Mail crashing after installing macOS Ventura (clean install)

So, after turning off the setting in the mail.app it appeared to be stable for at least a few hours but unfortunately, this DID NOT resolve the issue of the Mail.app from crashing under Ventura 13. 13.1 or 13.2. It does appear to be related to those three versions of Ventura as I downgraded to Monterey and before I re-upgraded to Ventura 13.2 it did not replicate. So, a temporary work around is to use either another mail app or use the web base versions of iCloud, Gmail, and Outlook. which neither is a solution but at least I get my email especially since I am communicating with legal representatives in a legal matter un-related to anything Apple.

@Old Toad, Thanks for your help - I agree with AIS001, it's definitely a software issue. I could see if it was a hardware issue however, for it only to affect the mail.app and the DVD writer no longer working I would say its a Ventura issue. While downgrading to 13.1 might fix my email issue (will know more within a day or two) unless it crashes before then. I have read others having this or similar issues since upgrading to macOS Ventura 13.2.

So for now I am on 13.1

• testing mail.app
• the LG DVD writer is still not working but that could be an update that LG may need to release.
• If I need to I will switch to the work around again. I was checking out Spark email app it seems like a nice alternative.
• downgrading to Ventura 13.1 I am all to use my Apple Wallet on the M1-MBA again. (would not work under Monterey once I upgraded to Ventura.)

thanks again for your help - I appreciate it.

@jcgormanca

I don't have a Cox email account but I do have a Xfinity email account (Comcast) however, that one is not configured for my mail.app since I don't use it. This isn't my issue but I understand it is yours. Until Apple comes out with a fix you might want to download the free app "Spark." from the App Store and set it up with your email accounts as a temporary fix. that is what I am now using and I have experienced a crash yet from it.

@RebelBear,

for an immediate solution you will need to log into the your email account on the internet. If it's coming in from your Apple account username@icloud.com, username@Mac.com or username@me.com those are iCloud email accounts. go to www.icloud.com and login with your Apple.ID and password make sure you are in the email and look for that email you are referring to. Before you begin to delete that email you may want to follow or provide etresoft see the messages above this one and give him that information since what you are mentioning here is exactly the same email I am getting from emergency e-mail.org the weather information in that email is provided by the National weather service.

although it is not my computer it looks to be the same issue I was having. Once you are able to give them the information hey need to help I would then go ahead delete that email(s) However, you may need to unsubscribe from that email list. You can do that by selecting unsubscribe (usually in the email somewhere) But, before you do that help etresoft with the same requested information I got in these threads regarding this issue.

@etresoft, It appears tht RebelBear is experiencing the same issue from he same email list I was on. I said from the National Weather Service because the information is from them regarding the weather but the email contains other information such as recall notices and food contamination warnings. RebelBear may be able to provide you the information from their emails that I no longer have since I unsubscribed and deleted those emails before you had requested... Hope this is helpful

Hi Steve,

I have done both in separate testing I have both did a restore of mail accounts and tested and began from stratch and often times the crash would happen before I was able to use the mail.app at all.

Things I have already tried:

Upon first noticing several mail crashes I continue to click on the reopen and report issue to Apple after Crash report engages.

Restarted the M1-MBA - continued to crash and more often.

Shut down the M1_MBA and restarted up in SafeBoot - continued to crash.

Restarted M1-MBA in regular mode and issue continued to crash.

Turned off all email accounts in System Settings - Internet Account, launch mail.app and immediate crash and report.

System settings - Users and Groups - New Admin test User. Restart M1_MBA and logged into new user account setup email and Mail.app crashed. Restart Mail.app added only iCloud email account. Crash. Only added Gmail account - Crashed. Only added Outlook email account - Crash.

At the suggestion of Apple:

Rebuild mailboxes and test each one individually.

Verified only Apple Software installed no third party apps.

Verified all email accounts were working outside of mail.app (web access) all accounts work outside of Mail.app no crashes.

Shut down M1-MBA and restart into options and erase SSD after a full time machine back up.

Run macOS install of Monterey and set up all email accounts in Mail.app - all email accounts work no issues.

Upgraded to macOS Ventura 13.2 tested email accounts and mail.app crashes before turning any email account back on after testing.  Turned on iCloud email account - Crashed, Turned on Gmail email account - Crashed, Turned on Outlook email account - Crashed.  Tested each on their own and each one crashed, (from new set up not a restore set up from Time Machine.)

Lastly, by trying another work around, I followed a suggestion to stevefromchandler in the forums from user: DiZoE dated Jan. 30, 2023 11:16PM This was a similar issue I was having except this did not resolve my issue. 

