iOS 18.2 mail categorization

[steelyman]

I got a big surprise after I updated my phone to iOS 18.2 and opened Apple Mail. Looked like a bunch of mail had vanished!

It turned out that iOS was doing me a favor (not!) by auto-categorizing my mail messages.

Macrumors to the rescue:

How to turn off Apple Mail categorization

 

[Sojourner]

I think you must mean iOS 18.2.

 

[steelyman]

I think you must mean iOS 18.2.

I think you’re correct. Fixed (and thanks!)

 

[braumeister]

Same here. I turned it off immediately but I could see where it might be useful for many people.

 

[homestead]

Thanks, turned it off.

 

[Chuckanut]

I had a note on top of my mail list telling me I might want to turn on the categorization. I chose not to at this time, but may use it later.

I can't say I like the "Drop It On Them" approach of some of these updates.

 

[steelyman]

I had a note on top of my mail list telling me I might want to turn on the categorization. I chose not to at this time, but may use it later.

I can't say I like the "Drop It On Them" approach of some of these updates.

Bad move on Apple’s part for sure. The attitude of “we know what’s best” is a turn off.

 

[braumeister]

I believe they just saw it as a way to show off their use of AI. A lot of busy people still in the workforce will be delighted with it; us ER curmudgeons not so much.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I'm going to live with it for a while and see how I like it. Honestly, I process my inbox so quickly as messages come in, I'm not sure it offers any value to me. I don't have a cluttered inbox. If I let more than 4 messages sit in my inbox, I get nervous.

 

[frank05]

They just copied what gmails has had for years and didn’t even add the ability to add new categories. If you look they also added user icons to the folder view which takes away from space from the email header text.

 

[jsncpa]

Mail fetch also got much slower for me, it seems. I'm on an X, which I think is the oldest phone capable of running 18. I was searching earlier today to see if I was alone.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I also find it odd that they implemented this feature only for iPhones (iOS). It was not released for iPad OS or MacOS.

 

[TheCaptain67]

Mail fetch also got much slower for me, it seems. I'm on an X, which I think is the oldest phone capable of running 18. I was searching earlier today to see if I was alone.

Mail fetch is now super slow for me as well on 18.2……

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I didn't last very long with the new feature. I just disabled the mail categorization and the "Show Priority" messages. They just don't add value to me. Keep my screen simple, please.

 

[steelyman]

I think my email may have slowed down too. I’ll keep an eye on it for a while.

I’m using an SE (3rd gen).