For years, Apple Mail has felt like a bare-bones tool compared to Gmail. While Gmail has privacy issues, it’s hard to deny that it’s miles ahead regarding features, accessibility, and user experience.
However, during this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced some exciting updates coming to Apple Mail with iOS 18.
Alongside updates for the iPad, Apple Watch, and more, Apple Mail is finally getting the love it deserves. Could these updates finally make it a worthy replacement for Gmail? I think so, and here’s why.
Advanced AI and On-Device Email Categorization
One of the most exciting new features is the on-device categorization of emails, powered by advanced machine learning.
Imagine having your emails neatly sorted into categories like Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions, all without lifting a finger.
- Primary: Here’s where you’ll find time-sensitive messages, emails from people you know, and other important information.
- Transactions: Think of receipts and order confirmations landing perfectly in one spot.
- Updates: Newsletters and social media notifications? All organized for you.
- Promotions: Marketing emails and sales deals are sorted away neatly.
This categorization isn’t just about a tidier inbox; it’s about keeping track of the information that matters most without having to dig through junk.
Plus, since all this processing happens on your device, your privacy stays intact—something Gmail can’t promise.
Introducing Digest View
Another game-changer is the new Digest view. Have you ever wished you could see all emails from a specific company in one place?
Digest View does exactly that. It compiles all emails from a particular sender into a single, easy-to-navigate view.
For example, imagine being able to view all your flight information from an airline in one spot.
Digest view also lets you tweak how senders are categorized and even bulk archive or delete messages from a business. It’s all about giving you control over your inbox.
Smart Replies and Enhanced Interaction
Apple is also introducing Smart Replies as part of its new AI software, Apple Intelligence. This feature offers response suggestions based on the content of the emails you receive.
For instance, if you get an event invitation, Smart Replies can give you RSVP options right there.
It’s like having a little assistant that saves you time and effort, a feature I have enjoyed for years with Gmail.
Summarization and Writing Tools
Summarization is another feature that’s set to make your email experience smoother.
Instead of just showing the first sentence of an email, the new Mail app will provide short summaries that highlight the most important info.
This means you can quickly scan through your inbox and know what’s important without opening each email.
Summarization also works within emails. Long messages will have a summary at the top, making it easier to find the crucial information quickly. This is perfect for those times when you need to respond fast.
Apple is also introducing system-wide writing tools in Mail. These tools will help you proofread and rewrite your texts to make them more concise, friendly, or professional. It’s like having a writing coach built into your email.
Bottom Line
The updates coming to Apple Mail with iOS 18 are impressive and finally address many of the shortcomings that have made the app feel inadequate compared to Gmail.
With advanced AI-driven categorization, Digest view, Smart Replies, summarization, and enhanced writing tools, Apple Mail is shaping up to be a powerful email client.
What do you think? Are you ready to ditch Gmail and give Apple Mail a try? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments.
I’m assuming most, if not all, of these features will be only available to users of iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max so I’ll be sticking with Gmail despite the privacy concerns.
I will only change to iOS mail if searching is as good as Gmail.
Is the Apple Mail App just named “mail’ in the App Store?
Yes, but it comes preinstalled on your iPhone.
Will these features be available if I use the native Apple mail app on my iPhone to open and respond to email in my Gmail and outlook.com accounts?
Hi Jay,
Yes, all the new features coming to Apple Mail in iOS 18 will work with your Gmail and Outlook.com accounts when you use the native Apple Mail app on your iPhone. These features work with the emails themselves, not dependent on the email provider. Apple Mail simply acts as an interface to display and manage your emails.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have further questions.
I assume macOS 15 will have the same Mail features as iOS 18?