Short answer: In Mail on a Mac, choose View > Sort By, then pick what to sort on (From, Size, Date, Subject and so on) and the order. To sort by sender, choose View > Sort By > From. To find your biggest emails, choose View > Sort By > Size. In column layout you can also Control-click any column header and use its Sort By menu.
These steps are for macOS 27 and work the same way in macOS Tahoe 26, Sequoia 15 and Sonoma 14. Sorting only changes the order of the message list. Nothing is moved or deleted, and you can switch back to newest-first at any time.
How to sort emails in Mail on Mac
- Open Mail and select the mailbox you want to sort, for example your Inbox.
- In the menu bar, choose View > Sort By.
- Choose an attribute, such as From or Size.
- Open View > Sort By again and choose the order, Ascending or Descending. Mail labels the order to suit the attribute, such as Newest Message on Top for dates or Largest Message on Top for size.
The Sort By menu in macOS 27 lists these attributes:
| Sort by | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Orders by the date the message arrived (the default, newest first) | Getting back to normal |
| Date Sent | Orders by the date the sender sent it | Mail that arrived late |
| From | Groups messages by sender name, A to Z or Z to A | Finding everything from one person |
| To | Orders by recipient | Your Sent mailbox |
| Subject | Orders alphabetically by subject line | Threads with a fixed subject |
| Size | Orders by message size, attachments included | Freeing up storage |
| Attachments | Puts messages with attachments together | Finding files |
| Flags | Puts flagged messages together | Follow-ups |
| Unread | Puts unread messages together | Catching up |
| Mailbox | Orders by the mailbox a message is in | Viewing several mailboxes at once |
The menu also includes Remind Me and Send Later.
Sort Apple Mail by sender
Choose View > Sort By > From. Messages line up alphabetically by sender name, so everything from one person sits together. Choose Descending in the same menu to flip it from Z to A.
Two things can make the result look odd. First, Mail sorts on the display name, so a sender who shows up as "Sam Lee" in one message and "sam@company.com" in another can land in two places. Second, with conversations turned on, a whole thread sorts as one row. If you want every single message in sender order, turn conversations off with View > Organize by Conversation (the checkmark disappears).
Mail can't group by sender with headings, the way some apps do. If you only want one sender's mail, a search is faster than a sort: type from: name in the search field and choose a suggestion. For a list that stays put, make a Smart Mailbox with a From condition.
Sort by size to find large emails
Choose View > Sort By > Size, then choose Descending so the largest messages come first. Apple suggests exactly this when a mailbox is running out of space. To see the numbers, turn on View > Show Message Size.
Once you've found the heavy messages, you can delete them, or keep the email and drop the file with Message > Remove Attachments. With IMAP accounts, removed attachments are deleted from the server too, so save any you want first.
Sort by date, oldest first
Mail shows the newest messages at the top by default. To reverse that, choose View > Sort By > Date, then the Ascending order (Oldest Message on Top). Pick Descending to go back. If you need messages from a specific window of time rather than a different order, search for a date range such as 04/02/26 to 04/19/26.
Sorting in column layout
Column layout shows the message list as a table with columns across the window, which makes sorting easier to see. Turn it on with View > Use Column Layout. Then:
- Control-click a column header, choose Sort By, then choose an attribute and a sort order.
- Control-click a column header to add or hide columns, such as Size or Attachments. Apple notes that some columns, including Subject, are always shown.
- Drag a column left or right to reorder it.
Choose View > Use Column Layout again to go back to the standard layout. Older guides tell you to find this under "Use classic layout" in Preferences; that option is now in the View menu.
When sorting isn't enough: filters and categories
Sorting reorders everything. Filtering hides what you don't need. Click the Filter button at the top of the message list or press Command-L to show only unread mail, then choose View > Filter to switch to other filters, such as messages only from VIPs or only to you.
If you're on macOS Sequoia 15.4 or later, Mail may also split your inbox into categories (Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions). Sorting then works inside whichever category is selected, which can make messages look missing. Click the selected category again to see All Mail, or turn categories off with View > Show Mail Categories.
To move mail automatically as it arrives, use rules (Mail > Settings > Rules). For marking messages so they sort together, see our guides to flags in Mac Mail and color coding messages.
Want an inbox that sorts itself?
Disclosure: we make Canary Mail. If you'd rather not sort by hand, an app that sorts mail for you can help. 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, and the triage runs on your device. Tracker blocking is on by default, and your email isn't used to train AI. 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 sort my email by sender in Apple Mail?
Choose View > Sort By > From. Messages are listed alphabetically by sender name. Choose Descending in the same menu to reverse the order.
Can I group emails by sender in Apple Mail?
Not with headings. Sorting by From puts each sender's messages next to each other, which is the closest Mail gets. To see one sender only, search for from: and the name, or make a Smart Mailbox with a From condition.
How do I find the largest emails in Mail on Mac?
Choose View > Sort By > Size, then Descending. Turn on View > Show Message Size to see each message's size in the list.
Why did my Mail sort order change?
Someone (or a stray click) picked a different attribute in View > Sort By. Choose Date and Descending to get newest-first back. If messages seem to be missing instead, check whether a filter or a mail category is on.
How do I sort mailboxes in the Mail sidebar?
Sort By only affects messages. To reorder mailboxes in the sidebar, drag a mailbox to a new spot within its account.
More Mac Mail guides
- How to show full message headers in Mac Mail
- How to unsubscribe from emails in Mac Mail
- How to archive emails in Mac Mail
- Junk mail settings in Mac Mail
- Smart Mailboxes in Mac Mail
- Mac Mail keyboard shortcuts
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): Search for emails (includes Sort emails and Set filters)
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS Sequoia): Sort emails
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS Sequoia): Use column layout
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Delete emails and manage storage
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Read and respond to emails
- Apple: If you can't see your email messages in Mail on Mac
- Apple Mail User Guide (macOS 27): Automatically sort incoming emails