Apple is set to bring its automatic email categorization feature from iOS to macOS and iPadOS in the coming months, according to a report by Mark Gurman in Bloomberg. This feature, expected to roll out with macOS 15.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, promises to streamline email management by sorting incoming messages into predefined categories.
The system, which has been available on iOS since the launch of iOS 18, organizes emails into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions categories. While users cannot create custom categories, manually moving emails to a different category trains the app to better handle similar messages in the future.
Key Features of Apple’s Email Categorization
- Predefined Categories: Emails are automatically sorted into categories for better organization.
- User-Friendly Customization: Moving emails between categories teaches Apple Mail to handle future messages from the same sender appropriately.
- Device Independence: Unlike other recent features requiring M-series chips, this functionality works on all Apple devices without needing special hardware.
- On-Device Processing: The feature processes data locally, ensuring privacy and security.
How It Compares to Gmail’s Sorting System
Apple’s categorization feature resembles Google’s Gmail sorting, introduced in 2013, but with a key difference: Apple’s system operates entirely on the device, emphasizing privacy. Gmail, on the other hand, processes email sorting server-side.
However, critics point out a potential downside—users must check multiple tabs to ensure no important emails are missed. For some, a single unified inbox remains preferable for simplicity.
Additional Features Coming in the Same Update
Alongside email categorization, Apple will introduce enhanced Siri contextual understanding in its macOS and iPadOS updates. Siri will now offer improved contextual responses, such as:
- Adding information to contacts.
- Providing personalized answers based on app data.
- Responding to questions about events or tasks.
These improvements follow Apple’s broader strategy to integrate Apple Intelligence across its ecosystem.
FAQs
This feature automatically organizes incoming emails into categories like Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions for easier management.
The categorization occurs on the device, ensuring data privacy. Users can manually move emails between categories to train the system for future sorting.
It is expected to roll out with macOS 15.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April 2025.
No, Apple’s system does not allow custom categories at this time.
No, the feature works on all supported devices, regardless of their hardware.
The update will include improved Siri contextual understanding and other enhancements to Apple’s ecosystem.
Conclusion
Apple recently released the third beta of macOS 15.3, suggesting that early developer versions of macOS 15.4 and iPadOS 18.4 are just weeks away. Users can expect these updates, along with the new email sorting feature, in April 2025.
