- If you can log in to Gmail.com without any issues, checked the device activity and notifications to make sure your device is not being blocked, completed the CAPTCHA reset, and confirmed that IMAP is enabled, it is time for the next step: the modern version of unplugging it and plugging it back in. Simply remove your Gmail account completely from your device and then load it back on.
- How to Stop the Mail App From Opening Randomly on Mac Minimize Instead of Close. If the Mail app opens without warning while running in the background, try minimizing the app. Use Gmail App Password. Are you using Gmail on the Mac? At times, the Mail app may fail to connect to your Google.
- Go back to System Preferences, Internet Accounts, select your account and re-tick the ‘Mail’ option. Try accessing your email from your iPhone or a different computer. If it doesn’t work there either, it may be a problem with Google. Check here to see if Gmail is working. If these don’t work, try this guide from Apple.
- When trying to open, it shows a message “ Mail cannot save information about your mailboxes because there isn’t enough space in your home folder”. If you run into this issue with macOS Catalina and Mail, the best thing to do is to delete the Mail Plist folder and retry. Open your Finder App on your Mac.
Are you facing issues with the Mail app opening randomly on your Mac? You are not alone. It could pop up while you are in the midst of work to display a new email. Or it could bug you for no obvious reason at all. Annoying. So, can you do anything to stop that from happening?
What do I do if Gmail failed to log in to Apple Mail on my Mac? Check you can sign in on the Gmail website. The first thing to do is try signing in to your Gmail account on Google’s. Close Apple Mail and restart your Mac. Make sure you Quit Mail before restarting your Mac.
Connectivity issues with certain email accounts (such as Gmail) can trigger the Mac's Mail app to open randomly. So far, Apple has not released a permanent fix to this issue. But thankfully, there are a few fixes that you can apply to patch things up. Without any further ado, let's get started.
Minimize Instead of Close
If the Mail app opens without warning while running in the background, try minimizing the app instead of closing it—click the orange-colored icon to the top-left of the window to do that. You can also use the Command+H keyboard shortcut to minimize the Mail app quickly.
That isn't a permanent fix by any means and could take some getting used to. But it's a surprisingly quick way to put a pause to the Mail app's odd behavior.
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Read MoreUse Gmail App Password
Are you using Gmail on the Mac? At times, the Mail app may fail to connect to your Google Account, especially if it's secured with two-factor authentication. That could result in the app opening automatically whenever it re-establishes the connection.
Thankfully, you can fix this issue with an App Password.
Step 1: Use a web browser to sign in to your Google Account. Click the Security side-tab, and click App Passwords (located within the 'Signing in to Google' section).
Step 2: Generate an App Password for the Mac's Mail app. Copy it to your clipboard.
Step 3: Open the Mail app. Next, click Mail on the menu bar, and then click Preferences. Switch to the Accounts tab, and then remove your Gmail account.
Step 4: Re-add the Gmail account.
Step 5: When prompted for your password, add the App Password instead of your Google Account password.
That should likely stop the Mail app from facing connectivity issues with Gmail going forward.
Note: If you want to revoke the App Password for the Mail app, re-visit your Google Account and click Security > App Passwords.Use a Separate Space
Give the Mail app a separate desktop space. Open Mission Control, create a new space (click the Add icon to the top right), and then drag the Mail app into it. That should prevent the Mail app from opening randomly and interrupting you.
Click the Mail app on the dock whenever you want to check your email. Alternatively, you can visit the desktop space manually via Mission Control.
Check for New Messages Manually
Are you still having issues with the Mail app opening randomly on your Mac? Try checking for new messages manually. To do that, go to the Mail app's Preferences screen (Mail > Preferences), and then set 'Check for New Messages' to Manually.
Click the Get Mail icon—located to the top-left corner of the Mail app window—whenever you want to fetch new messages manually.
Note: This isn't a viable fix for most and isn't recommended if you receive urgent emails frequently.Also on Guiding Tech
#macos
Click here to see our macos articles pageDisable Messages in Split-View
Is the Mail app opening new emails automatically in Split-View while using another app in full-screen mode?
To stop that from happening, open the Mail app's Preferences screen (Mail > Preferences), and then disable the 'Prefer opening messages in split view when in full screen.'
Delete non-Essential Email Accounts
Try removing non-essential email accounts from the Mail app. That should further reduce odd connectivity issues from causing the Mail app to pop up on your screen randomly. To do that, go to Mail > Preferences.
Disable Open at Login
Is the Mail app only opening automatically while booting up your Mac? That isn't an issue, but rather happens when the app is configured to open at startup.
To stop the Mail app from doing that again, simply right-click the Mail icon on the dock, point to Options, and then uncheck Open at Login.
Alternatively, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items, and then remove Mail from the list of startup items.
