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Keukasmallie

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 30, 2011
329
36
WNY
In Mail on my iPad for no reason at all I often find a row of postage stamp sized "emails" across the bottom of the screen. They serve no purpose for me other than be a distraction.

How can I get rid of them for good?
 

Wando64

macrumors 68020
Jul 11, 2013
2,189
2,784
They are draft emails that you have not completed or additional instances of the Mail app that you have managed to open perhaps mistakenly.
In the case of Draft emails, just tap on them and either Cancel the email or finish it and send it.
In the case of additional instances of the app, from the Home Screen keep you finger on the Mail app icon until a menu appear. From this menu select Display all Windows, then swipe them up to get rid of them.
 

Keukasmallie

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 30, 2011
329
36
WNY
Thanks for the quick response. What you suggested gets rid of them in each specific instance. I want to get rid of them even appearing at anytime.

so far, no answer to my dilemma.
 

Wando64

macrumors 68020
Jul 11, 2013
2,189
2,784
Thanks for the quick response. What you suggested gets rid of them in each specific instance. I want to get rid of them even appearing at anytime.

so far, no answer to my dilemma.

This is a bit like not wanting Windows to display any window.
They are there for a reason.

If you don’t want them, don’t create any draft or open multiple instances of the app. Simple.

In any case, there is a button on the bottom left of the app with two squares overlapping. This button will make them appear, whereas if you touch over the bit where it says “updated just now” they will disappear.
Also refer back to my previous reply where I explain how to close instances created by mistake.
 

Wando64

macrumors 68020
Jul 11, 2013
2,189
2,784
Never seen them. How do you open multiple instances of an app?
You can do it in many ways.
One ways would be to multitask with the same App I.e. two windows of the same app side by side.
Another way is to invoke the Dock from within an app (such as Safari or Mail) and then try to open the same app again. This will offer you the option of opening a second instance of the same app.
 
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Zazoh

macrumors 68000
Jan 4, 2009
1,505
1,096
San Antonio, Texas
You can do it in many ways.
One ways would be to multitask with the same App I.e. two windows of the same app side by side.
Another way is to invoke the Dock from within an app (such as Safari or Mail) and then try to open the same app again. This will offer you the option of opening a second instance of the same app.
Okay. Thanks I did that and they all minimize into one icon. I guess because my bar is already full of icons. So they have no choice but to minimize.
 

Wando64

macrumors 68020
Jul 11, 2013
2,189
2,784
Okay. Thanks I did that and they all minimize into one icon. I guess because my bar is already full of icons. So they have no choice but to minimize.

I am not sure we are referring to the same thing.
You might find the video in this link useful, especially when Dan speaks about the Shelf from minute 3.
 

Zazoh

macrumors 68000
Jan 4, 2009
1,505
1,096
San Antonio, Texas
I am not sure we are referring to the same thing.
You might find the video in this link useful, especially when Dan speaks about the Shelf from minute 3.
Thanks -- I was confusing the Bar to be the shelf. Now I know. I've seen the shelf a few times, by accident, so now I know how to invoke it on purpose. Kinda cool.

Ya, I've seen that and it is greatly improved windows management for the iPad -- something many say they have wanted on the iPad for years.
 

Lynnesears

macrumors newbie
Apr 18, 2022
5
1
In Mail on my iPad for no reason at all I often find a row of postage stamp sized "emails" across the bottom of the screen. They serve no purpose for me other than be a distraction.

How can I get rid of them for good?
It’s the most irritating useless of things ever, after no help from here and massive research it’s simple. Go to settings -home
In Mail on my iPad for no reason at all I often find a row of postage stamp sized "emails" across the bottom of the screen. They serve no purpose for me other than be a distraction.

How can I get rid of them for good?
In Mail on my iPad for no reason at all I often find a row of postage stamp sized "emails" across the bottom of the screen. They serve no purpose for me other than be a distraction.

How can I get rid of them for good?
In Mail on my iPad for no reason at all I often find a row of postage stamp sized "emails" across the bottom of the screen. They serve no purpose for me other than be a distraction.

How can I get rid of them for good?
It’s the most annoying useless thing ever. With no help from here after extensive research it’s simple. Go to settings- Home Screen and dock- show suggested and recent apps in dock then switch off.
 

Keukasmallie

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 30, 2011
329
36
WNY
It’s the most irritating useless of things ever, after no help from here and massive research it’s simple. Go to settings -home



It’s the most annoying useless thing ever. With no help from here after extensive research it’s simple. Go to settings- Home Screen and dock- show suggested and recent apps in dock then switch off.
After all this time I'm thrilled to see a response! I followed the path you described, but found that Show Recent Apps.... was already switched off. That was disappointing, but back to the search for me. Thanks again!
 

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,111
9,765
Atlanta, GA
After all this time I'm thrilled to see a response! I followed the path you described, but found that Show Recent Apps.... was already switched off. That was disappointing, but back to the search for me. Thanks again!
This is where your posting screenshots would be helpful.

Do they appear when tapping on the "..." at the top of the screen?
 

Lynnesears

macrumors newbie
Apr 18, 2022
5
1
After all this time I'm thrilled to see a response! I followed the path you described, but found that Show Recent Apps.... was already switched off. That was disappointing, but back to the search for me. Thanks again!
My sincere apologies, I really thought it had worked but then a few hours later they reappeared. Someone must be able to help surely?
 

