Apple Mail showing "This message has no content"

Nomdeguerretutu Said:

"Apple Mail showing 'This message has no content': [...] I have repeatedly turned mail off and restarted, but nothing seems to heal this problem."

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Troubleshooting Mail with "This message has no content":

A. Try a New App Password:

Try creating a new App Password. Your App Password may need to resync - something typical after update installations. You would log in using that password, rather than your Gmail password. See if it then works.

Go Here: Sign in with App Passwords - Google Account Help - Google

B. Single-Out this User:

Try an Admin new user, see if you do not get this occur while in it. If so, then it is an issue with the configuration of the current user. If not, then it is an issue with the entire Mac.

C. Reinstall the macOS:

Nothing would be deleted. It's just that items that have become corrupted or deleted, would be replaced or reinstalled back to where they should be. Go Here: How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - Apple Support.Important: Be certain to create a backup of your Mac prior to performing the reinstall. That way, you can have something to restore from the Mac from, should anything go wrong with the reinstall. Once reinstalled, try this once more, seeing if you still get this error.

Nomdeguerretutu Said:

"Apple Mail showing 'This message has no content': This is clearly a macOS problem. Can't the geniuses at Apple fix this? If you have found a solution, please offer it and then sell it to Apple! Thanks for responding. Rod”

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Troubleshooting “This message has no content”:

• Reindex the Mailbox:

takes a bit of troubleshooting, so ask the eMail Provider how to go about doing so.

• Give it a Few Moments:

Don’t be so quick to open up the eMail. It would not show if it was just sent and you reopened it. Then, refresh the screen.

• Wait for All eMail Messages to Download:

Mail may we still trying to download eMails (typical for those with thousands of eMails that are unread)

• Tried This in Safe Mode?:

In Safe Mode, Login Items do not run at login, certain preferences are set aside, and damaged system files are then reset. So, once booted in to Safe Mode, wait 30 seconds, and then boot up normally, attempting another connection. For instructions, go here: How to Use Safe Mode on your Mac - Apple Support

“Apple Mail showing "This message has no content: Thank you for both responses. I have spent hours attempting ALL of the suggestions you list here, from other Community forum threads, from Apple, Macworld, MacRumors, etc.[…]”

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You are welcome.

Last three thoughts to go by…

A. Single-Out this Mac:

Does this occur on any other Mac you have access to? If so, then it is an issue on the eMail Provider’s site. If not, then it is an issue with your computer. Trash this eMail account from Mail, once troubleshooting is complete.

B. Single Out this User:

Create another Administrator user, and see if you get the same error. If so, then it is is a misconfiguration within the macOS itself. If not, then it is an issue with the current user. Trash this user, once troubleshooting is complete,

C. Use the Correct Mail Protocol and Port Numbers and IP Address:

This all has to do with incoming and outgoing mail servers’ configuration. They

need to be configured with with the correct corresponding eMail Protocol(IMAP4, POP3, or SMTP), IP Addresses, and port numbers. So, ask your eMail Provider which to use. Seems it is coming in and going out, but maybe you just need to confirm that it is as it should be.

• Don’t be so quick to open up the eMail. It would not show if it was just sent and you reopened it.

• Wait for All eMail Messages to Download:

Mail may we still trying to download eMails (typical for those with thousands of eMails that are unread)

• Tried This in Safe Mode?:

In Safe Mode, Login Items do not run at login, certain preferences are set aside, and damaged system files are then reset. So, once booted in to Safe Mode, wait 30 seconds, and then boot up normally, attempting another connection. For instructions, go here: How to Use Safe Mode on your Mac - Apple Support

Thank you for both responses. I have spent hours attempting ALL of the suggestions you list here, from other Community forum threads, from Apple, Macworld, MacRumors, etc. I have indexed, rebuilt, deleted the account and added it back. I have safe-booted and logged in using a different administrator user account. I could go on and on. I just spent 1 hour and 45 minutes on the phone with Apple Support. They had no idea. It escalated to screen sharing with a supervisor and then sending operating data and screenshots to Apple Engineers. In my experience, this will end with the engineers pointing fingers at AOL and claiming it is not a macOS problem. It is and happens across Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura and now Sonoma. It occurs on my MacBook Pro and new MacBook Air. It does not happen on my two iPhones - iOS, not macOS. 90% of Mac Mail populates and fully downloads so it's not an AOL issue. Unfortunately, I have trashed email with no message thinking it was junk or phishing only to trash important information. Others with this issues have finally been advised to contact Apple Support as well but it isn't easy or even productive. I really appreciate you taking the time and trying to sort this out. I will post what I learn from the Apple Engineers.

Update: I am having screen sharing sessions with Apple Support at the time the error is occurring. Data has been uploaded for the engineers to analyze. We have narrowed the problem down to possible server settings and connection interruptions that do not allow an email to fully download, but others arriving later to fully download. I'm watching Connection Doctor for whether servers are in fact connected. Fixes won't "undo" the connection failure. We're looking at server and port settings - Apple and AOL suggest different settings so this might be part of the problem. I am running two other email accounts simultaneously to see if the problem occurs across email providers. I'll post here the results. Rod

If anyone is following this thread, this problem continues to occur despite applying all of the suggestions in all Community forums, Google searches, Apple articles, etc. I upgraded my MacBook Air 15" to Sonoma thinking that would work. It doesn't. I can retrieve the "no content" emails on my iPhone but that is annoying and really unnecessary, isn't it? This is clearly a macOS problem. Can't the geniuses at Apple fix this? If you have found a solution, please offer it and then sell it to Apple! Thanks for responding. Rod

Thanks again. As I stated, this occurs on both my MacBook Pro and MacBook Air across 4 different macOS. It does not occur on my iPhones with iOS so I don't think it's an AOL issue. The error does not occur on web AOL Mail. I have deleted the AOL account twice - once today while screen sharing with Apple. It took 40 minutes to rebuild. Painful for no result! Also as I stated, I encounter the problem using both safe boot and with a different administrator user account. I've check AOL server settings https://help.aol.com/articles/how-do-i-use-other-email-applications-to-send-and-receive-my-aol-mail Mac Mail doesn't allow you to change server configurations in the Server Settings tab. I've been wrestling with this a long time and there doesn't seem to be an answer . . . I'm willing to keep trying. Again, thank you!

Keep us posted.