Reading, Writing and Managing Emails in the Mail App on the Mac, Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Good afternoon Techstravaganza friends,

This afternoon, Siena provided a wonderful tutorial of the native Mail app on the Mac, have a listen at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Y9fZWj4N1WGKIN98TxXSh

Show Notes

Tutorial Overview and Agenda

Siena outlined the session’s agenda before beginning the screen share.

Details
- Siena: Announced the tutorial would cover adding an account, reading mail, composing (including replying, forwarding, reply all), and attaching files using the Native Mail app on Mac.
Conclusion
- The session proceeded according to the stated agenda.

Adding and Removing an Email Account (Mac Native Mail App)

Siena demonstrated how to remove and re-add an email account using Mac Mail preferences and System Settings.

Details
- Siena: Accessed Mail preferences via Command+Comma, navigated to the Accounts section, and selected the Techstravaganza account to remove.
- Siena: Explained that if an account is shared with other applications (e.g., Google Chrome), the system prompts the user to remove it via Internet Accounts in System Settings rather than directly from the Mail app.
- Siena: Deleted an unused Outlook account as well.
- Siena: Re-added the Textravaganza account by clicking “New Account,” entering the email address, and completing Google’s two-step verification via a code sent to her phone.
- Siena: Noted that after authentication, the user can select which apps (Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Notes) should use the account.
- Siena: Changed the account description from the full email address to “Textravaganza” for easier identification, noting a minor VoiceOver bug possibly related to the macOS 26.6.2 update.
Conclusion
- The account was successfully removed and re-added, and the Textravaganza inbox appeared in the mailbox list.

Reading and Navigating Messages

Siena demonstrated how to navigate the mailbox table and messages table using VoiceOver keyboard commands.

Details
- Siena: Explained the process of interacting with the mailboxes table using Control+Option+Shift+Down Arrow, navigating with arrow keys, and stopping interaction with Control+Option+Shift+Up Arrow.
- Siena: Demonstrated opening a message using Command+O or Enter, and reading through it using arrow keys.
- Siena: Read an example email from a choir member (Pat) about the first choir practice scheduled for October 7th.
- Siena: Showed how to delete messages using the Delete/Backspace key.
- Siena: Navigated to the Junk folder, found legitimate emails (including a dental appointment reminder), and used the context menu (Control+Option+Shift+M) to move them to the inbox via “Move to Inbox.”
- Siena: Recapped the full navigation workflow: interact with mailboxes table → navigate to desired mailbox → stop interacting → VO right to messages table → interact → navigate messages → use context menu for actions.
Conclusion
- Users can efficiently navigate mailboxes and messages using VoiceOver keyboard shortcuts, and can move messages between folders via the context menu.

Junk/Spam Filtering Issues (Hotmail/Outlook)

A detailed discussion arose from Jeroo’s question about why legitimate emails continue going to junk despite rules, contacts, and “not junk” markings.

Details
- Jeroo: Described the frustration of receiving approximately 40 junk emails per day, having to check the junk folder multiple times daily to avoid missing legitimate emails such as dentist appointment reminders.
- Jeroo: Confirmed having tried multiple solutions: creating inbox rules in the Outlook app, adding senders to contacts, marking emails as “not junk,” and calling Microsoft support.
- Siena: Consulted Gemini AI in real time to explain the issue. Gemini’s response outlined four key reasons:
  1. Server-side spam filters act before the email app’s rules, routing messages to junk before local rules can apply (“bouncer vs. host” analogy).
  2. Failed authentication checks (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) cause emails to be forcibly junked regardless of personal settings.
  3. In Microsoft Outlook/Exchange ecosystems, contacts and inbox rules do not automatically whitelist senders from the spam filter; a separate “Safe Senders List” must be used.
  4. Conflicting rules across multiple devices may override recent changes.
- Siena: Noted that Gemini specifically highlighted Outlook/Exchange as having particularly strict filters.
- Jeroo: Mentioned that even after adding addresses to the Safe Senders list and creating server-side rules via webmail, the problem persists.
- Siena: Suggested that redundant local rules may sometimes cause conflicting loops and recommended deleting local rules if server-side rules are already set.
- Jeroo: Noted that spammers appear to sell or share email addresses, as she receives spam from sites she has never visited, including inappropriate content.
- Siena: Compared Gmail and iCloud as having less aggressive filtering, noting that marking something as “not spam” in Gmail tends to be more effective.
Conclusion
- There is no fully bulletproof solution for Hotmail/Outlook’s aggressive spam filtering. The most effective approach is to explicitly add senders to the Safe Senders list via webmail. The issue is largely driven by server-side filters that override local app rules.

