Add your email account

• Mac Applications
• Best Mac App

In the Mail app on your Mac, if the Send button is dimmed in the toolbar of your message, or your message can’t be sent using the outgoing mail server, try these suggestions. Make sure the outgoing (SMTP) mail server is specified as directed by the provider of your email account.

If you don't have an email account set up, Mail prompts you to add your email account.

To add another account, choose Mail > Add Account from the menu bar in Mail. Or choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Internet Accounts, then click the type of account to add.

• When adding an account, if you get a message that your account provider requires completing authentication in Safari, click Open Safari and follow the sign-in instructions in the Safari window.
• If necessary, Mail might ask you for additional settings.

Learn more about how to add or remove email accounts.

Send and reply

Learn how to compose, reply to, and forward email.

Send new messages

1. Click New Message in the Mail toolbar, or choose File > New Message.
2. Enter a name, email address, or group name in the 'To' field. Mail gives suggestions based on your contacts and messages on your Mac and devices signed into iCloud.¹
3. Enter a subject for your message.
4. Write your email in the body of the message.
   • To add an attachment, drag an attachment to the body of the message. Or choose File > Attach Files, choose an attachment, then click Choose.
   • To change your font and format, use the options at the top of the message window.
   • Beginning with macOS Mojave, it's even easier to add emoji to your messages. Just click the Emoji & Symbols button in the toolbar at the top of the message window, then choose emoji or other symbols from the character viewer.
5. Send or save your message:
   • To send, click the Send button or choose Message > Send.
   • To save your message as a draft for later, close the message, then click Save.

Reply and forward

• To reply to a single person, click Reply , type your response, then click Send .

• To reply to everyone on a group email, click Reply All , type your response, then click Send .

• To forward a message to other people, click Forward , type your response, then click Send .

Organize and search

Sort your emails into folders and use multiple search options to find specific messages.

Create folders

You can create Mailboxes to organize your emails into folders.

1. Open Mail, then choose Mailbox > New Mailbox from the menu bar.
2. In the dialog that appears, choose the location for the Mailbox.
   • Choose your email service (like iCloud) to access your Mailbox on your other devices, such as an iPhone signed into the same email account.
   • Choose On My Mac to access your Mailbox only on your Mac.
3. Name the mailbox and click OK.

If you don't see the mailboxes sidebar, choose View > Show Mailbox List. To show or hide mailboxes from an email account, move your pointer over a section in the sidebar and click Show or Hide.

Sort your emails

To move a message from your Inbox to a mailbox:

• Drag the message onto a mailbox in the sidebar.
• In macOS Mojave, you can select the message, then click Move in the Mail toolbar to file the message into the suggested mailbox. Mail makes mailbox suggestions based on where you've filed similar messages in the past, so suggestions get better the more you file your messages.
  

To delete a message, select a message, then press the Delete key.

To automatically move messages to specific mailboxes, use rules.

Search

Use the Search field in the Mail window to search by sender, subject, attachments, and more. To narrow your search, choose an option from the menu that appears as you type.

Add and mark up attachments

Attach documents and files to your messages and use Markup to annotate, add your signature, and more.

Attach a file

To attach a file to your message:

• Drag an attachment to the body of the message.
• Choose File > Attach Files, choose an attachment, then click Choose.

Use Markup with your attachments

You can use Markup to draw and type directly on an attachment, like an image or PDF document.²

1. Click the Attach button or choose File > Attach Files in the message window.
2. Choose an attachment, then click Choose File.
3. Click the menu icon that appears in the upper-right corner of the attachment, then choose Markup.
   • Use the Sketch tool to create freehand drawings.
   • Use the Shapes tool to add shapes like rectangles, ovals, lines, and arrows.
   • Use the Zoom tool in the Shapes menu to magnify and call attention to a part of an attachment.
   • Use the Text tool to add text.
   • Use the Sign tool to add your signature.
4. Click Done.

Learn more

• Contact Apple Support.