Many users have expressed they do not have this issue, however just as many are now claiming they also have this issue.  There are also users who have Intel Macs and different Macs such as iMac, MacBook Pros, and Mac Pros who are also experiencing these issues.

It appears that some users including myself are also experiencing problems with External drives such as a DVD Writer by Pioneer, LG  that are not being recognized by macOS Ventura (tested on the Mac under VM/Windows 11) the drive works so its not a hardware issue but appears an issue either driver or OS issue.  While all the issues I have appear to happen in macOS Ventura they do not cause a problem in Monterey.  Monterey is not an option because after upgrading to Ventura it appears the Apple feels the need to add specific security features in Ventura that no longer work in Monterey such as being able to use Apple Pay Wallet on the Mac with Monterey. 

In closing this response, keep in mind I have tried just about anything and everything to fix these issues.  So many so that I have forgotten what I have already tried but they are in many of the previous posts to this one.  I can over look the DVD Writer issue as they could be as simple as a driver update from LG however, the mail.app is a native app made by Apple and the issue is within their own OS and App. Which in turn is forcing me to use Outlook.app instead or access my email via web access, of which none of those work arounds are favorable. While others may not be experiencing these issues at least now it does require a fix from Apple because eventually, everyone will be affected be the glitch.

I have talked to at least 6 Apple Representatives regarding this issue, every one created a ticket and supposedly another rep (tech, who supposed to be a senior tech) calls me back only to find out that senior tech is no more than another Apple advisor who pretty much reads a KB but the issue remains unsolved.

Hi Mark, thanks for your response. Your suggestion i don’t think will work since the mac requires an internet connection to be activated.

However, i have turned the wifi off and no other internet connection no other devices installed or third party Apps.

launched the mail.app both in and out of safe boot and the issue remains.

I have used the setup as a new owner as a factory restore similar to opening box from brand new. it appears no matter what I have tried it continues to be an issue.

this issue has gone on long enough to now when i attempt to contact Apple through normal channels they try to push me off as if this is a settings issue in mail they somehow think i have gotten wrong which i argue the settings i only am involved in on a personal home used computer by apple are those settings such as Email addy and password. of which neither are issues other wise i would not be able to long into email on icloud.com with the same credentials.

there are no other settings that are required under macOS mail everything is set up automatically from apple servers once I log into my Apple.ID account.

i have went as far as removing the V10 folder under the mail folder in library.

the only thing that may come my mind now is the Apple email account maybe my archive folder is too big? but i suspect if that were the case then iCloud.com would have the same issue. with all apps installed from Apple I'm only using 20% of the 256 GB SSD.

i will attempt to do as you suggest relunctantly on because i have erased the SSD and started over so many times i don’t think at this point without releasing a fix it will make any difference.

BTW there other posts in the forums with similar issues with mail.app and macOS Ventura 13.2 some on Intel Macs the difference I'm on Apple silicon.

@Rebelbear,

how many different email accounts are you using with the mail.app? if you have more than one try to turn off the email account in system settings - internet accounts test each one to see if one of them is causing the issue if it does then don't use that account with mail.app until Apple comes out with a fix. If all of your email accounts are having this problem then all I can recommend is to install the Spark email app from the App Store its free you will need to set it up with all of your email accounts this would be a temporary fix as that is what I am doing.

Maybe set up some email folders and use Rules to move emails to those folders. This way its easier to deal with important emails compared to less important. I have several folders where my email goes into to separate them out.

Example: I group all of my emails from my Bank, and Credit Cards to a folder called "Financial." Emails from my family go to the folder called "Family.", one for friends, One for work related, etc. The rules run and place emails from that person or service in a discernible folder. This can help better organize your emails and of course you know that when you click on the Junk mail folder you can quickly glance to make sure nothing important went into it and you simple select all emails in the folder and send to trash or let the email service delete them automatically within about 30 days as those emails actually sit in the junk folder on the server of the email provider.

Before you do the unsubscribing please give etresoft the information they are requesting and then once you are done do the following...

please use your Mac and whatever webbroswer you use. go to www.icloud.com and then login with your Apple.ID if that is one of your email accounts. If you have a gmail account or outlook account or whichever the email account is that is having this issue you need to access that email on the web. www.icloud.com, gmail.com or outlook.com (or whichever the email services you are using) they usually have a website version of mail you can access to get to that email. - You will need to unsubscribe there if you don't see the unsubscribe link (sometimes at the very bottom in very tiny print then a simple reply and typing the word "unsubscribe." in the subject line (nothing else) and send that email you should get a response saying you have been unsubscribed.

Once you have unsubscribed and deleted the message you are getting that is causing the issue, you need to delete it from your account on the server (website version of your email account) give it a few actual minutes to work through the internet the email should disappear from your mail app and stop the issue for now until Apple is able to fix it