August Tech Tip - Using Key Features in Apple Mail on the iPhone and iPad
Apple Mail is the built in mail application for all iPhones and iPads. In the tech world, this is usually maligned as an older application that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other third-party mail applications. To a large degree that is true. However, it is a very competent email application and for the majority of users it is enough for their everyday needs. Even for retail leaders who likely spend a lot more time on email than they’d like, especially on their mobile device, it still has enough tricks up its sleeve to get the job done. In a more hands-on Tech Tip this month, I’ll show you some of the most useful features to get everything you need from this application.
Whether you have a company issued iPhone or iPad or you are working within a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, Apple Mail is likely the default mail application, and you may not have any other options. (Possibly GMail if your Company is a G Suite supporter, or Microsoft Outlook, if your IT group supports the Microsoft stack of products). Apple Mail is almost invariably still a mail app you can you to manage your email box.
Set your swipe gestures
We all get too many emails, and there come times we find ourselves behind in managing them as well. Or if you are scheduling email time to work your inbox (recommended), using the iOS version of Mail with swipe gestures can help you triage your inbox very quickly.
Which way you swipe and what action(s) that allows is programmable. In the quick video below I’ll show you how you can adjust the swipe options when working your email.
Set up your folders
I have mentioned this tip in previous articles on managing your email box. Do NOT work solely from your Inbox. You will need at least a folder or two to move email and prioritize. Then you can archive the email once complete.
I use several ‘follow up’ folders to help manage my email. I always have a ‘today’ folder, a ‘this week’ folder, and a ‘in progress’ folder. I would also recommend a ‘waiting on others’ folder so you have a place to move items that you can use for follow up, but know that it is not something waiting on you to move forward. In real practice I do have additional folders to move items into.
A quick note on this: these are ‘inbox’ folders, they simply prioritize your inbox. I do not maintain different folders for older or archived emails. Once I have completed working with a message, I move that email to the ‘archive’ folder and rely on search to reference previous emails if the occasion arises. Once upon a time, I had a huge set of folders that I sorted old emails into. It ends up being a management nightmare, and a lot of extra work to move items quickly to and search for later.
How to PDF an email
There are occasions that you want to keep a copy of an email for different purposes that requires converting an email into a PDF. This has been a longstanding request for iOS uses. It is possible to do this with the native mail app. It is a little clunky, but easy to do once you know about it. Until Apple decides to add a real ‘share sheet’ function into Apple Mail, this is the best way to complete this.
Sign PDFs
Speaking of PDFs, a great feature built into Apple Mail is an easy way to annotate and sign PDF documents. I use this often and it is very simple, especially if the signed item is going right back to the person who sent the email. This can be great for approvals (such as on invoices) or signing Human Resources documents, etc.
Drop and drag email from iPad to Notes or Task manager for a link back
Dropping and dragging emails on your iPad or iPhone is both easy to do and very handy. When you drag these into other applications, it will create what is known as a ‘back link’ that allows you, with a tap, to get right back to the email you’ve dragged.
This can be especially useful in notes, or your task manager to have quick access back to the email message you need to reference to complete the task.
Siri Shortcuts for common email (i.e., district DL or small team)
Shortcuts for iOS is essentially an automation and scripting tool. That can sound very scary and complicated, but it is actually quite approachable and is as easy or difficult as you want to make it. In the video below, I’ll show you a very simple shortcut to start an email for a common group of people you send messages to. It won’t save a ton of time, but if you have a group you frequently send emails to, that few seconds of time savings can add up.
Email Multitasking (iPad)
The multitask functionality built into the iPadOS allows you to do some handy things overall, but with Mail especially. You can have multiple email windows open side by side, or create a ‘shelf’ of options to allow you to quickly choose from different views or emails you are working on. The side by side view could be helpful if you need to reference information in one email while writing another. Or if you need to share images or text from one to another, this can be as simple as dropping and dragging.
The other handy element is having multiple email drafts open that you can quickly move between. The video below shows both of those options in action.
This is a look at some key features you can put to work for you in Apple’s Mail application for iPhone and iPad. It may not have the most features of any email application, but they work consistently, and are generally the most needed functions for simple email management. Some features from other apps are more gimmicky than useful. Snoozing email is just kicking the can. You’ll still have to deal with it later. You are essentially moving a message to another folder, so it only adds the layer of resurfacing it automatically for you, versus managing a process. I can make a case either way, but it’s a good example of something not currently in Apple Mail that other applications highlight as a feature. Yet I am not sure it truly adds the benefit people need in effectively taming their inbox. Mail is a straightforward tool that with these tips can help in working through was is likely your biggest burden each day: email.
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