Apple Mail search function not working

Search function within the Mail app hasn't been working for some time, it seemed to stop working randomly. No search results for mail when using spotlight either, I've tried all the suggestions I can find but none have fixed the problem.

MacBook Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13.6)

Posted on Aug 2, 2018 12:46 AM

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Posted on Aug 2, 2018 12:50 PM

Try re-indexing Spotlight.


Verify Mail & Messages are included in Preferences

>System Preferences>Spotlight


How to rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support


http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/17/rebuild-spotlight-index/

3 replies

Aug 2, 2018 3:57 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thanks Leroy, I had already re-indexed spotlight using that method and it still didn't work. No search results in spotlight included mail, and search within the mail app was completely dead with zero results each time.


I rebuilt the mail boxes, deleted the envelope files, started in safe mode and first aid on the drives, nothing helped.


I have now solved the problem and my MacBook is running perfectly like new: I just backed up with time machine and re-installed the operating system from recovery mode.


Searches are super fast now, all my flagged emails have magically come back as well.

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Apple Mail search function not working

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