Cycledoc

macrumors newbie
Sep 26, 2012
6
1
Very annoying. No way to get rid of them. Very Windows of Apple. Should be a way to turn off. Did fine without such “help”
 
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Lynnesears

macrumors newbie
Apr 18, 2022
5
1
0C16A5AA-B308-4E6F-B241-51047584DB1D.jpeg



For those who do t know what we are talking about. Along the bottom. All those open windows. I know you can seipe left and shut them down. But then they reappear at the very next moment. I don’t know how they even get there. They are not drafts. i can’t read the bottom of the screen at all and wish I could turn this stupidness off.
 

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,111
9,765
Atlanta, GA
View attachment 1993806


For those who do t know what we are talking about. Along the bottom. All those open windows. I know you can seipe left and shut them down. But then they reappear at the very next moment. I don’t know how they even get there. They are not drafts. i can’t read the bottom of the screen at all and wish I could turn this stupidness off.
What happened when you tapped on one of those emails?

Those are probably unsent draft emails you left open or emails you opened in a new window but never closed. Swiping-left doesn’t close them; that just scrolls through the “list” of them. If swiping up doesn’t close them, tap on any of them to open/un-minimize and close/cancel them, or delete them from your drafts folder normally.
 
Last edited:

jdb8167

macrumors 601
Nov 17, 2008
4,738
4,442
View attachment 1993806


For those who do t know what we are talking about. Along the bottom. All those open windows. I know you can seipe left and shut them down. But then they reappear at the very next moment. I don’t know how they even get there. They are not drafts. i can’t read the bottom of the screen at all and wish I could turn this stupidness off.
Swipe up on any window you no longer want except the highlighted one on the right.

I don’t know if Drafts reappear but you can swipe up on them as well. To get rid of any draft message you no longer need, go to the drafts folder and delete them. Normally drafts get deleted automatically when they are sent.

There used to be a setting to turn off multitasking but Apple removed it when they improved the functionality. As far as I know there is no way to stop the multiple window functionality. The good news is that once you close any unused window and delete outdated drafts, the windows shouldn’t come back unless you create a new unsent draft or hit the plus button to create a new window.

The window functions are a normal part of iPadOS and work on most applications. Once you understand how they work you might find that they are beneficial.
 

XIO[-]OIX

Suspended
Feb 1, 2022
147
154
OMG this thread is so funny ?


_
seems ‘we’ are back to not knowing how to use basic functions. well.. some of us ?
windows 95 era n00bnes but in ipados ?
 
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Lynnesears

macrumors newbie
Apr 18, 2022
5
1
Thanks for all the help. I cancelled these draft emails when I first went to create them, so why would apple decide they all need to remain open at the bottom? The over lapping page icon bottom right of the IOS email. Brings them all up but unlike in safari there is no option to close them all at once. Yes thanks I discovered that you can upward swipe. But common Apple!
 
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darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,111
9,765
Atlanta, GA
Thanks for all the help. I cancelled these draft emails when I first went to create them, so why would apple decide they all need to remain open at the bottom? The over lapping page icon bottom right of the IOS email. Brings them all up but unlike in safari there is no option to close them all at once. Yes thanks I discovered that you can upward swipe. But common Apple!
You can also see them by tapping on the multi-tasking "..." at the top. It makes sense to me why you would might not want to close all open draft emails without looking at them first, but you might want to close all open tabs. Still I agree that there should be a "close all" option.

FYI. If you have more than one Mail window open, there is that "overlapping window" icon displayed in the app switcher.
 

Lynnesears

macrumors newbie
Apr 18, 2022
5
1
Thanks for all the help. the two over
You can also see them by tapping on the multi-tasking "..." at the top. It makes sense to me why you would might not want to close all open draft emails without looking at them first, but you might want to close all open tabs. Still I agree that there should be a "close all" option.

FYI. If you have more than one Mail window open, there is that "overlapping window" icon displayed in the app switcher.

it doesn’t make sense. they are blank emails not even a recipient added. Plus we Get asked before we shut it down if we want to save it in drafts. This I do often. When I select ‘cancel‘ or ‘ delete draft ’ that means I know what I am doing. its crazy to then after all that I still have to close these empty windows.it’s a glitch i believe. ?
 

DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,852
6,892
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Thanks for all the help. the two over


it doesn’t make sense. they are blank emails not even a recipient added. Plus we Get asked before we shut it down if we want to save it in drafts. This I do often. When I select ‘cancel‘ or ‘ delete draft ’ that means I know what I am doing. its crazy to then after all that I still have to close these empty windows.it’s a glitch i believe. ?
I do have seen this before but it’s definitely not a glitch it’s because you have too many drafts left on edited or unsaved when you launch the mail app and go to close it this is why you say bunch of them if you tap and hold the mail app once you’ve launched it with unsaved or empty draft or contact within your drafts and tap and hold it the mail app in the dark this is what you get
 

Keukasmallie

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 30, 2011
329
36
WNY
Thanks to all of you who have considered, addressed, recommended, etc. a remedy to my issue! Still no final resolution, only the anticipation of swiping like attacking an insect. As someone said above, C'mon Apple, if restoring the abillity to turn off multi-functionality is an answer give it to us!!
 
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