My Apple mail opens every time with a blank “New Message”. This is a recent development (within the last week). I close out the message and quit the program but another one pops up the next time I open. I have not changed any settings, nor do I see any setting that would cause this. Not the end of the world, but just another annoyance I don’t need. Any solutions?
10.5” iPad Pro running 15.4.1
iPad Pro, 15
Thanks for the screenshots - as these do help to understand what’s going-on.
As now illustrated, you have closed all windows but one - now confirming that you don’t have a second active window. If a draft now appears whenever you launch the Mail App, I’m stumped.
Perhaps perform a forced-restart of your iPad - as so doing will often resolve an isolated software issue:
Otherwise, I can only suggest seeking assistance directly from Apple Support, or the Genius Bar as previously recommended.
You can contact the Support Team using the Get Support link at top-right of this page. Alternatively, you can initiate and manage your support cases using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed on your iPad, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/apple-support/id1130498044
Finding a draft email open when opening the Mail App is perhaps an indication that you have two or more Mail windows open - hence my suggestion to read about the shelf - and how it may affect certain Apps. While I’m unable to “see” your screen, I can only make an educated guess as to the cause based upon limited information.
If you have an Apple Store nearby, perhaps consider taking your iPad along the Genius Bar, where you can demonstrate the issue and obtain “hands-on” assistance with establishing the cause.
Unfortunately no apple store nearby. This is what my screen looks like. The shelf after canceling that blank message looks like this.
I’ve force-quit mail and done a long hold and clicked “show all windows” - only 1 window shows up and the blank message is there when I open mail again. Does this provide useful information or am I just totally missing the point?
Begin with updating your iPad to the current version - this being iPadOS 15.5.
Be aware that you may have several Mail windows open - these being accessed from the Mail Shelf. iPadOS permits you to have multiple “instances” of the same App - each instance being self contained. The shelf, when triggered, shows a thumbnail of each running instance of an App.
For example, if you have three running instances of Safari, each with its own set of open tabs, you will see three thumbnails corresponding to each running instance of Safari - plus a button to open a new instance of Safari. Simply tapping a thumbnail will switch directly to that window.
Individual windows can also be closed from the Shelf; just swipe the unwanted thumbnail off the top of the screen.
This article from Appleinsider has a useful explanation of this new feature along with many of the updates to multitasking:
Thanks for the info. I updated the software and read the article but I’m not sure my problem has to do with the shelf or with multitasking. I get a blank new message actually on the screen ready to go, not down in the shelf, whenever I open Mail, which I must close out to view my mailboxes. Am I just missing how this is related to the shelf?
I contacted support - they had me delete and reinstall Mail. Once I got it set up again, the issue was resolved. Thanks for your help.
You are very welcome.
Apple Mail
