Viewing preferences
Use Viewing preferences in Mail to set options for viewing messages.
To view these preferences, choose Mail > Preferences, then click Viewing.
Use classic layout | By default, messages are shown next to the message list. To have messages appear below the message list (classic layout), select the checkbox. |
Show To/Cc label in the message list | Include the To or Cc label, to help you identify messages sent directly to you or copied to you. This option isn’t available when you use classic layout. |
Show contact photos in the message list | Display a picture for the sender, if available. This option isn’t available when you use classic layout. |
List Preview | The number of lines of the message to show in the message list. |
Move discarded messages into | Choose whether to delete a message or move it to the Archive mailbox when you swipe left on a message in the message list. This setting also determines whether you can delete or archive messages from Mail notifications. |
Show message headers | Show default or custom fields in message headers. To add fields, click the pop-up menu, choose Custom, click the Add button |
Display unread messages with bold font | In classic layout, shows unread messages in bold to help distinguish them from messages you have read. |
Load remote content in messages | When remote content is retrieved from a server, information about your Mac can be revealed. You can deselect the option for increased security, but some messages may not display correctly. Remote content isn’t displayed in messages that Mail marks as junk. |
Use Smart Addresses | Show recipients’ names but not their email addresses (if a recipient is in the Contacts app or the Previous Recipients list, or on a network server). |
Highlight messages with color when not grouped | When conversations are turned off, highlight the messages in a conversation in the message list, to help identify them more easily. Click the color well to choose a highlight color. |
Include related messages | Include related messages (those located in other mailboxes) when viewing a conversation. |
Mark all messages as read when opening a conversation | Mark all unread messages in a conversation as read when you view the primary message of the conversation. |
Show most recent message at the top | Display the most recent message in a conversation first in the preview area. If deselected, the oldest message appears first. |
,You can sort, filter, and otherwise change how messages appear in the message list.