APPLE MAIL – how to bypass inbox straight to a smart mailbox?

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APPLE MAIL – how to bypass inbox straight to a smart mailbox?

Hi everyone,

I am trying to find the best protocol to manage my apple mail.

To bypass the Inbox, do I need to set up rules in mail preferences?
Then, if I set up a smart mailbox, they will only appear there, not in the inbox?
I will need to refile the odd message from smart inboxes. Can I move these to another mailbox manually, or will this not work as I cannot overrider the rule that I have set in mail preferences?
Finally, any implications for the above on iPad/uphone? Maybe management of?

This is a big issue for things we have bought online (especially online programs) where people only have one email for us for our course details and login but then spam us relentlessly, so I am sure I am not the only person with this problem...

FYI, I am on 10.15.7 Catalina but about to upgrade to Big Sur in the next few days.

Thanks a lot,

Jenni

MacBook

Posted on Jan 10, 2021 12:26 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

115,996 points

Jan 10, 2021 4:26 AM in response to JenniJ

A Smart Mailbox is not a storage container. Nothing is in them. They are search queries that display messages that are stored in other places.

If you wish to move a set of messages automatically, you would need to create an Mailbox to store them in and use a rule to move them when they arrive in the inbox.

If the accounts are IMAP, the messages will also be removed from the other devices. If you create the Mailbox on the server, the other devices would be able to access them. If you create the Mailbox in On My Mac, they won’t be able to see them.

If it is a POP account. It will have no effect on the other devices.

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Answer 2

JenniJ Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 10, 2021 5:53 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thank you! I will give this a go!

any idea about then over riding the rule by manually moving messages?

kind of curious now people are using smart mailboxes... maybe everyone in your address book is a better way to go, rather than everyone not in your address book?

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

115,996 points

Jan 10, 2021 6:35 AM in response to JenniJ

You can move messages however you like. Rules are irrelevant and only act automatically on messages entering the inbox, or when run manually.

A Smart Mailbox isn't a rule and it doesn't move messages. A Smart Mailbox is for viewing all messages that match some criteria, all in the same window.

You can move messages that are in a Smart Mailbox, and that will move (or delete) the actual message wherever it may be stored.

If you are getting message from a company you did business with, unsubscribe from their emails. You can't unsubscribe from true spam, but you can unsubscribe from the other garbage.

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APPLE MAIL – how to bypass inbox straight to a smart mailbox?

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