macOS Sonoma Drops Support for Legacy Mail App Plug-ins

[coolfactor]

Federighi continues to lock down macOS and remove more and more functionality. macOS is becoming increasingly annoying and burdensome to use.

Are you directly impacted by this? Are the third-party Mail Plugins that you're using (any?) going to cease to work?

Enlighten us as to how you are burdened by this.

The digital world is getting riskier every year. Apple doesn't have a choice but to find ways to protect users [mostly from themselves].

 

[ignatius345]

I'm hoping MailTrackerBlocker will still be able to work. It works very nicely and unobtrusively and seems to not break like Private Relay does.

 

[coolfactor]

Does this affect SpamSieve?

Highly doubt it, unless the developer decides to retire. He's been maintaining his solution for 20+ years, if I recall correctly.

 

[coolfactor]

I registered just to upvote this. SmallCubed is apparently going to release its own mail client now. So... well done, Apple.

Hasn't heard of SmallCubed until you posted this. Love finding small Mac-loving developers. 🤗 They are definitely taking on a big task by creating their own mail client instead of moving MailSuite to an extension. Guess extensions really are limited in their functionality.

 

[zorinlynx]

I still use Thunderbird because Apple Mail just isn't as capable. (Though I do use Apple Mail on my iPhone because the only mail client that was ever better on mobile was Sparrow and Google bought and killed that.)

People like to call Thunderbird "old" and "archaic" but E-mail hasn't changed much in 20 years. Thunderbird still does the job as well as it ever has, and they've recently started putting more development work into it so it will likely get even better moving forward.

Seriously, if you're a mail "power user", consider Thunderbird.

 

[smorris]

Does this affect SpamSieve?

From the developer on June 6:

"Michael_Tsai Developer

SpamSieve 2.9.52 is incompatible with Apple Mail on the beta version of macOS 14. Although Apple has not made a formal announcement, it appears that Sonoma removes support for Mail plug-ins, perhaps because the mechanism was being used to sideload iOS apps 21.

<snip>

Switching SpamSieve to use a Mail Extension requires major changes throughout the app, so this will be part of a major upgrade (version 3.0) rather than a maintenance update (like with previous OS updates 1). This new version is currently in development, and I plan to roll it out to a private beta group soon and eventually to a public beta this summer, with the public release before macOS 14 ships in the fall."


My 2017 iMac won't be compatible with Sonoma, but I'll be replacing it with a new MacBook Pro in January when the new ones come out. So I have time for it to be updated.

 

[canadianreader]

Federighi continues to lock down macOS and remove more and more functionality. macOS is becoming increasingly annoying and burdensome to use.

macOS default apps may look nice but they're very basic. I use Firefox as my default browser because the level of customization and extensions, I switched from Final Cut to Davinci Resolve for more options and features, same for Music and many other Apple apps. I still use Apple Mail even though the search function is less intuitive compared to pre-BigSur mail app.

 

[eatrains]

SmallCubed recently posted a message on their website. In short, MailTags and the entire Mailsuite suite of plugins is being retired, and will be replaced by an entirely new, independent email app called MailMaven that will incorporate most of the functionality of Mailsuite, including email tagging:

MailSuite will not work with Sonoma - macOS 14​

Sonoma will be released later this fall without support for Mail plugins. Apple has permanently disabled the ability to load any Mail plugin in macOS 14.
We are working on MailMaven - an email client to replace MailSuite - to be released later this year.

Since they’re lying about Mail not supporting plugins, seems like they’re just pushing people to buy their new mail app.

 

[tothemoonsands]

From the developer on June 6:

"Michael_Tsai Developer

SpamSieve 2.9.52 is incompatible with Apple Mail on the beta version of macOS 14. Although Apple has not made a formal announcement, it appears that Sonoma removes support for Mail plug-ins, perhaps because the mechanism was being used to sideload iOS apps 21.

<snip>

Switching SpamSieve to use a Mail Extension requires major changes throughout the app, so this will be part of a major upgrade (version 3.0) rather than a maintenance update (like with previous OS updates 1). This new version is currently in development, and I plan to roll it out to a private beta group soon and eventually to a public beta this summer, with the public release before macOS 14 ships in the fall."


My 2017 iMac won't be compatible with Sonoma, but I'll be replacing it with a new MacBook Pro in January when the new ones come out. So I have time for it to be updated.

Thank you so much for sharing this! It would be devastating to lose SpamSieve. I will happily repurchase the new 3.0 version!