1. All devices signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID share contacts. Contacts addressed in previous messages that were sent and received on those devices are also included. To control this feature, turn Contacts on or off for iCloud. On Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click iCloud. On iOS devices, go to Settings, tap your name at the top of the screen, then tap iCloud.

2. Markup is available in OS X Yosemite and later.

If you use the Mail app on your Mac for work, or just want more security in your messages, then you will want to look at encrypting them. But how do you do this in Mail for Mac? It's a little complex, but we'll show you how to do so in this guide.

How do I obtain a personal certificate?

Before you are able to start sending and receiving encrypted emails, you will need to have a personal certificate in your Keychain. To get one, do the following:

1. Launch Keychain Access on your Mac (Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access).

2. Click Keychain Access in the menubar.

3. Hover over Certificate Assistant and click Request a Certificate From a Certificate Authority.

4. Fill out the request form with your own information.
   • For CA Email Address, you should check services like VeriSign, Inc. or RSA Data Security Inc. These are companies that verify the identities of computers on a network and issues certificates.
5. Choose whether or not you want the certificate emailed to the CA or Saved to Disk.

6. Click Continue.

7. If you chose Saved to Disk, specify the location to save to.

8. Locate the certificates and open them with Certificate Assistant.

9. Select the Issuing CA from the drop-down menu.
   • You can choose to override the defaults if need be.

10. Click Continue.

11. Select the Create a certificate for yourself option.

12. Click Continue.

13. Double check the information, and then click Create.

    • You should select Self Signed Root as the default.
    • Certificate type should be S/MIME (Email).
14. It will prompt you for confirmation. Click Continue.

15. Your certificate has been created, so click Done.

Once you create your certificate, it is automatically added to Keychain.

How do I send digitally signed and encrypted emails on Mail for Mac

When you have your certificate, it means that your recipients can verify you as the sender, adding another layer of security. However, to send encrypted messages, the recipient's certificate must be in your keychain.

1. Launch Mail on your Mac.

2. Click on the Compose button, or File > New Message to create a new message.

3. In the From field, click and choose the email account that you have a personal certificate for in your keychain.

4. In the subject line, there will be a checkmark box at the end on the account with a certificate. Click the checkmark button to turn on your digital signature.

5. Address the email message to your recipients.
   • The Encrypted symbol (closed lock) will appear next to the Signed icon if you have a certificate for every single recipient that the message is being addressed to.
   • If you do not have the certificate for all recipients, then the message must be sent unencrypted.

How to receive digitally signed and encrypted emails on Mail for Mac

Again, remember that you need to provide senders with your own verified certificate in order to receive encrypted messages.

Mail for Mac has a Security field in the header area that indicates whether a message is signed or encrypted.

Mac Applications

• For signed messages, you will see a signed icon (checkmark) in the header. If you need to, just click the icon to view certificate details.

  • Messages that are altered after they've been signed will have issues with verification.
• For encrypted messages, a lock icon appears in the header. If you have your private key in Keychain, the message will be decrypted for viewing. Otherwise, it won't be decrypted.

Always have these necessities on-hand

Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB($50 at Amazon)

You should always be backing up your computer. This Seagate portable drive goes up to 5TB in space and will work flawlessly with your Mac. It's highly affordable, so there's no reason why you shouldn't be backing up regularly. Keep your certificate copies on this secure drive!

Gesture-based email($99 at Amazon)

The Magic Trackpad lets you swipe and tap away with ease! This will help make managing your email easier due to easily accessible gestures.

Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad($139 at Amazon)

If you're going to be dealing with email all day, then make sure you have the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad. It comes in the awesome space gray color, and the number pad makes it easier to type in numbers when you need them.

Questions?

Having digital signatures and encryption on email may seem like a lot of extra work, but if you want security and peace of mind when it comes to important email messages, then it's the best way. After all, who wants just anyone to see their top secret plans and whatnot?

Any questions, drop them in the comments and we'll do our best to help.

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Apple Sanlitun, Apple's newest store in China, is opening today

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Apple has announced that its newest retail store, Apple Sanlitun in Bejing, is opening to customers in the area later today.