Level 1

137 points

Big Sur mail: Inboxes missing from sidebar

I have recently upgraded to Big Sur. In Mail.app, the mailboxes section at the top of the sidebar was there initially but I accidentally deleted it, now can't find a way to restore it. (I mean't to delete the new favourites section in the sidebar which is redundant if the favorites bar is visible. Reluctant to do that now in case they are removed from the favorites bar as well)

A mailbox section does transiently reappear to show the outbox when it has something in it but I don't know how to add back the inboxes, or even if it is possible to do so.

This is an essential feature when one has many different mail accounts, imho. Does anyone know if it can be restored? Re-installing Big Sur in recovery mode doesn't do it.

Has anyone else seen this issue and found a solution?

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Nov 25, 2020 4:20 AM

Top-ranking reply

zacfromportland

Level 1

8 points

Posted on Jan 26, 2021 10:53 AM

The same thing happened to me. I was dinking around with the Sidebar and my Unified Inbox vanished. Like many things Apple, fine-tuning can be hidden. If you specifically click the + next to Favorites in the Sidebar, you are given a dialog with a list of Mailboxes. If you click this Mailboxes list, the top item will be "All Inboxes". Selecting this will restore the "Unified inbox" and it will live under Favorites. It's subtle, but it is there. Whew!

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Similar questions

23 replies

ctphoto1

Level 1

47 points

Jan 25, 2021 7:45 AM in response to magisterpat

Same issue.

ctphoto1

Level 1

47 points

Jan 26, 2021 11:04 AM in response to zacfromportland

Thanks, that worked. One other thing I am not happy with, maybe you have an answer for this one too: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252348928

mumazno

Level 1

4 points

Jan 27, 2021 4:49 PM in response to zacfromportland

Clicked + next to Favorites in the Sidebar, and at the top of the list All Inboxes appears greyed out , so no way. Thx

Stacy_C

Level 1

4 points

Feb 8, 2021 6:45 AM in response to ivan54

Very helpful - thanks!

Lionel7

Level 1

4 points

Feb 9, 2021 6:03 AM in response to zacfromportland

Same thing happened to me just now. Somehow All Inboxes just disappeared. I used your directions to add it form the Favourites menu. All good now.

ctphoto1

Level 1

47 points

Mar 5, 2021 7:38 AM in response to brooklynbabe

Still happening here, hope you find us all an answer.

Mar 17, 2021 8:52 AM in response to Chris Bunch

I lost all the left In box side ware I storage all the Important emails buy customers and country

Chris Bunch Author

Level 1

137 points

Nov 25, 2020 3:31 PM in response to ivan54

Thanks Ivan -

> Did you upgrade from Catalina? I'm seeing the Mailboxes you mention with Catalina but not with Big Sur.

Yes, but not a clean install. I am fairly sure the Mailboxes section came over but can’t be certain

> In fact it looks like Favorites has replaced and expanded the functionality of "Mailboxes".

Why? One wonders. The functionality of favourites was fine as it was: didn’t need the extra clutter. The collected inbox feature is essential, not an optional feature. I deleted “All inboxes” by mistake and now can’t find a way to restore it.

> Will the "Favorites" All Inboxes work for you?

Not if it’s the only place to assemble all the inboxes. I have nine mail accounts (excessive, maybe) but in the Favorites bar I have the nine ‘favorite’ destination mailboxes to which I dispatch messages for storage. Maybe I could figure a workaround but the problem now is I no longer have an "All inboxes" function anywhere.

Thanks again

Chris

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Big Sur mail: Inboxes missing from sidebar