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Apple Mail vs Outlook for Mac: Which macOS Email App Is Better
Read MoreBottom Line
Most fixes that stop the Mail app from opening randomly aren't very practical, but they should help you until Apple resolves this issue for good. Hence, make it a point to install the latest updates for your Mac whenever they become available—to do that, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update.
So, know of any other fixes that can stop the Mail app from popping up on the screen all the time? Drop in a comment and let us know.
Next up:Getting bombarded with spam on your Mac? Check out what you can do to protect yourself from that.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next3 Tips to Protect Your Mac Against Spam in MailAlso See#email #troubleshooting
Did You Know
It’s estimated that spammers only get one reply per 12 million sent emails.
More in Mac
Top 5 Fixes for iMessages Not Syncing on Your Mac
Several people are experiencing issues with Gmail (especially G Suite) email accounts in Mail on Mac. It seems that the Mail App is not working as expected for some Gmail users. More specifically, some Gmail users have said that after installing the macOS 10.14.4, and launching the Mail app, some Gmail users are asked to authenticate their email addresses. They get a notification saying:
See also: macOS Mojave Freezes or Stops Responding, Fix
“Enter the password for the account “(null)”: Google requires completing authentication in Safari.” This takes users to a Google web login form. However, shortly after authenticating, the Mail app asks for authentication once again, and again, as the process does not stick and goes into an endless loop.
Please note that we contacted Apple regarding this issue, and we were told that Apple is currently working on a fix.
In the meantime, you can try the following fixes:
1– Changing your Gmail account’s security settings may fix this problem. Open Google’s My Account site (https://myaccount.google.com) and click Security (On the left navigation panel) and then scroll down and find the “Less secure app access” section and turn this on (note that Google recommends this OFF).
See also: Mail App Keeps Crashing
2- Set up your email account using IMAP. Please note that this process will delete your messages and will no longer available on your Mac. But do not worry, your mails will not be removed from Google’s servers, you can still access your mails via gmail.com web site. Here is how:
- Open the Mail App
- Click Mail
- Click Preferences
- Click Accounts
- Select your Gmail account
- And click the (-) remove button
- Now we will re-add your Gmail account
- Before that, let us make sure that IMAP access is enable. If not, you can do that easily. To enable IMAP in Gmail, login into your Gmail web client (gmail.com) and then click Settings:
- Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab
- Select Enable IMAP (IMAP access section)
- And scroll down and click Save.
- Now again in Mail App, choose Mail
- Click Add Account
- Select Google, then click Continue
- Enter your email and click Next
- Enter your password and click Next
- And follow the instructions
If this does not work, try the “Add Other Account” option and add smpt/imap info manually:
- Incoming server: imap.gmail.com
- Outgoing server: smtp.gmail.com
3- Open Safari and go to https://accounts.google.com/b/0/DisplayUnlockCaptcha and then enter your username and password, then enter the letters (captcha) then try again.
4-Please try the following:
- Quit Mail App.
- Open Keychain (Applications > Utilities or Spotlight Keychain)
- Search: google.oa
- Find the accounts that you are having trouble accessing, and delete Keychains
- Now go to https://accounts.google.com
- Sign in with your problematic account
- Click Security (left menu)
- Find the “Third-party apps with account access” section and click “manage third-party access”
- Click macOS and to revoke its access
- Then sign out (https://accounts.google.com)
- On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Internet accounts and re-authenticate your account
- And open your Mail and try again
5-Still having the problem? if so try this:
![Gmail Not Opening In Mail App Mac Gmail Not Opening In Mail App Mac](/uploads/1/3/4/2/134252171/847451298.jpg)
- Download and install Charles (a proxy app): https://www.charlesproxy.com/latest-release/download.do
- Authorize automatic proxy, when asked
- In Charles go to the Help menu and then choose SSL Proxying > Install Charles Root Certificate
- Keychain Access will open. Find the “Charles Proxy…” (you may type Charles to search).
- Double click on it.
- Expand the Trust section and set to “Always Trust”.
- Close the window, enter your password when you are asked.
- In Charles, choose SSL Proxying Settings (Proxy menu).
- Add a new location with Host: people.googleapis.com
- Go to the Tools menu and then choose Rewrite and click Add.
- Add a new location with Host: people.googleapis.com.
- Add a new action:
![Opening Opening](/uploads/1/3/4/2/134252171/558837640.png)
Type: Body
Where: Response
Replace Value: {“names”:[{“metadata”:{“primary”:true},”displayName”:”Your Name”}],”emailAddresses”:[{“value”:”your@email”}]}
- And now on your Mac, open System Settings and Internet Accounts and re-authorize your account.
- Now test to see if it is working, if your issue is resolved now, feel free to remove the Charles app.
Using Mac Mail With Gmail
See also: macOS Mojave Draining Your Mac Battery Life? Here Is How To Fix