macOS 27 Beta Reworks Mail's Compose Window Around Siri AI

[MacRumors]

For macOS 27 Golden Gate, coming this fall, Apple appears to be testing a new formatting bar for the Mail app's compose window that promotes Apple Intelligence's Writing Tools and Siri AI, based on findings in the latest beta.

Feature flags discovered by MacRumors forum member "mactracker" – who this week also revealed the hidden Siri "voice pad" interface in beta 4 – show the reworked bar in Mail's message composer, which now features "Write with Siri" in the most prominent position.

In the current implementation, the classic formatting controls are automatically collapsed to the right edge of the composer and vanish completely once the user selects Write with Siri and starts typing a prompt.

The redesigned bar adds the ability to display contextual Smart Reply suggestions from Siri AI without necessarily using them in your draft email. (macOS users will know that Smart Reply itself isn't new, having arrived with the first wave of Apple Intelligence features.) The new design lets you preview a suggested reply by hovering over it before inserting it, which is something the previous in-line design couldn't do.

When a suggested composition is selected, the formatting bar shows "Edit with Siri," "Proofread," and "Rewrite" options, as well as "How does this sound?" with the traditional formatting controls minimized.

The new bar isn't switched on by default and remains hidden behind an internal feature flag, so most testers won't see it. It's also still buggy, suggesting this is a work in progress – in Beta 4, for example, the redesign only shows up when replying to a message, but composing a fresh email still brings up the old formatting bar.

Whether the redesign makes the general release of macOS 27 is anyone's guess at this point, but it fits the broader pattern of integrating the new contextually aware Siri AI across the system.

macOS 27 Golden Gate is expected to officially launch in September when Apple releases new iPhone 18 Pro models, alongside its first foldable iPhone.

Article Link: macOS 27 Beta Reworks Mail's Compose Window Around Siri AI

 

[attohs]

Please do not copy the CoPilot litter all over Windows.

 

[contacos]

Not a bad idea for those that may potentially be interested but don't even know these options exists. Right now it's so hidden, I wouldn't even know my iPhone had AI capabilities cuz it's mainly hidden in some pop ups that I normally don't even open like the tap and select thingy when you highlight a word

 

[maternidad]

This is horrible and I hope it never sees a release. Notwithstanding the prospect of being forced to read even more verbose messages that nobody actually bothered to write, the current integration in the context menu and selections is enough.

 

[MacMan988]

Is this actually an AI made by apple or is it Gemini under the hood?

 

[cjsuk]

More trash.

The only reason this exists is to dehumanise email to justify the expenditure on AI that no one gives a crap about.

 

[mistyana]

AI slop = No thanks. I just want to write and send e-mail, without any AI rubbish.

 

[DJLC]

Cool, a new reason I don't use Apple Mail.

 

[bluespark]

I hate AI slop and like formatting tools, so I would never want this. Presumably the bar will be customizable so those who want a Siri button can have it and others can put the tools they want where they want them?

 

[jdavid_rp]

Please do not copy the CoPilot litter all over Windows.

Next update, SiriAI on TextEdit and Chess.

 

[mactracker]

We'll see how well this design is received. I expect most folks who choose not to use Siri AI to write emails won't find the new collapsed classic formatting bar that great. Takes 2x the number of clicks to format in bold or italic.

At least they prioritize classic formatting options over Write with Siri when the window has little horizontal space.

 

[mactracker]

Next update, SiriAI on TextEdit and Chess.

It's already there in TextEdit with the new Siri AI lightweight UI.

 

[rotvaldi]

Just fix Mail on Windows.

 

[Eric_WVGG]

For folks who are on Gmail (or Google Business with a custom domain), MIMEStream is an awesome gmail-native email client and doesn't have this kind of crap yet. https://mimestream.com/

 

[svish]

Expecting Apple to release it some momths after the initial release in September. Not sure whether I will use this.

 

[tomtad]

Do you still have to press a reply button to access options in iOS for some reason?

 

[BillyJoeJimBob]

A better use of "AI" would be in developing really powerful spam/phishing filters and the ability to "delete and report" as is the case with the Messages app.

 

[hagar]

Please reconsider the location of the SEND button. Since Liquid Glass it's this button on the far right. Why? I can't get used to it. Main action buttons are usually on the left.

 

[ApAx]

Both work and my consumer devices keep pressuring me to use AI to write emails. Have we suddenly collectively forgotten how to do a three decades old basic task of daily life?

 

[boswald]

Both work and my consumer devices keep pressuring me to use AI to write emails. Have we suddenly collectively forgotten how to do a three decades old basic task of daily life?

That's what I hate about AI: It makes humanity look stupid. We used to be able to open up the e-mail app, type in the address, and then say what's on our minds. Now it's "Hey Siri, make words!"

 

[stiligFox]

Why even have it? Why not just have my AI talk to your AI?

Why not just cut out email altogether?

I just… yeah. I’ll let an AI write my emails over my cold dead fingers.

 

[TheLunaPark]

Sorry to sound like a broken record, but if you can’t be bothered to write the email yourself, I can’t be bothered to read it.

 

[Reason077]

This is horrible and I hope it never sees a release. Notwithstanding the prospect of being forced to read even more verbose messages that nobody actually bothered to write, the current integration in the context menu and selections is enough.

I hear you. But the good news is that future email software will also read and summarise all that AI generated fluff, so you don’t have to read it.

Maybe eventually our AI agents will just email each other constantly and take us humans out of the loop entirely.

 

[rezwits]

Quote: "No AI blah blah, etc"

And down with Spell Checking and Grammar Checking too! Down with Calculators!! Down with computers! /s

 

[GradientWinds]

Quote: "No AI blah blah, etc"

And down with Spell Checking and Grammar Checking too! Down with Calculators!! Down with computers! /s

They are extremely different things. Don’t be annoying.