Want to rise above the natural chaos of your email folders to get a sensible and sortable overview? Find out here how to use column layout in Apple Mail for Mac to organize, filter and sort emails ⤓ with flexibility and ease.
First, Up and Up
A motivational sentiment that has meandered through the ages and cultures is succinctly expressed by Roy T Bennett:
“All that matters is [that] you get up one more time than you were knocked down.”
Sounds right, of course: who wouldn’t want to get up more often than they are knocked down?
Then again, that only works if everybody starts already knocked down. — Oh, well…
Before we try to untangle that logic, let’s tackle sorting out something just as unruly: your emails. Are you… up for it?
How to Use Columns in Apple Mail for Mac to Organize Emails Flexibly
Time needed: 3 minutes
To organize your emails flexibly in Apple Mail for Mac using columns view:
- Enable column view in Mail.
Here’s how: Select View | Use Column Layout in the menu so the item is checked.
Here’s where: Mail columns view is available for all email collections — mailboxes, smart folders, search results, etc.
Mail keyboard shortcut: You can set up a keyboard shortcut for toggling column layout if that’s something you do frequently.
- Choose the columns shown.
Here’s how: Click on any of the existing column headers with the right mouse button and select any item from the list of available columns to toggle its display.
- Pick the sorting order.
Here’s how: Click any header to sort emails by that column; click again to change the sorting order (from ascending to descending or vice versa).
By the unseen: You can also sort by a criterion not shown as a column; see below. - Filter mail to focus.
Here’s how: Click the Filter button in the toolbar or select View | Filter | Enable Message Filter from the menu to apply filtering.
Change filtering criteria: Click and hold the Filter button, then select the filtering criteria from the menu that appears or select View | Filter from the top menu to choose which messages to exclude.
Mail keyboard shortcut: You can press Command L to apply and remove filtering.
Their word: Apple include information on column view in the Mail User Guide.
Pillars raised of order?
Tips help fuel these email and tech how-tos.
Add a Keyboard Shortcut for Toggling Column View in Apple Mail for Mac
To set up a keyboard shortcut that will enable or disable columns for mailbox display in Apple Mail:
- Open System Settings on the Mac.
- Go to the Keyboard category.
- Click Keyboard Shortcuts….
- Select the App Shortcuts category.
- Click +.
- Select Mail for Application.
- Type
Use Column Layoutunder Menu title. - Click in the Keyboard shortcut field.
- Press the key combination you want to use for toggling column view in Mail.
Example: Press Command Option C to use this combination, for instance. - Click Done.
How to View and Organize Mail Flexibly with Columns in Apple Mail for Mac: FAQ
Can I sort using a column that is not shown?
Yes.
To sort emails in Apple Mail by any criterion, whether it is visible as a column or not:
- Select View | Sort By from the menu in Mail.
- Now choose the criterion you would like to use for sorting.
Reverse order: In the View | Sort By menu, choose the sort order at the very bottom (labeled appropriately, e.g. Largest Messages on Top).
Right-clicking alternative: You can also change the sorting order by clicking with the right mouse button in any column header, then selecting Sort By from the context menu.
Can I add a secondary sorting criterion?
No.
You cannot explicitly define how emails that are equal in the sorting criterion (all from the same sender or all unread, for example). Apple Mail uses the subject (sorted by alphabet) as its secondary criterion.
Can I hide the “Subject” column?
No.
Apple Mail for Mac always includes the following columns:
- Unread status,
- Subject and
- Conversation (if Mail is set to organize emails by conversation).
Does Mail column view work with inbox categories?
Yes.
You can use column view with or without inbox categories. With categories enabled, each category (or the All Mail category) will be shown using columns.
Can I add the inbox category as a column?
No.
The inbox category is not a characteristic you can add as a column for sorting or display in Apple Mail column view.
(Tested with Mail 16.0 on macOS Tahoe 26.0–26.2 and Sequoia 15.5; first published July 2025, last updated January 2026)