How can I prevent Mac Mail from crashing when searching for certain words?

When I search for a word in mail, Mac Mail crashes. It's always the same word and you can search for something else and it's ok. Then it decides to crash on a different word. It's driving me nuts.

YES - I do have a large mailbox and NO I AM NOT GOING TO DOWNLOAD IT ALL AGAIN. That would take more than 2 months internet allowance, so please, suggestions which do NOT involve rebuilding the while mailbox would be appreciated. Thanks.


Its a macbook air M2 (2022) running Sonoma 14.0


[Re-Titled By Moderator]

MacBook Air, macOS 14.0

Posted on Oct 20, 2023 2:51 AM

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Posted on Nov 21, 2023 10:14 AM

Solution found for my email crash problem


Hi All - after multiple, multiple calls with Apple Support, I think they have finally solved the issue - at least for me. I am putting in the steps provided to me today below but please understand this is not in my normal wheelhouse and so hopefully does not cause any issues for others if trying. Alternately if you call Apple Support and explain the issue (email crashing when using certain travel related search terms) they hopefully can located this workaround in their system and work with you directly.


In short - what we did was Reindexing the Mail Folders. Following are the steps provided to me from the senior advisor I worked with.


Click on Finder in the Dock at bottom of your screen.

The menu bar at the top of the screen should now show 'Finder'

To the right of 'Finder' - click on 'Go' and look for 'Library' (if 'Library' is hidden - press/hold 'option' key)

Click on 'Library' and look for "Mail' Folder.

Click on 'Mail Folder' and look for a folder that starts with a "V" (mine was V10 but could be a different number)

Click on the "V" Folder and look for "Mail Data" Folder

Click on "Mail Data" Folder and look for any files/docs that start with the word "Envelope Index" (some might also have something else after that like -wal, etc)


If more than one file/doc that starts with "Envelope Index" then hold command key and click on all the files/docs that start with "Envelope Index" until all are highlighted.


Once all highlighted - right click on one and at top of the pop up that should say "New Folder with Selection (xx items) xx = the number of items you have highlighted. Click on that (New Folder...) and all of the files/docs will move into that new folder. Then - and you don't have to do this, but I did to make coming back in the future easer, you can name that new folder. (Mine was simply 'Envelope Files')


At this point, close out of finder.

Finally and this is the part that takes the longest - shut down and restart your Mac.

IMPORTANT - ONCE YOU DO SHUTDOWN AND RESTART, ALL OF YOUR EMAILS WILL FIRST HAVE TO RELOAD AND THEN WILL GO THROUGH INDEXING. THIS TOOK HOURS!


ALSO IMPORTANT - Again I cannot say for certain this will work for others, I just know it worked for me. If uncertain - truly best to call Apple Support/Care and see if they can work you through this procedure!!


Good luck.

96 replies

Oct 29, 2023 11:18 AM in response to fairhsa2

In reading all the replies in this posting as well as thinking about the initial word "Southwest" that I used (and one other person in this forum) - what seems to be a pattern is travel related terms that cause a crash. In my case - I have an e-mail folder that I keep for upcoming travel and am wondering if it is that folder, the individual travel folders in that or maybe something in the emails themselves that has a trigger word that cause the email to crash when I type it into search?


The reason I say this is that I have an unusual amount of flights coming up over the next 8 months in that folder. They include Southwest and United airlines and 10 different airport codes covering 5 different cities. The two airlines that will be using -Southwest and United cause my mail to crash as well as the airport codes for every single airline code with the exception of one (SFO) However typing in the cities, including San Francisco, cause mail to crash as well.


I have tried many different words non-related to travel and they are almost all good. The words "west" and "reserve" caused crashing. (Though I know we have charged at least one flight to our Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Sapphire and Chase do not cause a crash) The one totally weird one is "Long" - which caused a crash.


All this started in October when 'upgrading' to Sonoma on my IMac. (This has not occurred on my iphone or ipad - though have not upgraded yet to the latest upgrades available for those devices)


Have a session with Apple Care again tomorrow but not sure what will come of that.

Nov 12, 2023 5:38 AM in response to DexG

I tried clearing the Mail cache as indicated here, but this did not solve the problem.


How to clear Mail cache manually

  1. Open the Finder Window and select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Type in the following and press Return ~/Library/Mail/V8 (you may have a different number after V).
  3. Check through the folders you find here and remove items to the Trash.
  4. Empty Trash once finished and test the Mail app.


Dec 3, 2023 9:01 PM in response to fairhsa2

A new Sonoma update today - 14.1.2 - fixed some of the words but a few remain that trigger a mail crash. (*) is the letter that crashes:

hote(l)

check i(n)

checki(n)

boo(k)

confirmatio(n)

appointment(t)


These words crashed mail previously in Sonoma 14.1.1, but this new version has cleared the problem with these words and they no longer cause a crash:

Sou(t)hwest

Del(t)a

Uni(t)ed

Air(p)ort

Fli(g)ht

Itinerar(y)

Rout(e)

Ticke(t)

Nov 11, 2023 3:47 PM in response to DexG

Apple just solved my problem, hopefully forever! I'm using Sonoma 14.1.1 and he had me clear out my cache and restart my computer. I can't tell you how exactly, but clearing the cache was through Finder and Library. He got the idea from robie_mc above, who mentioned when he removed his iCloud account those words had no effect on his other email accounts. I have mail in iCloud and then I also have mail that lives only on my computer and not on iCloud. In the mail that lives only on my computer, those travel related words did not make it crash. Hope that helps.

Nov 19, 2023 6:00 AM in response to fairhsa2

My crash happens when I type in Phil (as in Philadelphia), which is oddly also travel related (coincidence?) It crashes on the L. My workaround was to enter it back to front--why does it have to be so long? Pasting in Philadelphia also caused a crash. I tried entering other search terms (cities, airlines) on emails in my travel folder--no problem. Tried entering "chil" instead of "phil" and it's fine. I just updated to the latest version 14.1.1 this morning, which is when it started.

Oct 20, 2023 5:19 AM in response to fairhsa2

Same issue here.


Occurs when searching the first three letters of two particular words - "ath" and "vie". Causes Mail to quit unexpectedly.


I have tried the following without resolution:



I have many email accounts in Mail. The issue resolves when I remove the iCloud mail account, so it is definitely an issue with that specific account.


All software completely up to date and the issue occurs on both Mac mini (M2 Pro Sonoma) and MacBook Pro (M1 Pro Sonoma)


Multiple reports of this issue online with no resolution.


Hoping someone can help?



Nov 10, 2023 9:41 PM in response to RandHan54

I certainly hope everyone who has posted here does call in. I did because whenever I searched in mail for San Diego, it crashed upon typing the n in San. Additionally, I tried using all caps, using all small case, typing San Diego in text edit field and doing a copy-paste. Also tried shutting down, restarting and restarting in Safe Mode. Still happened. Apple support said she had tried everything and by that time I had been talking to her for an hour. Her only solution was to reinstall the IOS, which I am very unwilling to try. She did not suggest deleting Mail, re-adding, rebuilding. I will ask Apple to help w/that. It doesn't happen in my iCloud mail account, so it is native to my 2021 MacBook pro laptop, IOS 14.1.1 . When I upgraded to Sonoma, which was over a month ago I was in a foreign country, but haven't had any issue until this past Sunday.

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How can I prevent Mac Mail from crashing when searching for certain words?

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