iCloud mail separates from iCloud account in OS X 10.8

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Level 1

47 points

iCloud mail separates from iCloud account in OS X 10.8

Under OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, iCloud appears to separate the email account in System Preferences > Mail, Contacts & Calendars if the main account for iCloud is an alias.

If you go to the advanced settings on iCloud.com, iOS or OS X Mail; you can specify the default account to send iCloud mail from, another alias instead of the "main email". However, by doing so, in System Preferences, the iCloud account appears to "turn off" it's mail account and set up a separate one. Rather than just keep the two merged - it is still iCloud after all. (OS X Mail also seems to not detect this new iCloud mail account as a 'proper' iCloud account. It is no longer floated to the top of the list, nor are the mailboxes).

Additionally, if the setting is changed back to the default account, the two become just the one "iCloud" account again.

It's baffling, and just seems like a large bug. For me, iOS and OS X has always represented a notion of user ease-of-use and "it just works".

Whilst this doesn't actually break anything, it just seems absurd. It's a minor bug, but one that's bugging me.

Is anyone else having this issue?

13, Mac OS X (10.6.8), (Late 2009)

Posted on Apr 5, 2013 2:09 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 5, 2013 2:21 AM in response to jamie.shaw

Why are you setting this up in Mail, Contacts & Calendars? Is it a second account? If it's your only iCloud account you should be setting this up in System Preferences>iCloud to get proper 'push' mail and access to PhotoStream. I don't know whether it will make any difference to your specific query, though.

Your signature says you have 10.6.8 which is evidently wrong - you should change this to preven confusion on any future questions.

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Answer 2

jamie.shaw Author

Level 1

47 points

Apr 5, 2013 2:23 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

This is the account created by the main iCloud pref pane. My only iCloud account.

The iCloud pref pane also displays it with Mail unchecked.

If you check it and reopen System Preferences, it will come unchecked.

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Answer 3

Apr 5, 2013 2:33 AM in response to jamie.shaw

In which case you shouldn't be signed in in Mail, Contacts & Calendars as well - I don't know whether this could be a cause of the problem, but you appear to have got yourself signed in in two places. I would suggest signing out in both and then signing in in System Prefs>iCloud only and checking Mail etc, there.

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Answer 4

jamie.shaw Author

Level 1

47 points

Apr 5, 2013 2:40 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

But isn't this the normal behaviour?

The iCloud account under the iCloud pref pane, and the Mail, Contacts & Calendars pref pane are one and the same; all apps on OS X see this also. It's just this odd superfluous Mail account that iCloud seems to spin off.

Additionally, I can't vouch for other Macs but I assume that the behaviour would match that of how it works on iOS devices also:

If you sign in through the iCloud menu in Settings.app, it lists iCloud as an account under the Mail, Contacts and Calendar menu in Settings.app.

Surely, the "Mail, Contacts and Calendar" view is to monitor all internet accounts quickly at a glance?

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Answer 5

Apr 5, 2013 2:48 AM in response to jamie.shaw

OK, if it does that (which wasn't my understanding) then you really need only concern yourself with the iCloud prefs pane - is that not doing what you expect?

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Answer 6

momochen

Level 1

4 points

Jul 15, 2013 9:17 AM in response to jamie.shaw

I have this problem too. after set default email to primary email in icloud.com, then iCloud pref pan show "check" on mail, and no more other email account being added.

I find it also can fixed by change the "Alias" of Account Information in Mail pref to the "main" address (I set it as same as my Apple ID).

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