‘smart’ mailbox features coming. Kind of like what a lot of other mail apps have been adding for triaging mail items.

Apple design is astounding stupid here. We should have icons for common functions on a mail message. We do have delete and move. We also have an icon for reply, another very common function. But it doesn’t reply. Nope. Rather it hides a bunch of features including reply. Why on earth would they not have a reply, reply all, and forward icon? There are well established icons for those functions. In fact those icons do show on the sheet when you touch the reply icon. So the reply icon has two meanings on a mail message. I don’t know much about design theory but this certainly is at odds with the most common of sense.

And it’s not like they don’t have space for it. Look at the bottom of an email (screenshot attached)



Why not have a few icons like reply, reply all, forward, flag, and then maybe usual 3 dots for more options (basically what the current reply arrow is showing).

 

[ipedro]

I still can’t believe that after 13 versions of iOS, they still haven’t implemented a spam filter. Sure, I can move emails to junk, but it won’t actually learn and filter future spam from those senders. My spam filter is mostly server side, and also partially filtered on my Mac. It’s crazy that iOS still can’t do this. ?

 

[DeepIn2U]

I still can’t believe that after 13 versions of iOS, they still haven’t implemented a spam filter. Sure, I can move emails to junk, but it won’t actually learn and filter future spam from those senders. My spam filter is mostly server side, and also partially filtered on my Mac. It’s crazy that iOS still can’t do this. ?

the 'spam' filter you're referring to is in the cloud or sorry iCloud (Mail). All other third party online mail systems have this also in the cloud, while some app clients show this ... Apple chooses not to for some distinctly arrogant reasons

It's as IF Apple employees and executives do NOT USE Apple Mail beyond their MacBooks.

 

[bmac89]

Hiding everything behind a (reply) button is a dumb idea... I though iPadOS was suppose to utilise the power and size of these devices and instead they just create loads of wasted space.

If they are going to hide everything why can’t they allow you to swipe and then long press on flag to chose a colour.


The new simplified way... all hidden under one accessible button:

1. So I swipe a message
2. Press flag... oh dam wrong colour.
3. Swipe to unflag
4. Press on a reply button
5. Change colour... sigh!

I really like some of the features introduced but there are also so many irritating and unnecessary steps backwards!

 

[DeepIn2U]

Apple design is astounding stupid here. We should have icons for common functions on a mail message. We do have delete and move. We also have an icon for reply, another very common function. But it doesn’t reply. Nope. Rather it hides a bunch of features including reply. Why on earth would they not have a reply, reply all, and forward icon? There are well established icons for those functions. In fact those icons do show on the sheet when you touch the reply icon. So the reply icon has two meanings on a mail message. I don’t know much about design theory but this certainly is at odds with the most common of sense.

Those icons (Reply, Reply All, Forward and Delete) are there ... right at the top of the share sheet. Are you even using iOS13/13.1.1? Better yet: Are you using an Exchange/ActiveSync supported account or iCloud? What you imply is Apple fully screwing over thousands of Business clients that got ActiveSync support since iOS3.x ~ that would be a VERY idiotic move of them.

That said ... I have to ask who the hell is in charge of end user UI in iOS13 at Apple? How can SOOO many inconsistencies be overlooked, ignored, or even missed? The care in polish is lacking ... as if kids of university that grew up on Slack have NEVER USED email.

PS: Will all those social media registration (register with Google/FB and now with Apple), collaborative chat based app/ui (Slack, and now Box, etc) they all collectively nor individually have fully replaced email use in ANY business Corporate/Incorporate regardless of the size. fascinating.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Hiding everything behind a (reply) button is a dumb idea... I though iPadOS was suppose to utilise the power and size of these devices and instead they just create loads of wasted space.

If they are going to hide everything why can’t they allow you to swipe and then long press on flag to chose a colour.


The new simplified way... all hidden under one accessible button:

1. So I swipe a message
2. Press flag... oh dam wrong colour.
3. Swipe to unflag
4. Press on a reply button
5. Change colour... sigh!

I really like some of the features introduced but there are also so many irritating and unnecessary steps backwards!

