Mail search not working after Big Sur install

To Gregg Radell: (just in case the forum replies don't work either...) Your post struck me as being the one most to the point. I'm glad you found an alternative solution for Mail but I sill wish Apple could at least fix the things that used to work in the past. I've been using IOS for the last 15 years or so and I realize that apart from a few gimmicks that probably most of us don't even have much use for, (such as the so called 'improvements' to Photos - or is it Photo? can't keep track any longer...) the core functions, the robustness of the system has all been downhill, in stark contrast to the global marketing ramp-up. I know it may sound extremely naive to expect otherwise but, on the other hand, it's only going to get worse if we, users and consumers just stay silent. Like I've said before, the differences to Microsoft and its infamous Windows (apart perhaps for XP) are all but gone.

Anyways, thanks for you input mate!

I fully agree with you. I too have been using Mail for at least 15 years (or 20). I find the original design and functionality really great - but problems over recent years with bugs and lack of reliability have been very disappointing. The big Bug in Big Sur is not a new issue - there is evidence of lack of testing over the past number of years as new updates to the OS were rolled out. Do they wish we (Mail users) would go away? I would like if Apple would demonstrate some of that old reliability that their reputation was built on.

We all agree, it is a disaster and so unprofessional from Apple. We report and discuss the problem here, report on feedback, and we don't even have a clue on what happens in the Apple Ivory Round Tower: do they know ? do they care ? are we such a small subset of users that it is not worth their precious time working on idiotic useless 'features' instead of fixing bugs they introduced in a software udpate ?

This is where Twitter could be useful: could we reach Mr Cook directly ? we have to elevate the issue, after three months of patience we deserve some sort of attention...

Me too! I'm having this problem. I can search some emails, randomly will select different years on the topic I search on mail. I used to do a search by price number; since I work in finances and I am not able anymore... I need this fixed!!!!

Others have reported that intractability, too. I've not experienced it myself but I did have the original search problem.

I'd suggest adding this "will not search subcategories" to the Apple Bug Report.

I Keep getting this issue in 11.2.2 and 11.2.3.

I found the suggestions in forums to 1. Quit mail app, 2. Open holding shift a few times, then 3. rebooting. It works but the issue re-appears after few hours. Is there a permanent fix available rather rebooting overtime.

For those whose Mail is now searching: Can you search all sub mailboxes under a heading mail box? Example: You have a mail box titled "Dogs". Under that mailbox you have "Boxer" and "Poodle" and " Great Dane". If you select "Dogs" in your search (say for the word "bone") does it search for the term both in the main heading "Dogs" and the subfolders "Boxer," "Poodle," and "Great Dane"all at once as it used in earlier versions of the software? Mine only searches "Dogs" not the subfolders as it used to. Mine only searches the exact folder selected, no subfolders. `

Wow. Good for you. I cannot do it to save my life. Will only search one mailbox at a time or it does work in All Mailboxes but that's too extensive to be useful, not narrow enough. Glad yours works.

In addition (I think) I have a functionality issue - you can no longer search all Mailboxes at once. Now it ONLY searches current mailbox. You also can no longer filter mail (unless you only ever want to filter by unread - no other options exist)

This feels less like a glitch and more like a choice to make Mail much much worse.

I depend on my email for work. I've called Apple support five times about this. Each rep has me "try" different things (as if I am a beta tester for their Big Sur software). One rep had me "rebuild" my mail. Others had me restart the computer, etc, etc. One told me that the mail search uses a new "algorithm" that isn't as good. I use both mac mail and google mail in my mac mail account. Some techs have tried to blame Google. Google is not an obscure email.

How can Apple release these new softwares without making sure they work together will established software like Gmail? Today I was told I have to wait until Apple releases a new 11.2.4.

Seriously. I miss the days when Apple products were impressive and well functioning. It's what helped them to overtake PC's. Now I am not so sure.

Now that I'm looking more carefully it's much much worse than I thought. For every email more than 3 years old (not IMAP, these are the ones in ON MY MAC folders), the content is gone. It is just a bunch of email headers.

I run a business off of my macs. So many of my records have just vanished. important records. I thought it was just that I couldn't search them, but maybe the search is fine, they just deleted all the content I thought I was searching through. This is inexcusable. And has the potential to cost me thousands of dollars!!!!!!!!!

I have updated to 11.3 with no change in this: If I search a mailbox it only searches that mailbox and not the sub-mailboxes under it. Is search supposed to search all sub-mailboxes under a main mailbox? I am sure it used to. Anybody who really knows Mail do let me know. I'm a single user.

Thank you so much for this. I finally found the library folder -- you have to hold down Option to see it.

Under Library I have five MAIL folders listed. No Envelope. And it only searches in "This Mac" which doesn't seem right to me. All my mail is on iCloud I'm sure. Something is wonky or I'm lost.

Ganawa, thank you. I searched "mail" in Library but no "envelope". Other envelope's like envelope index, etc. I'm too limited in knowledge to do this. I've decided to give up on it after calling a senior advisor at Apple Care who had no idea what to do at all. I appreciate your help.

 > System Preferences > Users & Groups > click the "+" sign near LOGIN OPTIONS

NOTE: you'll probably need to unlock the "lock icon" (bottom left) before you can click the "+". As it says, "Click lock to make changes."