Mac, iPad users to get AI-powered email categories in spring update

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Published 22 Jan 2025

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Apple will integrate missing Apple Intelligence features into Mac and iPad email systems this April. The update arrives months after similar features debuted on iPhones.

The new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities are expected to be released along with macOS 15.4. Bloomberg technology reporter Mark Gurman confirmed the upcoming release in his “Power On” newsletter. One tool anticipated is the AI-powered Mail tools to sort emails into predefined categories.

    “The Mac will get the upgraded Mail app that uses AI to prioritize messages and sort content into different inboxes,” Gurman wrote. “Right now, iPad and iPhone users are able to tap into the feature — which is terrific — but Mac customers have been left behind.”

    The tool analyzes email patterns to identify important messages. Time-sensitive communications, such as delivery notifications, automatically appear in the “Primary” inbox regardless of their category assignment. Other distinct categories include: “Transactions” for receipts and banking, “Updates” for subscription notices, and “Promotions” for marketing content.

    Users maintain control over the AI categorization system. When emails land in incorrect folders, people can manually reassign them. Reassignment teaches the system better classification preferences. The system works locally on users’ devices, maintaining Apple’s privacy-focused approach.

    Early user feedback from iPhone implementations has been mixed. Some praised the improved organization, while others struggled with the new interface layout. However, the traditional list view is still easily accessible as an alternative. Tapping the three dots menu in the top right corner lets you switch between Categories and List view.

    In a few weeks, the Apple Intelligence rollout will continue with the release of macOS 15.3m, which is currently in beta testing. This version brings Genmoji, Apple’s AI-powered custom emoji creator. Gurman also reports that an enhanced version of Siri will be released in April with iOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4. The update will improve Siri’s understanding of context from screen content and apps.

    Apple also addresses notification summary concerns in the 18.3 beta 3 release. AI summaries appear in italics with added clear warnings about potential errors. Users can now disable these summaries directly from their lock screen. This is in response to recent complaints from news organizations, including the BBC.

    The features will work on most Mac computers running the latest operating system without requiring the newest M-series processors. This broader compatibility ensures more users can access the AI tools when they launch this spring.