Our iPhone Wish List: Mail

In our ongoing series of wish lists (previous installments: consensus wishes, hardware, the interface and general features), this one covers the improvements and features we’d like to see in the iPhone’s Mail application. Not surprisingly, given how much the Macworld staff relies on email, Mail generated the most requests of any single application on the iPhone.

(As with previous lists, the number after each item represents how many editors, out of seven, requested that feature in our informal survey.)

Already covered: a unified Inbox (6), mark all/multiple messages as read (6), delete all/multiple messages (6), select text to be quoted in replies (6), force plain-text messages (5), send multiple photos in an email (5), save images in email to the Photos program (5).

Option to empty trash (5): When you delete messages in Mail, they’re moved to the Trash folder. However, there’s no way to manually empty that folder; just a setting for each account for when such messages should be removed automatically. Most editors would like an option to permanently delete messages.

Message flags (4): Given that it’s a hassle to delete multiple messages on the iPhone (see our consensus list), and you can set up folders only for IMAP accounts (and even that’s not simple), most of us end up with lots of messages in our inboxes. The ability to flag individual messages for later follow-up would be very useful.

Spam filtering (4): No explanation needed.

Cancel email send/download, cancel attachment download (4): Once the iPhone has started checking an account for new mail, sending an email message, or downloading a message attachment, there’s no way to stop it. In Safari, the Refresh button changes to a Cancel button when a page is loading; why not make Mail’s Refresh/Check Mail button do the same?

See the full list of Mail requests after the jump.

Ability to create email folders on the iPhone (3): Sometimes you want to keep messages on your iPhone without leaving them cluttering your Inbox.

Add phone numbers and email addresses in email to Contacts (3): If someone sends you a phone number or email address in an SMS message (in Text), a blue arrow button appears that lets you add that number or address to Contacts. Why not in email messages?

Jump to page when viewing attachments (3): When viewing an attachment, there's no way to jump to a particular page. No big deal with a two-page document, but a task-killer if you're looking at a 20-page PDF or Word document--you have to scroll through each page, waiting for each to render.

Option to bottom-post reply by default (3): Many email purists prefer for their replies to be positioned after text quoted from the original message. Mail on the Mac provides this option, and several editors wish iPhone Mail did, as well.

Save attachments (2): We covered this one tangentially in the general features list.

Full Exchange support (1): Can you tell Macworld doesn't use a Microsoft Exchange server for email and calendering? Despite the fact that only one editor requested this feature personally, I think it's safe to say that each of us recognizes its importance for the larger market, and we hope Apple adds it soon.

True manual-check mode (1): Although you can set up mail for "manual" checking, rather than on a schedule, it's not really manual: whenever you launch the Mail application, even if it's just to read something you previous received, Mail checks for new messages. At least one editor--and in retrospect, I wish I'd voted for this, too--feels that manual should indeed be manual: Mail shouldn't check for new email unless you tap the Refresh/Check button.

Check mail for only specific accounts (1): Related to the previous item, why does a manual check, which isn't really manual, check all of your email accounts? What if you're on vacation and want to check just your personal email? The only current solution is to go into Settings and turn off the accounts you don't want checked (which removes them from the Accounts screen altogether). A simpler solution would be to implement a true manual check that checks for new email in only the current account. (If a unified inbox is ever added, a tap of the Refresh/Check button there could check all accounts simultaneously.)

More font/text options (1): Email messages are surprisingly clear and readable in Mail, but at least one editor wishes the user had a bit more control over font and text appearance.

Customize new mail sound (1): We also covered this one, tangentially, in our consensus list.

Better Gmail support (1): Google's Gmail can be used as a POP email account, but many users have experienced various quirks when accessing Gmail from Mail on the iPhone. Better compatibility would be welcome.

Category: Musings

Posted by Dan Frakes on Aug 1 2007, 4:31 PM ET

Comments (19)

On the spam filtering, I'm not sure how you implement this within the iPhone's UI, unless you're ONLY talking about a very simple bayseian setup, which still lets it onto the phone. That's not saving you from downloading it, it just automates, depending on how much time you spend training it, getting it out of your inbox.

I've found the better choice is find an ISP with an anti-spam service like Postini that keeps it from ever getting TO your iPhone. that is an actual time saver there all the way around.

Posted by John C. Welch | August 1, 2007 5:05 PM

Groups in my Address Book synch to my iPhone, but there is no way to send emails to a Group from iPhone -- each contact must be entered one at a time.

Maybe there is a fix for this now?? But if not, we need this facilitated in the next software upgrade.

Posted by bobmagg | August 1, 2007 5:27 PM

John, you're right; Chris Breen even covered a way to use Gmail to consolidate and download all your various POP mail to your iPhone, letting Gmail do the spam-filtering for you.

