If you’ve upgraded to macOS Big Sur, then you’re seeing some changes in appearance from previous macOS versions. When you open Safari, you’ll notice the toolbar and tabs look different, and in Finder, the sidebar stretches from top to bottom. One other app window that has had some adjustments is Mail.
While the changes in Mail mostly apply to appearance, there is one aspect that people are looking for and that’s how to sort mail. You used to have a dedicated spot at the top left of your mailbox headers to pick how you wanted to sort, but that’s gone. So if you’re wondering, here’s how to sort Mail on macOS Big Sur.
Use the menu bar to sort Mail
You can still sort your mail by a number of items including date, from, subject, and unread. You’ll just use the menu bar. Click View > Sort By and select an option in the pop-out menu.
Select one of the options and note you can still sort alphabetically from A to Z or in reverse.
Use the columns to sort Mail
Whether you use the Side Preview or Bottom Preview for your inbox, you can sort by column. Click one of the column headers to sort by that field alphabetically or chronologically.
You can also right-click anywhere in the column header row and you’ll see Sort By in the menu.
So not only can you quickly sort by clicking a column header but you can still choose a Sort By type from your mailbox.
Wrapping it up
Small things like removing that dedicated Sort By field can throw you off when you’re going about your daily business in Mail. So rest assured, you can still sort your Mail; just a bit differently.
What do you think of the changes that came with macOS Big Sur? Is there a feature you’re glad to see like the Control Center on Mac? Or is there a change you’re not happy about like the look of the Finder window? Comment below or share your thoughts with us on Twitter.
For more, take a look at our macOS Big Sur FAQ.