Composing, Replying, and Forwarding Emails

Siena demonstrated composing a new email, replying, and forwarding using keyboard shortcuts.

Details
- Siena: Composed a new message to Ashlyn using Command+N, tabbed through fields (To, CC, BCC, Reply-To, Subject, Body), and sent it with Command+Shift+D.
- Siena: Demonstrated replying to Pat’s choir email using Command+R (reply to sender only) versus Command+Shift+R (reply all), noting that reply all can be bothersome to some recipients.
- Siena: Typed a reply including emojis inserted via dictation (e.g., “smiley emoji,” “music note emoji”).
- Siena: Showed how to find keyboard shortcuts via the Message menu (Control+Option+M → navigate to Message menu):
  - Reply: Command+R
  - Reply All: Command+Shift+R
  - Forward: Command+Shift+F
  - Move to Junk: Command+Shift+J
  - Mark as Read/Unread: Command+Shift+U
  - Archive: Command+Control+A
- Siena: Forwarded a message to her Textravaganza account using Command+Shift+F, set priority to High, and sent with Command+Shift+D.
- Siena: Noted that the Textravaganza inbox was not loading new messages, possibly related to a known issue reported by a workshop participant, and forwarded to Gmail instead to demonstrate receipt.
Conclusion
- All core email actions (compose, reply, reply all, forward) are accessible via keyboard shortcuts in the Mac Native Mail app with VoiceOver.

Attaching Files to Emails

Siena demonstrated two methods for attaching files, highlighting a universal copy-paste method.

Details
- Siena: Showed the traditional method: Command+Shift+A opens a file picker dialog; navigate to the desired file and press Enter to attach.
- Siena: Demonstrated the easier method (originally shown to her by Ali): navigate to the file in Finder, press Command+C to copy it, switch to the email body, and press Command+V to paste. The file is automatically treated as an attachment.
- Siena: Emphasized that this copy-paste method works universally across all email clients and platforms, including iPhone, Android, third-party Mac apps, and webmail.
- Siena: Demonstrated saving a received attachment via File menu → Save Attachments, choosing the Downloads folder, and clicking Save (or Replace if the file already exists).
Conclusion
- Copying a file in Finder and pasting it into an email body is the easiest and most universally compatible method for attaching files.

Gmail Storage Limits

Jeroo raised a question about Gmail’s 15 GB storage limit and whether incoming emails contribute to it.

Details
- Jeroo: Explained that her Gmail storage is nearly full due to photos and videos stored in Google Photos, and asked whether receiving emails would add to the used storage.
- Siena: Confirmed that emails do count toward the 15 GB limit shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
- Siena: Suggested options: delete unused emails, forward important ones to Outlook, pay for additional Google storage, or open a new Gmail account to get a fresh 15 GB allocation.
- Jeroo: Confirmed she had already opened a second Gmail account for photos and videos after filling the first one.
- Jeroo: Expressed reluctance to switch her primary email away from Hotmail due to the risk of missing emails from offices and contacts already using that address.
Conclusion
- Each Gmail account provides 15 GB of shared storage. Opening additional accounts is a viable free solution. Switching primary email accounts carries the risk of missing communications from existing contacts.

Closing Remarks and Post-Session Discussion

Siena wrapped up the session with thanks and a preview of upcoming workshops.

Details
- Siena: Thanked all attendees for their continued support and participation, describing the Techstravaganza workshops as a weekly highlight.
- Siena: Announced that more topics are planned and encouraged attendees to watch for the newsletter.

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