I’ve got the 2020 iMac so I’m not completely cut off yet, but I know it’s right around the corner. On the fence whether I should upgrade to a Studio Display + Studio (or mini) or wait it out for M3/M4. Tough call, I keep going back and forth.

 

[patearrings]

I switched to Firefox ages ago for uBlock Origin support and proper cookie management/containerisation (the new '"profiles" feature doesn't come close, unfortunately).

As a consequence, I switched from Keychain to Bitwarden, which also solved a few issues I had.

As for Mail, apart from the IMAP bug in the iOS 17 beta (and an attachment bug in Sonoma which I might have fixed by deleting some caches), it does what I need and so far haven't found anything better. I've never used any Mail extensions.

Use orion. Built on webkit so exactly as fast as safari, but with total plugin support 😉

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

Are there any meaningful upgrades to Mail.app in Sonoma? Apple's Sonoma web site only mentions "See travel-related emails at the top of your search results as your trip dates approach. And add big emoji to your messages." These functionality enhancements are quite modest, at best. Am I perhaps missing something?

Related: I wonder if Mail.app will ever support tagging emails?? (for example like Finder, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Music, etc.)

Apple lag so far behind with features in their own apps. Mail and Messages are prime examples of where literally everybody else has more feature rich clients. It's embarrassing and annoying as an Apple user.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

Use orion. Built on webkit so exactly as fast as safari, but with total plugin support 😉

I highly recommend Arc browser.

 

[HorstBockman]

I've had a problem with the mail app for years.
Short Story:
I want to attach a JPG file to the client (who has windows), I do it in all possible ways (windows firendly, at the end / beginning of the message, RTF or plain text)
unfortunately, each time the client receives this JPG not as an attachment, but sewn into the email (so that he can't even save it on his hard drive.
The solution used to be a programmer's plugin, but unfortunately it has not worked for a few OSX.
The only thing I can do is send an empty email without any text - then this JPG is treated as an attachment.
I also discovered that if I send a file with some other extension in parallel with this JPG and the text of the email, then it goes as an attachment ...

Do you have any solution to this problem?
I will add that this only happens when I send to someone who has Windows.

Is this a Mac problem, your client's mail server issue, or your client's mail client problem? Before trying to jump through a bunch of hoops for them, I'd want to find out specifically what they're using. If what they're using is janky, stop there and ask if they wouldn't please open a gmail account. If what they're using is rather mainstream, you might find clues to the solution on the Internet from other people's experience. good luck.

 

[lairdo]

My key plugin is MsgFiler which is a very, very fast way to move messages to folders with just a few keyboard taps. The developer of that plugin says that indeed it will not work in Sonoma.

macOS Sonoma Removes Support for Mail Plug-ins Like MsgFiler

The time has finally come to say goodbye to macOS Mail Plug-ins. macOS 14 Sonoma has removed support for Mail Plug-ins like MsgFiler. I wrote an extensive blog post on the history of Mail Plug-ins …

msgfiler.com

Apparently, for this plugin to work, a list of folders needs to be generated from Mail. MailKit does not allow this.

So, I'll be looking at alternative mail clients. I use Outlook on my Mac for work email, and I have been using Mail for my personal accounts.

Those who want to complain can apparently write this email at Apple: mail-app-extensions@apple.com

 

[lairdo]

A two year notification is plenty of notice to be able to build out MailKit compatible extensions, and it sounds like some of them have things about ready to go! Apparently it doesn't expose 100% feature parity as compared to legacy plugins, but no one should've been caught off guard by this.

I don't think it's the surprise per se but that MailKit has not really developed a lot in those two years. Not sure and as I am not a developer but a user, I cannot say anything other than this disrupts my workflows which is a bummer. I'll survive of course but this was not something that was broken. I usually hold off on new MacOS released until the first x.1.1 version anyway.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Does Sonoma fix the bug in which the mere use of the word "attachment" or "attached" in an email can trigger a "Did you mean to add an attachment?" warning/notification? If the notification algorithm is any indication of Apple's skill at AI, we may soon have another Siri debacle on our hands.

 

[MallardDuck]

GPGMail is broken...I suspect this is the reason.

 

[Black Magic]

I've had a problem with the mail app for years.
Short Story:
I want to attach a JPG file to the client (who has windows), I do it in all possible ways (windows firendly, at the end / beginning of the message, RTF or plain text)
unfortunately, each time the client receives this JPG not as an attachment, but sewn into the email (so that he can't even save it on his hard drive.
The solution used to be a programmer's plugin, but unfortunately it has not worked for a few OSX.
The only thing I can do is send an empty email without any text - then this JPG is treated as an attachment.
I also discovered that if I send a file with some other extension in parallel with this JPG and the text of the email, then it goes as an attachment ...

