Mail practically unusable after 18.2 - is it possible to revert update?

I used to use the Mail app on my iPhone for email before the "upgrade" also. I see how much more aesthetically pleasing the screen looks without the words (the rich black emptiness is stunning in dark mode!) but really Apple, the words sent to me via email are much much more important than the glossy profile picture of the sender. There should be an option to see words for old school email readers like myself who still find words meaningful. I'm only experiencing 99% loss of functionality, as you can just open each email to see what it's about and then use the 'mark as unread' function until you get to an important one, then simply read it as you ordinarily would have. Make sure you have lots of extra time to waste, though. I tend to not have a lot of extra time to waste, which is why I used to read email on my phone, it was a productivity application for me. I was literally able to get more accomplished when I had my email available on my phone too. Now I have a pretty vacant Mail app. Not impressed by what the geniuses of Apple Intelligence are up to.

Hundreds of emails a day to many inboxes. Apple Mail was a powerful tool on iOS. Need a replacement that can do what Mail was capable of on an iPhone asap! Anyone know of an app that can do what Mail used to do? I need preview text not a screen full of identical logos or the odd contact’s profile picture. What is the subject line? The first sentence? Email 1 and Email 2 up to Email 200 is what I get as preview! Algorithms dictate that the important emails get hidden now on iOS and the spam prioritization is sick business so if I can’t get to my desktop I’m puking by the time I get 1% through. Soon this will happen on MacOS too?

The display of emails is awful. I do not want the app deciding which messages to display. I want my unread messages displayed in my inbox by date along with new message. Apple has taken a simple application that's worked just fine and made it a nightmare. I've missed several bill payments because apple thinks it knows a better way to display my mail. How can I restore the old settings.

Apple the U S Post office thanks you for the last update. You have made mail app so useless that people will go back to paper snail mail as the better more efficient alternative. Does anyone actually test these upgrades before unleashing them on the public? How can we go back?

I hate the new mail app update as well. On the phone the new icons are so big that you can barely see any of the address or subject line so it’s impossible to quickly delete spam and things you don’t need. I am so frustrated.

The new iOS downloaded last night! It’s dreadful!! A complete pain effectively searching for mail that has arrived!! Why change something that doesn’t need changing? As others have said, I want to sort my own mail and not be told what is important or relevant. Now going to see if there is a way of reverting!!!

Using the buttons in the upper right can get you to a better view. But for some reason, the view keeps changing. To whoever said ‘Nobody’s forcing anybody to do anything.’ My comment is you have to understand that for some of us technology is a little bit more confusing than others and we all need to be patient and kind. I find it a terrible challenge and I’m often missing important emails like bills. Apple took a system that worked and made it a system that works best for people under 65 and if you can’t have any sympathy for older folk or people who are less computer savvy, then you’ve got a real problem.

Mail is horrible now so tired of Apple messing up stuff that works because they are running out of ideas. Now in Mail I am missing important mail. The mail no longer show you have new mail I hate it they need to really fix this problem immediately.

Wildcat Gary wrote:

Apple just does not get it!! They keep changing things and complicating matters when people are quite used to them. they are not the expert in knowing what we want – get it AppleLeave the **** programs alone and let people rest. It’s time for everybody to rise up and start buying android devices now. Apple does not listen to you. They do whatever they want and they don’t give a **** how it affects people.

Apple doesn't read here in this use-to-user forum for feedback or suggestions. You can, however, let them know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

I suspect you'll get taken more seriously if you leave out all the asterisks.

Thank you for the information. Yes, the update to iOS has rendered the mail app hot garbage. I'm glad I know how to turn on list view, but THAT should be the default. I have missed vital emails due to the changes. The mail app has become a headache, making me consider changing my phone to Android or Pixel for the first time in 10 years. While I appreciate that we can choose to view in list view, the mail app has been rendered a horror show. I often opt out of even using email on my phone because of the hot garbage this app has become. Great job, Apple.

DorianR wrote:

I was not aware of the release notes, so Apple could make this more clear. You might consider being more polite and less critical when you offer help.

In what way was Lawrence Finch less than polite? He gave you factual information. In fact, it was information of which you were unaware. The polite response would have been "Thank you."

DorianR wrote:

I was not aware of the release notes, so Apple could make this more clear. You might consider being more polite and less critical when you offer help.

There is a link to the release notes on the Software Update page.

As of 2/26/25, the most recent update is terrible. While categories can be turned off, I find that I still have missing messages. Sincerely wish there was an option to turn this new feature off entirely OR have it TRULY SHOW ALL MAIL rather than pretend to show all mail…only for me to have important emails missing that i find in my individual email account. please, Apple, stop fixing what really isnt broken.

Its awful. Even in “list view” the icons take so much space that you cannot easily peruse your mail. Too time consuming. I dont even bother looking at email on my phone anymore. Might as well delete the app and go through icloud on the browser.

I am losing a lot of emails since the update to 18.3.1 it would have been nice to have been asked if I wanted this. I have found that emails can be located in certain headings but when I select all mail or revert to list view a lot of emails are lost. I want ALL my emails in one. I don’t want to have to look through every group to find an old email. Apple would have been better designing a proper anti spam function so you can highlight a junk email so you never get it again and leaving the rest alone.