Mail for Mac: General preferences in Mail

Default email reader

The email app to use for your email. Mail is set by default.

Check for new messages

When Mail gets new messages from the mail server. By default, the option is set to Automatically (Mail varies how often it gets messages, based on whether your Mac is plugged into an electrical outlet).

If you set the option to Manually, click the Get Mail button in the Mail toolbar to check for messages. (Whenever you click an IMAP or Exchange mailbox in the Mail sidebar, it syncs with the server, and shows new messages.)

New messages sound

The sound to play when you receive messages. To sample a sound, click the pop-up menu, then choose a sound.

Dock unread count

The mailboxes to include in the count of unread messages (the red circle, also called a badge) shown on the Mail icon in the Dock.

The count appears only if “Badge app icon” is selected for Mail in Notifications preferences.

New message notifications

Display notifications when a message arrives in the selected mailbox.

To be displayed, the Mail alert style must be set to Banners or Alerts in Notifications preferences.

Add invitations to Calendar

Automatically or never add invitations you receive in Mail to the Calendar app.

Downloads folder

The folder where attachments you save are stored.

Remove unedited downloads

When to delete attachments temporarily saved in the Mail Downloads folder (in the Library folder of your home folder). By default, an attachment that you haven’t edited or saved is deleted when you delete the message that contains it.

If outgoing server is unavailable

If the SMTP server is unavailable to send messages, have Mail show available servers or store your messages in the Outbox to try and send later.

When searching all mailboxes, include results from

Include messages from the Trash or Junk mailboxes, or encrypted messages, in search results.