How to stop Mail.app from opening automatically

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Level 1

12 points

How to stop Mail.app from opening automatically

My Mail.app keeps automatically opening the main window, and I don't know why. Why is this happening, and how can I stop this? Whenever it opens I see new messages, so I suspect it is opening whenever it checks for new messages. I do not want to turn off the "automatically check for new messages" feature unless I have too, because it is nice to open the app and already see the new messages without having to wait. However, I don't want the window popping up at random times as it does now.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014)

MacOS Version 10.15.1 (19B88)

Mail Version 13.0 (3601.0.10)

MacBook Pro, OS X 10.11

Posted on Dec 2, 2019 9:24 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

leroydouglas

Community+ 2024

Level 10

183,906 points

Dec 17, 2019 7:31 PM in response to matthew499

matthew499 wrote:

My Mail.app keeps automatically opening the main window, and I don't know why. Why is this happening, and how can I stop this? Whenever it opens I see new messages, so I suspect it is opening whenever it checks for new messages. I do not want to turn off the "automatically check for new messages" feature unless I have too, because it is nice to open the app and already see the new messages without having to wait. However, I don't want the window popping up at random times as it does now.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014)

MacOS Version 10.15.1 (19B88)

Mail Version 13.0 (3601.0.10)

Update your software:

Download macOS Catalina 10.15.2 Combo Update

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Answer 2

chris_g1

Community Specialist

Dec 5, 2019 6:45 AM in response to matthew499

Hey, Matthew!

Thanks for stopping by the Apple Support Communities. If I understand, when you receive a new email the Mac Mail app is brought to the front, regardless of whether you were actively using it. I'm happy to help!

Based on what you've described, I would suggest going through the following steps. Try them in order, testing between each:

Quit the Mail app: then restart your Mac:
See if the issue persists in safe mode:
Set up a new, test user and sign into your email account to see if it happens there as well:

If you still need help after that please don't hesitate to respond back. If you do, adding some additional information may help get us to a solution. For example, what type of email address is this-- A work email or personal? Was your computer issued to you by an employer or school?

Cheers!

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Answer 3

matthew499 Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 13, 2019 12:23 PM in response to chris_g1

Hey Chris!

I really appreciate the instructions but I'm going to have trouble shooting this issue for a few reasons:

I'm using my computer constantly for work, and can't work in safe more or on another user
This issue is not directly reproducible and happens at unpredictable times, so I'd have to wait on safe mode for hours to see if anything happens, and even if nothing happens it wouldn't necessarily mean anything since it could have been that if I waited longer the issue still would occur.

I definitely restarted my computer a few times so I know that's not working.

If I could reproduce this issue by sending myself an email or something that would make troubleshooting much easier, but I cannot. I don't believe any more receiving emails actually triggers this. I sent myself one email at 11:43 AM and Mail popped up at 12:09. So I tried it again, sending myself an email at 12:10, but this time Mail didn't pop up until 3:14. And when Mail did pop up, the most recent email in my inbox was from 3:03 plus a few more in the preceding hours. Therefore, this issue is not reproducible, and doesn't seem to be related directly to when I receive emails.

And since you asked, the main email account I use is a gmail. I forward mail from all my other email addresses to my gmail.

I should also note this is my personal macbook pro, and I've had it since 2014. This issue only started a few months ago out of nowhere. Since it only happens every few hours its not the worst issue in the world, but I do worry my mail might pop open with some private email in the middle of a presentation or something and there's nothing I can do to stop this.

Thanks!

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Answer 4

Lurkums

Level 4

1,511 points

Dec 13, 2019 12:34 PM in response to matthew499

Regardless of whether you can use your machine in safe mode or not, have you booted it into Safe Mode, please?

Safe Mode has an automatic ability to clean up much random strangeness without your needing to do more than bait into it and then restart normally

Please don't ignore the "create new user" thing, though doing it at the weekends or an out of work time is useful

Both of these things are diagnostic mechanisms

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Answer 5

matthew499 Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 17, 2019 7:02 PM in response to Lurkums

Sorry, I understand these are the proper tests I just may not be able to do them right away. If the "safe mode" test only requires the two restarts than I'll definitely try it but...

In fact, I may have already solved it by accident.

I may be wrong because this issue happens randomly, but I recently went through and moved hundreds of emails from my inbox to a folder until there was none left. I have no idea why but the issue hasn't happened since.

If it happens again I'll try my best to do these two tests and send another update. Thanks again.

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How to stop Mail.app from opening automatically

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