Mail app won't search emails properly and/or takes very long time

Hi Jamie Crain,

Try testing the issue in safe mode. This will start up your Mac so that it performs certain checks and prevents some software from automatically loading or opening, which could help narrow down the cause of the issue.

This article will walk you through the steps: Use safe mode on your Mac

"If you're using a Mac with Apple silicon

1. Shut down your Mac.

2. Press and hold the power button on your Mac. As you continue to hold the power button, your Mac turns on and loads startup options. When you see Options, release the power button.

3. Select your startup disk. It's named Macintosh HD, unless you changed its name.

4. Press and hold the Shift key, then click the “Continue in Safe Mode” button below your startup disk.

5. Log in to your Mac. You might be asked to log in again."

You can isolate the issue further by testing it in a new administrator account. This will tell you if the issue is specific to one user account. If needed, this article will guide you through creating a new account: Add a user or group on Mac

Regards.

Hi Jamie Crain,

Per the site Use safe mode on your Mac "If the issue continues in safe mode, the easiest and most likely solution is to reinstall macOS. Reinstalling macOS doesn't remove your personal files, so you can do it whenever you need to." Reinstalling macOS should be the next step.

That article further offers that issues resolved in a new user account often indicates "your user account might contain other software that is incompatible, including certain software that loads at startup." You may check your login items and other running applications for your user account to try to isolate the conflict.

Regards.

We appreciate the additional information, Jamie Crain. To look into the best next steps from here, we'd recommend reaching out to Apple Support: Get Support

Regards,