How to Fix “Apple Mail Search Not Working”?
Not being able to search the files on Mail or any email client is frustrating. After typing the keyword or phrase into the search tab, the result is empty. You know the emails are present in the account, but due to some reasons, you can’t find them. We will discuss all the troubleshooting and resolve “Apple Mail search not working”.
Apple Mail is a widely used email client for macOS and iOS users that offers robust functionality and effortless integration with Apple’s ecosystem. However, one of the major issues faced by the user is that the mail search does not find emails properly. The good news is that this issue is fixable. We have provided a simple fix to most advanced approaches to get the Apple Mail search working perfectly again on macOS.
Understanding the Reasons: Apple Mail Search Not Working
First, we need to understand the potential reasons behind this issue. Several factors can contribute to the malfunctioning of search functionality.
- Indexing Issues: Apple Mail relies on the index of emails to perform quick searches. If this index becomes corrupted, outdated, the search result will not be accurate.
- Software Glitches: Like any application, Mail encounters temporary glitches or bugs that interfere with its normal functioning. It can be eradicated simply by restarting the device.
- MacOS bugs: Sometimes the operating system might have a problem, which would affect the Mac applications’ functionality, including Apple Mail. Keeping the device updated is crucial.
These are the common causes why Apple Mail is not finding the emails. Corresponding to these, we can resolve this issue, among others.
Guide to Troubleshoot Apple Mail Search Not Working
We will work on all the possible methods to fix the Mac Mail search feature. For every troubleshooting method, there are simple and advanced approaches. Here we will go through the steps for both macOS and iOS.
Simple and Quick Fixes
1. Force Quit Mac Mail
The classic approach to any issues related to Apple Mail is to use the force quit option. As it can resolve all the temporary glitches.
macOS:
- Press Command + Option + Esc to open the “Force Quit” Apple.
- Else, select “Mail” and click on Force Quit. Then again, start the Mail.
iOS/iPadOS:
- Open the Add Switcher. Swipe up the Mail app preview to close it.
2. Restart Device
Simply restarting the device can usually resolve all the minor glitches within any application, along with issues like “Apple Mail Search Not Working”.
- macOS: Go to the Apple menu and select “Restart”.
- iOS/iPadOS: Press and hold the volume button and side button until the power-off slider displays. Drag the slider and wait for the device to turn off. Press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears to restart.
3. Check Internet Connection
We need a proper internet connection to work on any functions within an application. Apple Mail needs to sync and search the emails when the search function is prompted. Ensure you have a proper internet connection before going to the next troubleshooting method to fix the Mac Mail can’t find emails issue.
5. Verify Account Status
Here, we need to check whether the issue lies in the email account itself. Check if the accounts are active and not experiencing any server-side issues. In macOS, go to “Mail”>” Preferences”>” Account” and check the status.
Advanced Fixes to Apple Mail Search Not Finding Emails
1. Rebuild / Reindex Mailbox
Rebuilding and reindexing the Mailbox is the common troubleshooting step for issues like organisation, searching for email messages correctly. Here, we can manually delete Envelope index files, and this will force Mail to recreate the entire search index.
- Quit Apple Mail
- Go to Finder.
- Then, click on the “Go” menu and select “Go to Folder…”
- Enter ~/Library/Mail/V9/MailData and press Enter.
- Locate and delete the following files:
- Envelope Index
- Envelope Index-shm
- Envelope Index-wal
- Empty the Trash
- Now, relaunch Apple Mail.
It will automatically rebuild the mailbox index. Check if the issue “Apple Mail Search Not Working” is resolved; if not, re-add Apple Mail using the steps mentioned below.
2. Re-add Apple Mail Account
If you’re having trouble searching for emails in Mail for Mac, try removing and then re-adding your account. This can often fix underlying issues with the account’s connection or data.
macOS:
- Go to Mail > Preferences> Account.
- Then, select the account and click the “-“ button to remove it.
- Click the “+” button to re-add the account.
iOS:
- Go to Settings> Mail > Accounts.
- Then, select the affected account and tap on Delete Account.
- Restart and add the account again to Apple Mail.
- Go to Settings>Mail>Accounts>Add Account.
3. Update OS to fix Apple Mail Search Not Working
Ensure you have the latest version of macOS. Software updates often fix bugs.
- macOS: Go to Apple Mail > System Settings>General>Software Update.
- iOS: Go to Settings>General>Software Update.
How to Safeguard Apple Mail Emails?
Get the Email Backup Tool to save the vital information from the account. With this, users can protect their emails and ensure they never lose their email data again. As we have discussed all the possible ways to get the missing emails, it is advised to backup Apple Mail to external hard drive for future use.
Final Step: What to Do When Nothing Works
- Create New User Profile: In very rare cases, the issue might be with the user profile. After creating a new profile, if the Apple Mail search works properly, then you might need to migrate the data to the new profile.
- Contact Support: After implementing all the above troubleshooting steps, if the issues persist, reach out to Apple support for further assistance.
Conclusion
We often search for the emails within an account, and not being able to find that specific emails is frustrating. Therefore, here we are with the complete measures to fix the “Apple Mail Search Not Working” issue. The write-up has covered all the possible causes of where the search function is broken.