Mail.App fails to update unread count on Dock icon after reading mail on iPhone

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Level 1

12 points

Mail.App fails to update unread count on Dock icon after reading mail on iPhone

On Big Sur, since my purchase of my M1 Mac mini, Mail.App fails to update the unread counter on the Dock icon, UNLESS I read a new mail on the Mac vs my iPhone. The behavior has not changed even with the latest 11.6 update, the same still exists.

I can 'fix' the counter by Quitting Mail and restarting, or if I read another new message on the Mac. While this isn't, obviously, a show stopper; it is an ongoing appearance issue.

Anyone else witnessed this?

Mac mini, macOS 11.6

Posted on Sep 14, 2021 4:41 PM

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Answer 1

sstreet98 Author

Level 1

12 points

Sep 15, 2021 4:08 PM in response to Jeff_W.

Thanks, Jeff, for you reply.

I did try the above recommendations before posting, but I had a thought as I was going over the recommendations once more.

So, I was able to relieve the 'stuck' badge of 1 unread mail by doing the following:

1) mark a message unread (any message that was previously read)

2) I note that on my iPhone, the unread badge becomes 1 (as expected), and Mac Mail remains with 1 unread

3) read message that was marked unread - now the badges on both my Mac and iPhone all disappear - as expected.

I can also Quit and restart Mail.App and it would clear the badge as well, but the above avoids having to leave Mail to reset just the badge.

I repeated this several times, and it does update the badge. However; the original bug remains. I'm trying now to get an exact scenario in which the badge gets stuck with 1 unread.

If I didn't mention before, I'm using iCloud with my Mac and iPhone and freely switch between depending if I'm out [iPhone] and about (rarely these days) or at my desk [Mac].

And yes, it is merely cosmetic, but I'm a detail guy! ;)

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Answer 2

Jeff_W.

Community Specialist

Sep 15, 2021 11:08 AM in response to sstreet98

Hi sstreet98,

Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities.

We understand that the Mail app on your M1 Mac mini isn't updating the read count and we're happy to help! If you haven't already done so, follow the steps found in the Apple Support resources below, then check to see if the problem is still there after each one:

Mark emails as read: Mark emails as read or unread in Mail on Mac
Turn Mail notifications off, then turn Mail notifications back on: Use notifications on your Mac
If you can’t send or receive email on your Mac
Start up your Mac in safe mode to "help you determine whether issues you’re experiencing are caused by software that loads as your Mac starts up."

"If no other solutions work, try setting up your email account again. To do that, remove your email account, then add the account back."

Have a nice day.

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Mail.App fails to update unread count on Dock icon after reading mail on iPhone

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