How to Use Categories in the Mail App

Categories in the Mail app automatically sort your incoming messages into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions, so your main inbox stays focused on personal conversations. This guide walks you through turning the feature on, customizing it, and fixing it when mail lands in the wrong place. You’ll need an iPhone or iPad running iOS 18.2 or later, or a Mac with macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later.

What You’ll Need

An iPhone, iPad, or Mac with the built-in Mail app
iOS 18.2 or later (iPhone/iPad) or macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later (Mac)
At least one email account set up in the Mail app

Step-by-Step

On iPhone or iPad

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Mail.
Tap Mailbox Management (or Mailboxes on older versions).
Under Mailbox List, tap Primary.
Toggle Show Categories to On. The switch will turn green.
Exit Settings. Open the Mail app. You’ll see four tabs at the top of your inbox: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.
Tap each tab to view its contents. Primary shows personal messages, Transactions holds receipts and order confirmations, Updates contains newsletters and social notifications, and Promotions collects marketing emails.

On Mac

Open the Mail app.
In the menu bar, click Mail > Settings (or press Cmd + ,).
Click the General tab.
Next to Show Categories, check the box.
Close the Settings window. Your inbox will now show the category tabs at the top.

Customizing Categories

In the Mail app, tap or click Primary to view that tab.
Tap the > arrow next to Primary (or the three-dot menu on Mac).
Choose Show Categories or Customize to reorder or hide tabs.
To move a message to a different category, swipe left on the message (iPhone/iPad) and tap Move to Category, then pick the desired tab. On Mac, right-click the message and select Move to Category.
If you want to turn off categories entirely, go back to Settings > Mail > Mailbox Management > Primary and toggle Show Categories off.

Common Mistakes

Expecting categories to work on older OS versions – Categories require iOS 18.2 or macOS Sequoia 15.2. If you don’t see the option, update your device.
Thinking categories are separate mailboxes – They’re just filters on your existing inbox. Messages still live in the same mailbox; categories only change how they’re displayed.
Ignoring the “Move to Category� option – If a message lands in the wrong tab, you must manually move it. The app learns from your moves over time.
Turning off categories and losing emails – Disabling categories simply shows all messages in one list again; nothing is deleted.

Tips

Move a few messages manually right after enabling categories – this trains the filter faster.
Use the Transactions tab to quickly find receipts during tax season.
On iPhone, you can swipe right on a message to mark it as read without leaving the category view.
If you get too many promotional emails, consider unsubscribing from the sender directly – categories don’t reduce the volume.
On Mac, you can drag a message from one category to another to reclassify it.

Troubleshooting

Categories aren’t showing up

Make sure your device is updated to the required OS version. If it is, go to Settings > Mail > Mailbox Management and confirm Show Categories is on. On Mac, check Mail > Settings > General and ensure the checkbox is ticked.

Emails are going to the wrong category

Manually move the message to the correct category. The Mail app learns from these corrections. If it keeps happening for a specific sender, move a few of their emails – the filter should adapt within a few days.

Categories disappeared after an update

Sometimes a system update resets the setting. Re-enable it via the steps above. If the tabs still don’t appear, restart your device (or quit and reopen Mail on Mac).

I turned off categories but the inbox still looks different

Check if you’re in a different mailbox (like VIP or Flagged). Categories only apply to the main inbox. Also, ensure you toggled the correct setting – on iPhone it’s under Mailbox Management > Primary.

Categories work on iPhone but not on Mac (or vice versa)

Categories are enabled per device. You’ll need to turn it on separately on each device. The classification is stored per account, so your manual moves sync, but the display setting doesn’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create custom categories?

No, Mail only offers the four built-in categories: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. You can’t add your own, but you can hide or reorder the existing ones.

Will categories work with any email provider?

Yes, categories work with any account you’ve added to the Mail app, including iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, and others.

Do categories affect unread counts?

Each category tab shows its own unread badge. The total unread count for the mailbox still appears next to the mailbox name in the sidebar.

Can I search within a category?

Yes, tap the search bar while a category tab is selected to search only within that category.

Does turning off categories delete anything?

No, it only changes the view. All your emails remain in the same mailbox, just displayed in a single list instead of separate tabs.

Why do some emails appear in multiple categories?

This is rare but can happen if the sender’s email has mixed characteristics. The app usually picks one, but you can manually move it to the one you prefer.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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