Short answer: To change how many lines of each email Mac Mail shows in the message list, choose Mail > Settings > Viewing and pick None or 1 to 5 lines in the List preview menu. The other view options live in the View menu: Use Column Layout switches to a column list, Show Side Preview or Show Bottom Preview moves the reading pane, and Show Contact Photo, Show To/Cc Label and Show Mail Categories change what each row shows.
Steps are for macOS 27 and are the same on macOS Tahoe 26 and Sequoia 15 (Mail categories arrived in Sequoia 15.4). On Sonoma 14 and Ventura 13 the list preview and layout options are the same, without categories.
How to change the list preview in Mac Mail
- In Mail, choose Mail > Settings.
- Click Viewing.
- Open the List preview menu and choose None, 1 Line, 2 Lines, 3 Lines, 4 Lines or 5 Lines.
- Close the window. The message list updates right away; there's nothing to save.
None gives you the most messages on screen, with just the sender and subject. Two lines is a good middle ground if you triage from the list without opening every email.
If your preview shows a short summary instead of the first lines of the email, that's Apple Intelligence. To see the actual text again, deselect Summarize Message Previews in the same Viewing tab. The option only appears on Macs where Apple Intelligence is available and turned on.
Does Apple Mail have a preview pane?
Yes. In the standard layout, the message list sits next to a preview area that shows the selected email. Drag the divider between them to give either side more room. If you prefer a classic list with columns, choose View > Use Column Layout. Then:
- Choose View > Show Side Preview to put the message to the right of the list, or View > Show Bottom Preview to put it underneath.
- Control-click a column header to add or remove columns, such as Size or Muted. Conversation, Status and Subject are always shown.
- Control-click a column header and choose Sort By to change the sort order, or drag columns to reorder them.
Column layout shows one row per message, so the List preview lines don't appear there; switch back to the standard layout to see them. Top Hits also aren't shown when you search in column layout. Choose View > Use Column Layout again to go back.
Other Mac Mail view options
These settings change what you see in the message list. Most are in the View menu in the menu bar; contact photos, categories and priority messages are also in the View Options button above the list.
| Option | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Show Contact Photo | View menu | Shows the sender's contact photo next to each message |
| Show To/Cc Label | View menu | Marks messages where you were in the To or Cc field |
| Show Mail Categories | View menu | Splits the inbox into Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions |
| Show Priority Messages | View menu | Shows messages Apple Intelligence thinks are urgent at the top |
| Organize by Conversation | View menu | Groups replies into one thread instead of separate rows |
| Sort By | View menu | Sorts by date, sender, subject, size and more |
| Display unread messages with bold font | Mail > Settings > Viewing | Bolds unread mail in column layout |
| Highlight messages with color when not grouped | Mail > Settings > Viewing | Colors the messages of a thread when conversations are off |
Categories aren't available in every region or language. For sorting choices, see how to sort emails in Mac Mail, and for flag and rule colors, color coding in Mac Mail.
Make the list easier to read
The size of the text in the list is a font setting, not a view option. Choose Mail > Settings > Fonts & Colors and raise the size of the Message list font. Our guide to fonts and text size in Mac Mail covers the rest, and you can hide the sidebar (Control-Command-S) for a wider list.
Want an inbox that sorts itself?
Disclosure: we make Canary Mail. Mail's view options change how the list looks, but you still read every row to find what matters. Canary Mail is an email app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android that works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and other IMAP accounts. The free plan covers unlimited accounts on 2 devices with AI inbox sorting. The Growth plan ($36 a year) adds AI writing and summaries, read receipts, send later and a calendar on up to 5 devices. There's a 7-day trial, and paid plans are yearly or lifetime. More than 2 million people use it, and Apple has featured it on the App Store and the Mac App Store.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the view layout in Apple Mail on Mac?
Choose View > Use Column Layout to switch between the standard layout and a column list. In column layout, View > Show Side Preview or Show Bottom Preview sets where the message appears.
How do I show more of each email in the message list?
Choose Mail > Settings > Viewing and set List preview to up to 5 lines. Previews don't show in column layout.
Why does Mail show a summary instead of the email text?
Summarize Message Previews is on. Deselect it in Mail > Settings > Viewing to see the first lines instead.
How do I increase the view size in Mac Mail?
Raise the Message list font size in Mail > Settings > Fonts & Colors, and press Command-Plus to enlarge the email you're reading.
How do I turn off categories in Apple Mail?
Choose View > Show Mail Categories to remove the checkmark, or use the View Options button above the message list.
More Mac Mail how-tos
- How to sort emails in Mac Mail
- How to change fonts and text size in Mac Mail
- How to customize the Mac Mail sidebar and Favorites
- How to customize the Apple Mail toolbar
- Apple Mail keyboard shortcuts and how to change them
- Apple Mail dark mode
Other Mac Mail fixes
- Mac Mail not opening or freezing
- Mac Mail keeps crashing
- Mac Mail not sending emails
- Messages stuck in the Outbox
- Mac Mail not receiving emails
- Mac Mail inbox not updating
- Mac Mail can't connect to the server
- "Unable to verify account name or password"
- Mac Mail not showing attachments
- Mac Mail not showing images
- Mac Mail search not working
Sources
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Change Viewing settings
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS Sequoia): Use column layout
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Read and respond to emails
- Apple: If you can't see your email messages in Mail on Mac (categories)
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Change Fonts & Colors settings
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Keyboard shortcuts