Apple introduced a revamped Mail app with iOS 18.2, featuring mail categorization, contact photos, and more. However, after using it extensively, the author has some doubts about its effectiveness.
The new Mail app organizes emails into categories such as Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. While this sounds promising, the categorization system was found to be inaccurate in practice, leading to frustration with swiping between tabs to see all emails. A feature allows users to recategorize senders, but the author finds it tedious.
To mitigate this issue, Apple provides a simple way to disable categorization, which can be done by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner and selecting List View. This setting is also inbox-by-inbox, allowing users to choose between categories and list views for individual inboxes.
The Priority notifications feature, available on Apple Intelligent devices, does a better job at highlighting important emails without relying on imperfect categorization. Although this feature is currently only available on specific devices, it will be expanded to all capable devices with an upcoming iOS update.
Despite its promising features, the new Mail app’s mail categorization system falls short in its execution. Users may find themselves using workarounds or waiting for future updates to address these issues.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2024/11/23/ios-18-2-mail-app-categorization