13 Solutions To Fix Mail App Not Working on Mac (Freezing, Crashing, Quitting Unexpectedly)

There are several possible reasons why the Mail app isn’t working on your Mac. You could have poor internet connectivity, software glitches, low storage space, running older macOS versions, too many large attachments, and incorrect settings configurations. You can fix them by trying different networks, logging in and out of your account, and restarting your Mac. Let’s take a closer look!

1. Force Quit Mail App

You can also use the Activity Monitor or keyboard shortcut to force quit apps on your Mac.

2. Restart Your Mac

If the app isn’t launching or takes a lot of time to load, you must restart your Mac. It will clear temporary glitches, reload the cache, and refresh system resources.

1. Click on the Apple Menu in the top left corner.
2. Choose Restart.
   
3. Once your Mac reboots, open the Mail app to see if it’s working properly.

3. Check Your Internet Connection

If you aren’t connected to a stable internet, the Mail app won’t sync or fetch the latest emails for you. Do the following to verify if your internet is the culprit:

• Check the Wi-Fi icon for its strength. If the signal is weak, try moving close to the router.
• Open a website in Safari or try YouTube to check if you’re online.
• Try a different Wi-Fi network.
• Contact your internet provider for any outages.

4. Refresh the Mail App

Refreshing or reloading the app can fix delays and minor syncing problems, making sure you always get the most up-to-date emails.

1. Open the Mail app and click Mailbox from the top menu bar.
2. Choose Synchronize.
3. Choose your account and wait for new emails to load.
   
4. Repeat the above step for all your accounts.

5. Close All Drafts

Having too many drafts, especially ones with attachments, could be responsible for why Mail is freezing or running slowly. To speed things up, open the Drafts folder in the left sidebar and delete any unnecessary drafts. Also, remove large attachments and junk emails to free up space.

6. Check Mail Activity

Sometimes, the Mail app might not work as expected because it’s downloading large attachments or is stuck on a background process. You can check Mail activity to know what’s going on behind the scenes.

1. Open the Mail app and click Window from the top menu bar.
2. From the list that appears, choose Activity.
   
3. This will open a pop-up window showing a real-time overview of Mail’s operations, such as message downloading/sending, connection status, and potential errors.
   

7. Check Spotlight Search Settings

Since the search box relies on Spotlight to find your emails, any misconfigured Spotlight settings may cause indexing issues in the Mail app.

1. Head to System Settings and click Spotlight from the left sidebar.
2. Under the Search Results, double-check that the Mail & Messages option is selected.
   
3. Now, restart your Mac and see if the app works properly.

8. Update macOS

Sometimes, the issue may stem from the software version you’re using. For the best app compatibility and smooth performance, it’s recommended to run the latest macOS version.

1. Go to System Settings on your Mac.
2. Click General from the left sidebar.
3. Select Software Update.
   
4. If an update is available, download and install it.

9. Check Apple Servers

Sometimes, the issue might not be with the Mail app, but the Apple servers. Here’s how to verify it:

1. Visit the Apple System Status Page to see recent outages, updates, and upcoming maintenance by Apple.
2. Look for “iCloud Mail.“
   
3. If you see a Green blob, the Apple ID servers are working fine.
4. In case it’s Yellow, there’s an issue with the service.

10. Re-Enable Your Email Accounts

Disabling and re-enabling your email account can wipe off common glitches and get your Mail app working again on your Mac.

1. Open the Mail app.
2. From the top menu bar, click Mail > Settings.
   
3. Click on the Accounts tab.
4. Click on your email account and deselect Enable this account option.
   
5. After a few seconds, enable this account.

11. Merge All Windows

If you’ve opened multiple mail windows, it might slow down the Apple Mail app. A quick way to fix this is to merge those windows and minimize the impact on the app’s memory.

• Open the Mail app and click Window from the top menu bar.
• From the list of options, choose Merge All Windows.
  

12. Re-Index the Mail App Using Terminal

Another way to fix Mail app issues on Mac is to restart the indexing service with Terminal. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Press Command + Space to open Spotlight Search.
2. Start typing Terminal. When it appears, hit Return.
3. Now, type the following command and hit Return.
   sudo mdutil -a -i off
4. Enter your Mac’s password and press Return.
5. Next up, type this command and press Return.
   sudo mdutil -a -i on
   

13. Remove and Re-Add accounts

If the above steps didn’t work and your Mail app still freezes, becomes unresponsive, or crashes unexpectedly, try removing and re-adding your email accounts. Re-establishing the connection can often fix deeper sync or configuration issues.

1. Launch the Mail App.
2. From the top menu bar, click Mail > Accounts.
   
3. It will open Internet Account Settings in the System Settings app.
   
4. From here, choose your account and remove it.
5. Once you’ve done this, click the Add Account button and follow the on-screen prompts.

Hopefully, the above steps worked for you, and your inbox is filling up with the latest emails once again. In case your Mac is running slower than usual, turn off these 5 settings for a quick and major speed boost.