How to resolve Slow Email Opening on macOS Monterey 12.4

This appears to be getting worse with update 12.5.1. Not only will it take up to two minutes to show the emails, but Mail now loads all images. Worse, Apple removed the ability to turn off images from the settings. You know it's bad when Apple Mail makes Google's gmail look good.

I have had the same problem, sometimes taking several minutes to load the body of the email. I tried reinstalling OS, loading in safe mode nothing worked. As a last resort, I uninstalled Avast. The mail worked perfectly. I have installed Norton 360 as my antivirus and the mail loads normally.

Braceman1, that very interesting and I am glad that fixed your problem. I don't use avast and I wonder if there is anything that we can learn here and it will be interesting to see if Michael can fix the problem when he removes avast. The only thing I have been doing is when I go to my emails, I open them all at once and then do some other work and them come back to them when they are open, still rather cumbersome.

I note this morning that "Monterey 12.6" is coming.

I really hope this will fix the problems with slow emails. Also having read through lots of info about Monterey , it seems it messed up other things for a lot of people.

Come on Apple - get it together!

Try a system update to make sure you have been keeping your I phone in top shape we have had numerous I phones and used apple for many years the system is very easy to understand and broadcast when little issues you have no clue of how or why it’s happened for.just slow down and make your way to system settings and click on general and also software update it will do the rest for you …I phone is the top of the line in leading communications and makes AnY other system seem like a slow ride or constant aggravating situation and technical difficulty try being calm and updating your software to speed up response time and you will be back in the leading companies graces before you know it .

I phone is just a click away from problem fixes .it’s very efficient and progressive unbelievably conservative accessibility makes it the leading phone and service provider it’s worth the time and money to make sure u get everything the way u want with appl and keep your service updated to get quick results when updating . Iam sure your technical issue is within the storage u have to delete or move some of your accessible information and clear up some space maybe delete some pictures but the issue with your email is in the storage and memory it has a function to clear it up by itself like it’s being responsible with your information you should be resonable about your cmmunications after you update an iOS system or anything by leaving a comment about how well it works for you and apple is very decisive about its customers I almost guarantee if you make apple look good they will make you look good regardless with that beautiful phone or communication system u keep on you allday

Well, it is still too early to be REALLY sure, but so far, indeed the total removal of Avast Antivirus software seems to have worked. Every email opens instantly. (A few other delays in my Mac seem also to have resolved).

If the problem recurs, I will post here. But so far - fingers crossed.

This work around works for me...

I was hopeful the latest OS 12.6 Monterey update would fix the problem but it did not. But I discovered a simple work around. I can open my emails if I first close the Mail app on my taskbar then reopen it. Emails will open then - for a while. If I put my computer to sleep, I have to go through the process again. At least I don't have to wait around as long as before since I discovered this work around.

TLDR: "Reset" Mail app (search Google for "idownloadblog how to reset apple mail" ... my original post was deleted because of adding the direct link)

Fuller story:

I've had the exact same problem. And it was getting worse and worse (longer and longer for the email to show anything but blank). The strange thing for me was that if I clicked on Reply (even when the email showed no content) I could see the message in the quoted text. 

I tried everything on this discussion board... and everything I could find anywhere else (Onyx cleaning, reinstalling from the Monterey installer, rebuilding, everything). Nothing helped. Until this "nuclear option" to completely wipe out all Mail-related files in the ~/Library folder (again, search "idownloadblog how to reset apple mail", the actual link can't go into Apple support discussions for some reason)

I've been using Mail for 5 days with zero issues! (But it's a bit slow as it redownloads/indexes my >100,000 old mails).

I have the same problem using MacOS Monterey 12.6 (maybe 1 or 2 updates before that). I have reinstalled the software and rebuilt the mailboxes but that makes no difference. The email opens but it takes about 20 seconds before everything appears on the screen. I'm using an iMac 27# late 2017, I wonder if this is done intentionally by Apple. On my IOS devices everything works fine.

It would be customer friendly if Apple would confirm the problem on this forum as known and give a probable repair date.

Here's a question for all of you: for those of you having this issue, how many of you are using an external monitor?

My MBP16 is connected to a pair of LG monitors and the laptop itself is generally clamshelled shut. I have noticed that I don't seem to encounter the issue when I'm traveling and am using just the laptop's integrated monitor. Coincidence?

No external monitors, just the 27 inch mac dating from 2017. So VERY OLD and obsolete, ready to be replaced. /irony

Turning off the junk mail filter seemed to work for a bit, but that loophole was quickly closed. The problem is back with mails sometimes taking several minutes to open. The only way to see the content quickly is by clicking 'reply' and reading it in the created reply mail. But then the links don't work and you need to throw away a useless draft.

This is getting to be a pain and it is slightly disheartening that Apple is staying schtumm on the matter.

My “remove avast antivirus” solution is still working. But since most of you don’t use avast, this is only a sideways indication of whether the problem might be.

Yes, very disheartening that Apple doesn’t fix, or at least acknowledge, the issue.

Already done that. The strange thing is... the first email you try to open will usually open right away. After that, the next mails become very slow. I now open all mails I want to read by double clicking them, so they open in their own window. Then I go do something else while they take their time opening.