That said, even just moving spam out of the Inbox on the phone would be useful, given that you can't perform actions (delete, move, etc.) on multiple messages.

Posted by Dan Frakes | August 1, 2007 5:37 PM

I would really like the option to have multiple signatures, since some emails are business related and some are personal.

Posted by Randy Kaempen | August 1, 2007 9:47 PM

How about SMTP settings both EDGE and WiFi?

And since email at International Rates is $$$, a EDGE off mode, similar to WiFi off. I can find cheap WiFi in Europe, but not EDGE roaming.

Easy way to turn emails into calendar appointments.

Posted by D. Bruce Yolton | August 1, 2007 11:08 PM

I'd like to be able to file photos I receive in emails to the iPhone's "camera roll" for eventual import and filing in iPhoto.

Posted by iMatt | August 1, 2007 11:31 PM

iMatt: That one was actually in our main wish list, and was mentioned in the first item above ("Already covered").

Posted by Dan Frakes | August 2, 2007 12:04 AM

I get a lot of HTML newsletters. Lack of landscape support for both e-mail and attachments kills me.

Posted by John | August 2, 2007 11:40 AM

(Tangentially related, since the Contacts list is essential for using Mail.) While normal Address Book groups are synced to the iPhone, Address Book Smart Groups are not. Sure would be nice if that worked.

Posted by Alderete | August 2, 2007 3:15 PM

How about the ability to sync your inbox on your iphone with the inbox on your mac??? For me this is a major feature that the iPhone is lacking. I don't want look at my iPhone to see that I have 25 new messages when I have already viewed all of them on my mac.

Posted by Eric | August 2, 2007 4:59 PM

1) Ability to support more than 200 messages/folder in IMAP (unlimited would be nice)

2) "Unread" Smart folder in IMAP (Just like mail.app)

Posted by Gerry | August 2, 2007 8:22 PM

Generalized Copy/Paste of text based data. with that I can move directions found in the map "list" mode to a note or to an email. In fact copy/paste into a text message would be even better.

Posted by Tim | August 8, 2007 6:47 PM

Some basic things that I have seen mentioned which need to be mentioned to Apple as much as possible...

Copy/Paste - It is what made the Macintosh famous.
Manageable mail boxes.
Empty e-mail trash with one tap.
Move images from e-mails and websites to Photo Album

And the one thing I haven't seen, but should definitely be included in the next update...

PRINT - the ability to print to a Bluetooth or Wifi connected printer!

Posted by BJ Harrington | August 11, 2007 2:54 PM

PRINT - to a BlueTooth or WiFi connected printer!

Posted by bj_harrington | August 11, 2007 3:00 PM

The iPhone should be able to use the bluetooth headset as the audio source when playing music if desired. Even though this is monaural, it would be great to have the background music playing in one ear while biking or driving as I wait for calls without having to put the earbuds in my ears.

Posted by Tim | August 12, 2007 10:15 PM

How about the ability to have email groups? I have a newborn and I want to email pictures to 3 people. I should have the ability to make an email group (unless it's there and I am missing it) called family, or friends, or coworkers etc.. I believe that is standard on all mail apps, perhaps not standard on mobile mail however...

Posted by Rony | August 27, 2007 1:10 PM

Rony: We covered that in the contacts section:

http://iphone.macworld.com/2007/08/our_iphone_wish_list_phone_and.php

Agreed, it would be a nice feature.

Posted by Dan Frakes | August 27, 2007 1:25 PM

Saving an attachment...you could view the email message on your home computer, save the attachment under My Photos and sync it up with your iPhone later on. A little clunky I know, but at least you could get the picture on the iPhone.

Posted by Steve Walker | October 16, 2007 6:37 PM

I've moved to the iPhone from a windows smartphone. Totally loving the interface. *But* when I look at my exchange account through iPhone's mail app....

The inbox is being polled at the specified interval, but I have server side rules that filter new mail into folders - and these aren't being automatically polled as per the settings menu.

This is a real killer - I have the choice of either manually entering all folders individually by tapping on the folder name, waiting for email to download or be checked, and tapping on the "up" arrow to return to the folder list - all on a regular basis to get the email that may or may not be waiting in there, or I can turn off my server side rules altogether which will mean a lot of manual moving of email messages.

I'd like to see this resolved either as part of IMAP, or by providing proper support for Exchange Server.

I'd also like to be able to poll for email more often than every 15 minutes, and download a set period of time rather than a set number of messages - e.g. 1 week, 1 month, 3 months rather than 50, 100, 200 messages.

Posted by Sam HS | November 20, 2007 2:55 PM

Our iPhone Wish List: Mail

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