Top 8 Fixes When Mail App Quits Unexpectedly on Mac

The default Mail app on Mac got a much-needed makeover with the macOS Big Sur update. Besides the aesthetics, the Mail app carries some niggles. One such annoyance is when the Mail app unexpectedly quits in the middle of work.

Even if you use the Mail app occasionally, random crashes should be fixed. If you are experiencing the same issue on Mac, read on to fix it.

1. Restart Your Mac

This is one of the most common fixes for the Mail app. Restarting your Mac gives macOS a chance to properly load any of its resources that may not have been fully loaded the first time you started your Mac.

Stage 1: Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner.

Step 2: Select Restart.

This should restart your Mac and check if the issue persists.

2. Update macOS

Similar to iOS, the Mail app on macOS is also system dependent. Meaning, Apple sends updates to the Mail app via system software updates. You can’t go to the Mac App Store and download the Mail update on a Mac.

Stage 1: Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner.

Step 2: Go to System Preferences.

Stage 3: Select Software Update.

Step 4: Update macOS to the latest version available.

Restart the Mac and try using the Mail app again.

3. Rebuild Mailboxes

If you can access the Mail app for a few minutes, try this hack to fix the problem.

Stage 1: Open the Mail app on Mac.

Step 2: Select Mailbox in the menu bar.

Stage 3: Click Rebuild at the bottom.

macOS will re-create all mail accounts. When you’re done, restart your Mac and open the Mail app to see if it randomly crashes.

4. Disable/Enable Mail Accounts

This is a handy trick that works for many people. If there are some issues with the email accounts added in the Mail app, it may close unexpectedly. Follow the steps below to fix the problem.

Stage 1: On Mac, go to System Preferences menu.

Step 2: Select the Internet Accounts section.

Stage 3: Select the Mail account from the left sidebar.

Step 4: Uncheck the right side.

Now go ahead and open Mail and see if it works fine. If everything looks in place, return to the same Internet Accounts menu and enable the option to use the email account with the Mail application.

5. Boot in Safe Mode

When you start the Mac in Safe mode, it automatically repairs Mac problems and clears the system cache that is causing the problems. Follow the steps below to start your Mac in safe mode.

Stage 1: Shut down your Mac completely.

Step 2: Hold down the Shift key on the Mac’s keyboard and press the Power button.

Hold down the Shift key until your Mac boots into safe mode.

You can now open the Mail app and see if the issue is resolved. If it doesn’t reboot in normal mode to continue with other solutions.

6. Delete Preference Files

The preference files on your Mac are responsible for telling the applications on your computer how they should run. Mail app’s preference files may become corrupted during your use, which can cause Mail app to crash on Mac.

You need to move these problematic preference files to the Trash. Go through the steps below.

Stage 1: Open the Finder menu.

Step 2: Select Go in the menu bar.

Stage 3: Click Go to Finder from the menu below.

Step 4: Medicine ~/Library/Preferences and press the Go button.

Step 5: To identify com.apple.mail.plist and com.apple.mail-shared.plist from the list. Right click on them and select Move to Trash.

After that, restart your Mac and see if the issue with the Mail app has been resolved.

7. Delete Mail Saved Folder

The mail saved folder is a cache folder that allows the Mail application to reopen or continue when the user closes the application.

If you find that the Mail app crashes after using it for the first time, it is possible that the saved folder was corrupted causing the Mail app to crash.

Stage 1: Open the Finder menu.

Step 2: Select Go in the menu bar.

Stage 3: Click Go to Finder from the menu below.

Step 4: Medicine ~/Library/Registered Application Status/ and press the Go button.

Step 5: find the folder named com.apple.mail.savedState and move it to the trash.

8. Reset NVRAM

Resetting NVRAM is an effective way to troubleshoot Mac. This small storage saves your computer’s settings when the power is off.

Restart your Mac to reset the NVRAM. Press and hold Option + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds when you hear the Mac startup sound. The Mac will reboot once or twice. The action will reset both NVRAM and PRAM.

Get Started with Mail App on Mac

While there are many excellent alternatives to the Mail app on Mac, most users stick with the built-in solution for convenience. If you don’t plan to continue and are encountering the Mail app closing unexpectedly, follow the above tricks and fix the problem. Let us know which scheme worked for you in the comments section below.

Next: Outlook is an excellent Mail app alternative on Mac. Read the comparison post below to find out all the differences between the two.