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How to Change the Mail Sorting Order in Mac OS X Mail

View your inbox however you prefer

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 17, 2021 Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apple Macs iPad

What to Know

First, determine if the viewing layout is Default or Classic. Go to Mail > Preferences > Viewing.Default layout: Click Sort by… in message header > choose criteria, then select ascending or descending order.Classic layout: Select View tab > Columns > choose display options > click columns to sort. Click columns again to change order. By default, Apple's Mac OS X Mail sorts its inbox chronologically with the newest messages on top. But that's not the only way to organize your emails; you can sort by almost any element of the emails, including size, sender's email address, subject line.

Which Layout Are You Using

The sorting options available to you and how you use them depends on which view you're using in Mail. It offers two appearance options: default and classic. The classic layout shows all of your emails on single lines at the top of the screen with the contents of the message you've selected beneath them. The default layout includes preview text and puts the full emails in a pane to the right. Here's how to switch between the two. Open the Mail menu and select Preferences. You can also press Command-comma (,) on your keyboard. Click the Viewing tab. Click the box next to Use classic layout to turn that viewing mode on. Leave the box blank to keep the default viewing mode. The layout will change as soon as you click the box, so you can decide which looks better.

Change or Reverse the Mail Sorting Order in Default Layout

To sort the messages in any folder in OS X Mail using one of several criteria: ​Click Sort by ___ in the message list's header. Choose the desired sort criterion from the list. Your options are: Attachments: separate messages with files attached from ones that don't. Date: sort emails based on when you received them. Flags: separate messages you've flagged from ones you haven't. From: sort emails based on who sent them. Size: arrange messages based on how much space they take up. Subject: sort messages alphabetically by subject line. To: list emails based on whom they're addressed to. Unread: separate messages you've read from ones you haven't. Below the sort types, you can choose which order to sort in. Depending on how you're organizing your inbox, these commands will have different labels. The general choice, however, is Ascending or Descending. If you sort by Attachments or Flagged, the Descending option will show the attachments or flagged messages on top. Your inbox will arrange itself as you select options from the menu.

Change or Reverse the Mail Sorting Order in Classic Layout

To sort your messages in Mac OS X Mail with classic layout enabled: Select View > Columns to see the available viewing options. Click the options you want to display in your inbox to make them active. Active columns will have checkmarks next to them in the menu. Click any of the visible columns to sort by that criterion. Keep clicking to switch between ascending and descending order.

How to Sort OS X Mail Using the Menu

Alternatively, you can quickly sort in both layouts by opening the View menu and selecting Sort By. This menu includes both sorting criteria and the ascending/descending options. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Insert a Link in an Email With Mac OS X Mail How to Save All Attachments From Multiple Emails Fast in OS X Mail Learn Where Mac OS X Mail Stores Your Emails How to Retrieve Archived Emails in Gmail How to Whitelist a Domain in Mac OS X Mail App How to Send a Web Page With the Mac's Email Program How to Group Messages by Thread in Mac Mail Program Where Your Computer Stores Attachments from Mac OS X Mail How to Search Mail in iPhone Mail Add a Sender on OS X Mail Contacts How to Change an Email's Background Color in Apple Mail's Inbox How to Show Message Sizes in Apple Mail How to Forward an Email as an Attachment in Outlook How to View the Source of a Message in Apple Mail How to Alphabetize in Google Docs How to See Bcc Recipients of Your Emails in Mac OS X Mail Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies