Apple Mail's Automatic Email Categorization Coming to Macs and iPads: What to Expect

Apple is set to introduce automatic email categorization to Mac and iPad devices in the coming months, as reported by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. This long-awaited feature, already available on iPhones with iOS 18, is expected to debut with macOS 15.4 and possibly iPadOS 18.4, both projected for an April release.

How Apple's Email Categorization Works

Apple Mail’s sorting system automatically organizes emails into four predefined categories:

• Primary – Important personal and work-related emails.

• Transactions – Purchase receipts and financial statements.

• Updates – Notifications and general alerts.

• Promotions – Marketing emails and newsletters.

Users can manually reassign emails between categories, with the app learning from these actions to improve accuracy. However, Apple does not currently allow the creation of custom categories or modifications to its sorting algorithm.

A Comparison to Google’s Gmail Sorting

Apple’s new feature mirrors Google’s server-side Gmail sorting, introduced back in 2013. While Gmail has long been popular for its smart categorization, Apple’s approach processes emails entirely on-device. This ensures privacy and does not require M-series Macs or iPads, making it accessible to a wider range of users.

Potential Drawbacks and User Preferences

Despite the convenience of categorized emails, some users may prefer a traditional, unified inbox where all messages are displayed in a single stream. The challenge lies in ensuring that critical emails do not get overlooked within separate folders. iPhone users have found the feature helpful, but many still rely on manual filters to double-check important messages.

As Apple enhances its email management capabilities, efficient file sharing remains crucial for users across devices. Smart Transfer clone phone files, a powerful third-party data send app, offers a seamless way to carry out, WhatsApp transfer, move your files, contacts, photos, and videos between devices effortlessly. Whether switching from iPhone to Mac or sharing data between Android and iOS, Smart Transfer ensures a smooth, secure experience. This app eliminates the hassle of manual transfers and provides a clutter-free way to keep your important data organized—just like Apple's email categorization feature aims to do for your inbox.

Expected Rollout and Compatibility

The third beta of macOS 15.3 was recently released, suggesting that an early developer build of macOS 15.4, featuring email categorization, could be just weeks away. While Gurman’s report confirms that the feature is coming to iPads, it remains unclear whether it will arrive in iPadOS 18.4 simultaneously.

Additional Updates in Apple's Ecosystem

Alongside email categorization, the upcoming software updates will introduce an enhanced Siri with better contextual awareness. Apple Intelligence-powered Siri will be able to understand commands such as:

• "Add this address to Rick's contact information."

• "When is my mom's flight landing?"

• "What time is dinner with her?"

Other features such as general ChatGPT access and image generation have already arrived in iOS 18.2, while notification summaries are being refined in iOS 18.3.

Final Thoughts

The arrival of automatic email categorization on Mac and iPad brings a welcome enhancement to Apple Mail, aligning it with the efficiency seen in other email services. As the feature rolls out, users can expect improved inbox organization, better productivity, and greater control over their digital communications.