You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Apple Mail search (corespotlightd process) extremely processor intensive

Has anyone stumbled upon a solution for Apple Mail's search being unusually slow and resource intensive? I can't actually have mail open when on battery power and even when plugged in the system is slowed to a crawl.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 11.5

Posted on Sep 3, 2021 2:45 AM

Reply
8 replies

Sep 4, 2021 5:33 AM in response to peterdandreti

Hello peterdandreti,


Thanks for reaching out to us for support. We’d be glad to see how we can help with the mail issue you mentioned on your Mac. When you have a free moment, please start by trying the steps below.


If searching doesn’t find the right emails in Mail on Mac


Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac


If your Mac runs slowly


We ask you to give the above steps a try because they can potentially resolve your issue. If you’re still experiencing the same problem after completing the steps above, please do not hesitate to reach back out to us with some specifics on what you’re seeing so that we can continue troubleshooting with you. 


Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities.


Cheers!

Oct 9, 2021 6:48 AM in response to peterdandreti

peterdandreti, Thanks for providing us with those additional details. Next, to help us further isolate your issue, please try booting your computer into safe mode and let us know if you are experiencing the same problems there as well.


How to use safe mode on your Mac


If you notice that you're experiencing the same issue after booting your computer into safe mode, try the steps in the links below, and if they are unsuccessful, please provide us with some specifics on what you see for more help.


If an app freezes or quits unexpectedly on Mac

If your Mac runs slowly

Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities. Cheers!

Oct 6, 2021 1:28 AM in response to Jeff_W.

Hey there - sorry for the long delay.

The issue coincided with upgrading to Big Sur.


I have tried the following troubleshooting steps, these below did not resolve the issue.

  1. Rebuilding the Mailbox
  2. Remove and re-add the mail account from the mail account preferences


I have created a second user account on this Mac and loaded it with the same account details: this performs correctly and as expected - However this isn't a solution for me as I must retain my username.


Sep 6, 2021 9:07 AM in response to peterdandreti

peterdandreti,


Thanks for following up with us. This is certainly not the experience that we want you to have with Apple Mail on your Mac, and we are going to do everything we can to help you. When you have a chance, can you please tell us when you first encountered this issue and if you have made any changes to the settings on your Mac? Also, can you please tell us all the troubleshooting steps you have taken so far in an attempt to resolve your issue so that we can avoid repeating them? When possible, please be specific when describing the steps you’ve taken and the outcome after each step.


Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities.


Cheers!

Apple Mail search (corespotlightd process) extremely processor intensive

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.