Do you have any solution to this problem?
I will add that this only happens when I send to someone who has Windows.

Zip the file up. Rename the extension and have client rename it back. Use Cloud Drive, One Drive, or Google Drive to share with clients. Use a different email client like Outlook.

Just a few I would explore.

 

[MallardDuck]

I still use Thunderbird because Apple Mail just isn't as capable. (Though I do use Apple Mail on my iPhone because the only mail client that was ever better on mobile was Sparrow and Google bought and killed that.)

People like to call Thunderbird "old" and "archaic" but E-mail hasn't changed much in 20 years. Thunderbird still does the job as well as it ever has, and they've recently started putting more development work into it so it will likely get even better moving forward.

Seriously, if you're a mail "power user", consider Thunderbird.

And use IMAP? Or worse, POP3? No thanks. That's the reason I dropped it years ago - wanted modern encrypted authentication and access.

 

[jhollington]

Hasn't heard of SmallCubed until you posted this. Love finding small Mac-loving developers. 🤗 They are definitely taking on a big task by creating their own mail client instead of moving MailSuite to an extension. Guess extensions really are limited in their functionality.

They're actually very limited compared to the legacy bundle/plug-in architecture that was available before. As Apple explains in its MailKit developer docs, they're basically glorified rule handlers.

For example, they can block content in messages (like Safari content-blockers), perform actions already built into Mail like setting flags and colors and moving to folders, and validate addresses and other delivery options and handle digital signatures. They don't add new features to Mail so much as provide different ways to use the features that are already there.

Something like Mail Act-On might be able to fit within those limitations, although it would probably lose some functionality. I imagine MailTags would be an absolute no-go, since writing tags into messages would be out of the question, and there's no way in MailKit to even overlay new information on the Mail window.

 

[jhollington]

Since they’re lying about Mail not supporting plugins, seems like they’re just pushing people to buy their new mail app.

They're not lying. Mail no longer supports "plug-ins," and developers have known that capability would be going away since macOS Monterey introduced Mail "extensions" two years ago (aka the "MailKit" framework).

The problem is that MailKit is basically a joke compared to what the older, legacy plug-ins features were capable of. Just do a search for "Mail Extensions" on the App Store, and you'll see the kind of things developers can do with that particular feature. It's not much.

However, Apple never really "officially" supported those in the first place... They left them in for years so developers could build things for them on a best-effort basis, but somewhere along the way Apple even locked the capability of reading these plug-ins (also known as "bundles") behind a manual setting that had to be activated with a Terminal command-line. The plug-in capabilities were a great feature that I've relied on for over a decade, but it was always more of a power-user feature for those who were willing to tinker — especially since these plug-ins broke with nearly every macOS point update, requiring either an update from the developers or manual hacking around in plist files to get them working again.

In principle, the MailKit framework is a much better idea. In reality, it's basically useless for anything power users would care about.

 

[tothemoonsands]

GPGMail is broken...I suspect this is the reason.

It's the norm that GPGMail is broken with each MacOS release - that's actually by design of the developers since they have you upgrade the license each time. However, this time may be different - it's not clear whether it uses MailKit yet or not. I would hope that they still want to continue development. I have two vital plugins, SpamSieve (which SMorris confirmed that V3.0 will support Sonoma) and GPGMail. Let's hope this one gets updated as well!

 

[jhollington]

It's the norm that GPGMail is broken with each MacOS release - that's actually by design of the developers since they have you upgrade the license each time. However, this time may be different - it's not clear whether it uses MailKit yet or not. I would hope that they still want to continue development. I have two vital plugins, SpamSieve (which SMorris confirmed that V3.0 will support Sonoma) and GPGMail. Let's hope this one gets updated as well!

GPGMail should be able to use MailKit, since there is a message security handler aspect to the framework. However, since it's not on the Mac App Store (which is where MailKit apps have to be distributed), I suspect it's still using the old plug-in architecture, like 99% of the other Mail add-ons out there.

Sadly, as with SpamSieve, I suspect updating it for MailKit won't be a trivial task.

 

[hoodafoo]

Do people really use this mail app? I liken it to Outlook Express

 

[Silverstring]

Do people really use this mail app? I liken it to Outlook Express

Nope. No one really uses it.