Long press ... LMAO because Apple screwed up implementation of Haptic Touch ... forcing it on those of us using 3D Touch devices ... causing a HORRIBLE affect of use. I can no longer:

1. Tap and Hold any icon on springboard to initiate icon giggle to move icons. I have to try 3x OR use a contextual menu ... making what simply was a 1 step and 1 touch action now into a 2+ step action!
(UNLESS: I have a great deal or rebound of my credit, plan on getting the 11/11Pro ... I'll purchase an immaculate X/XS; I have no use for 3 rear cameras)

2. Tap+Hold the forums 'Like" button to use a smiley reaction on my IP8 actually selects and ENTIRE post entry and ALSO forces a contextual menu for 'COPY/CUT/PASTE' to show up OVERLAYING the smiley choice I want to make ARRRRGH!

@admins ... can we please change the reaction of the like button to implementing a drop-up/down arrow to make a choice on mobile browsers (safari/chrome/FF) please? please?

3. iOS 13 was supposed to allow 3 finger/2 finger tap gestures ... but I guess ONLY the X and new gets that.

 

[1144557]

Those icons (Reply, Reply All, Forward and Delete) are there ... right at the top of the share sheet. Are you even using iOS13/13.1.1? Better yet: Are you using an Exchange/ActiveSync supported account or iCloud? What you imply is Apple fully screwing over thousands of Business clients that got ActiveSync support since iOS3.x ~ that would be a VERY idiotic move of them.

That said ... I have to ask who the hell is in charge of end user UI in iOS13 at Apple? How can SOOO many inconsistencies be overlooked, ignored, or even missed? The care in polish is lacking ... as if kids of university that grew up on Slack have NEVER USED email.

PS: Will all those social media registration (register with Google/FB and now with Apple), collaborative chat based app/ui (Slack, and now Box, etc) they all collectively nor individually have fully replaced email use in ANY business Corporate/Incorporate regardless of the size. fascinating.

I think he's saying why are basic mail functions now buried under a submenu? See below from iDB from iOS12 look

What was wrong with the action buttons across the bottom of the email (flag, move, delete and THEN an action button for "more") window like they used to be and is intuitive to have the functions for that email right there?

And why is there now a trash icon and then in the submenu a trash icon again (to the right of reply/reply all/delete in the submenu)? Lol. It's SUCH a mess whoever designed this.

This app was not redesigned by someone who is a heavy email user. They tried to make it more minimalistic which wasn't needed or asked for

 

[neliason]

Those icons (Reply, Reply All, Forward and Delete) are there ... right at the top of the share sheet. Are you even using iOS13/13.1.1? Better yet: Are you using an Exchange/ActiveSync supported account or iCloud? What you imply is Apple fully screwing over thousands of Business clients that got ActiveSync support since iOS3.x ~ that would be a VERY idiotic move of them.

Yes, the icons are there. But they are an extra step away. They are harder to get to. And the reply icon is used to indicate the share sheet. The reply icon has two completely different meanings in the same app. There is plenty of space at the bottom of a messages to have several icons.

 

[Akiteflier]

Hiding everything behind a (reply) button is a dumb idea... I though iPadOS was suppose to utilise the power and size of these devices and instead they just create loads of wasted space.

If they are going to hide everything why can’t they allow you to swipe and then long press on flag to chose a colour.

The new simplified way... all hidden under one accessible button:

1. So I swipe a message
2. Press flag... oh dam wrong colour.
3. Swipe to unflag
4. Press on a reply button
5. Change colour... sigh!

I really like some of the features introduced but there are also so many irritating and unnecessary steps backwards!

THANK YOU - I originally discovered the colored flags in mail app (by mistake because it was NOT intuitive) and was thrilled because I use all the colors in mail.app on my Mac. Today I saw the swipe method had flag as an option but only red flag appeared. Took some research to figure out there are TWO ways to "flag" an email - "Swipe" and under "Reply" (why two ways is totally DUMB). However they don't both give same options. *(sigh)

 

[etwlizard]

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.

Do your flag colors sync between OS and iOS devices? That does not happen for me but I would like it to.

 

[profets]

Do your flag colors sync between OS and iOS devices? That does not happen for me but I would like it to.

Yup - the coloured flags do sync between macOS and iOS devices. I use a Fastmail account for my mail service on all my devices. I imagine this would work at least with iCloud mail as well (and possibly others).

 

[twistedpixel8]

Do your flag colors sync between OS and iOS devices? That does not happen for me but I would like it to.

The email accounts must be set up using IMAP on both devices. POP will not sync flags.

 

[bmac89]

It does not matter what colour flag I choose, it always reverts to a reg flag after less than a minute.

iPadOS 13. I’m starting to understand why 13 is considered an unlucky number! ?