Select Language:
Apple recently enhanced its Mail app with a significant update that introduced smart categorization features designed to streamline inbox organization and facilitate easier access to relevant information. Initially, this functionality was exclusive to mobile users and hadn’t made its way to Mac devices.
That’s set to change shortly. In his latest PowerOn newsletter, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg has reported that category support for the Mail app will be integrated into the desktop version during the upcoming April update.
The new functionality will arrive alongside the macOS 15.4 update. Recently, Apple rolled out the third beta version of macOS 15.3, meaning users can expect the testing phase for 15.4 to commence in a few weeks.
The categorization system organizes emails into four distinct groups: the Primary category is designated for personal messages and urgent matters, the Promotions section includes sales and advertisements, the Updates category handles notifications from social media and news outlets, and the Transactions category compiles shopping-related alerts.
Users have the option to adjust an email’s category if they believe it is misclassified, and if they prefer the traditional layout, they can easily revert to the Classic List view.
Apple has been gradually introducing its intelligence features to the Mac platform, including various smart functions within the Mail app. Some of these features include Smart Replies, Priority Messages, email summarization, and brief overview previews.
One particularly useful addition is the Writing Tools, which leverage OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to assist users in drafting, revising, and refining text content.
While the new email categorization has been praised for enhancing inbox organization, it has also faced some criticism. Some users feel that it complicates their experience, reporting issues with important emails being misdirected to less useful categories. Others have expressed a desire to return to the previous format, not only for stylistic reasons but due to functional challenges as well.
As Bryan M. Wolfe from Digital Trends remarked after trying the categorization system, he found that it made things more complex rather than simplifying his digital experience, highlighting that emails that should land in the Primary inbox sometimes ended up in obscure categories.
One drawback of the system is its lack of flexibility, as users cannot create additional custom categories beyond the initial four. If Gurman’s report is accurate, Apple will have some time to process early user feedback and address ongoing issues before launching the categories for Mail on Mac.
Add us on ChatGPT
Add us on Perplexity
