Apple mail preview pane missing

Franknfurterx wrote:

I do not have a preview pane in Mail any more.

In Catalina 10.15.7

It is not at the side, and does not appear however the \View\use side preview drop-down is ticked. dragging the sides of the wind has no effect.

If I follow forum instructions and try mail\Preferences\Viewing\ use classic layout (box ticked) I am hampered by there being no "use classic layout" option in my Mail preferences, or any other mail menu.

I know that Apple changed Mail to put the preview at the side, but it has been completely removed from my iMac.

Has anybody any suggestion how I can unbreak Mail?

Ta

Frank

Exit full screen mode if necessary. When you grab the far right edge to drag it back into view—you have to drag it much further to the left then you would expect before it pops into view.

Mail User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Mail User Guide TOC- Apple Support

Hello, Frankfurter.

Sorry to know you're having this problem with Mail in Catalina. I've experienced something similar and I think I can help.

I've discovered that the preview pane in Mail can "get stuck" when you've switched to column view and hide the preview pane. It then becomes difficult to retrieve again from the right edge of the window.

For example, if I switch to column view, then choose Hide Side Preview, the preview naturally disappears. If I now interact with the window without the side preview and then choose Show Side Preview, the preview panel does not reappear easily.

Now, in this situation, if I grab the right edge of the Message Viewer window with the "resizing cursor" as in the attached pic, and drag that to the left toward the center of the window, the Side Preview will eventually follow. I do usually experience some definite lag of up to several seconds before it peeks back out and follows the cursor across the window. If you're in a hurry you might miss getting the preview to return. Look specifically for that cursor, and don't drag the edge of the window with you.



When you drag from the side, you need to see a left-pointing cursor. Click and drag all the way across the window. If you stop early, it will just spring back.

I am hampered by there being no "use classic layout" option in my Mail preferences, or any other mail menu.

Are you sure you are using Catalina and not Big Sur. The "classic layout" was removed from the preferences in Big Sur and replaced with "Use Column Layout" in the View menu.

Franknfurterx Said:

"Apple mail preview pane missing"

-------

Maximize the Window:

Maximizing the window works for me. See what happens when you maximize the window.