Cannot force Mail app to search all folders if current folder has results

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Cannot force Mail app to search all folders if current folder has results

For a couple of MacOS releases when I've tried to use the Apple Mail app to search for an email address, it will search the selected folder. If it doesn't find a match, it provides an option to search all folders.

However if it finds a match in the current folder, it only displays those matches. There doesn't seem to be a way to force to search all folders. And very often I want it to search all folders (e.g., to find an email that has been put in the wrong folder or just to find all emails from the target email).

It is very frustrating to not be able to force an all folders search, and time consuming as well.

The MacBook is running MacOS Tahoe 26.6.2

MacBook Pro (M4, 2024)

Posted on Aug 21, 2026 1:33 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

brbo

Level 8

43,059 points

Sep 11, 2026 5:15 PM in response to gfwetzel

Thank you kindly for trying that, and for sharing your experience with us.

My MacOS is an earlier version, so am unable to test precisely.

Try selecting "All mailboxes" in the sidebar.

Click the magnifying glass icon in the toolbar.

Type (or paste) your search terms in the search field that opens.

See the results from All Mailboxes.

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Answer 2

gfwetzel Author

Level 1

50 points

Sep 14, 2026 1:47 PM in response to brbo

Thanks for that suggestion. Unfortunately, Mail version 16.0 in macOS 26.6.2 does not have an "All mailboxes" entry in the sidebar.

I did find a workaround. If you select a subfolder, then collapse the enclosing folder, no folder/mailbox at all is selected. Doing a search with no selected folder/mailbox results in an all mailboxes search. Rather obscure, but it works.

I did put in a feature request to have the "Search All Mailboxes" always show up in the drop-down menu in the search box whenever a search is done (whether it finds anything or not). Don't know if/when it might get implemented.

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Answer 3

brbo

Level 8

43,059 points

Sep 8, 2026 10:14 PM in response to gfwetzel

Re: "Cannot force Mail app to search all folders if current folder has results"

Try selecting as many folders (mailboxes) as you like in the Mail sidebar, or Favourites

(ie: Select the topmost folder you want to search

Scroll down

Hold down the shift key and click the bottommost folder you want to search

All the folders in between are now highlighted as well, so you can search them

Enter your search term.)

You might want to check what settings you have in place for a search of all mailboxes:

Go to: Mail > Settings > General > When searching all mailboxes, include results from:

Also: Apple support's article for MacOS 26 Tahoe (link below) has search tips:

You may be able to narrow down any particular search for more specific results

Search for emails in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

________

Resource: Apple's Mail User Guide for macOS Tahoe

___________

Apple's Mail Support website: Mail - Official Apple Support

_______________________

Webform for feedback / feature requests etc. to Apple: Feedback - Mail - Apple

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Answer 4

gfwetzel Author

Level 1

50 points

Sep 11, 2026 1:54 PM in response to brbo

brbo,

Thanks for the reply! Indeed that works, at least partially. The problem is that I have several email accounts, each with dozens of folders in them, many with subfolders. Often the email account is collapsed or the higher level folder(s) are collapsed and the search does not include those collapsed subfolders. So I'd have to open them all manually, select them all, do the search, then collapse them again to regain sidebar space. Quite a nuisance.

I suppose I need to put in a feature request that the "All mailboxes" option should always be offered after a search, even if matches were found in the current mailbox.

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Answer 5

brbo

Level 8

43,059 points

Sep 14, 2026 5:30 PM in response to gfwetzel

Thank you kindly for your thoughtful reply, and for letting us know what works for you now. Good to know you found a way!

Re: "I did put in a feature request ... Don't know if/when it might get implemented."

Apple welcomes feedback etc... and all is carefully read and logged. Seems it is generally when multiple requests, (or feedback on a particular issue), are received that we may may see that item addressed in a future update.

So the more various individual users send feedback communications, the more likely we will see implementation. Thanks for helping to set improvement for this issue in motion.

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