The Apple Mail app is your central hub for staying updated, but navigating its interface can sometimes be complicated. Hidden amongst your emails are various icons and symbols, each carrying a specific meaning and function. This guide will break down every essential Apple Mail app icon and symbol and what they mean and do.
Table of Contents
Apple Mail Home Screen Icons Meaning
When you open the Apple Mail app, you’ll land on your inbox. You’ll find several key icons that provide quick access to various functions and categories. Here’s a breakdown:
- Three Dot Menu (•••) Icon: Tap to access options for customizing your mail view and managing settings.
- Microphone Icon: Searching emails in your inbox using voice typing.
- Promotions (Speaker Phone/Bullhorn) Icon: Shows emails containing deals, offers, and marketing content.
- Updates (Message Bubble with Dot) Icon: Shows emails related to news, social media updates, and subscriptions. You will also see a similar Purple Message Bubble with a Dot and clock Icon next to your mail, indicating the individual mail category, and the Clock signifying a time-sensitive update.
- Transactions (Cart with Dot) Icon: Displays emails related to receipts, orders, and delivery confirmations. You will also see a Green Cart with a Dot and clock Icon next to your mail, indicating the individual mail category, and the Clock signifying a time-sensitive update.
- Unread Message (Blue Dot) Icon: Indicates an email that has not been opened or read.
- Turning Right Arrow With 2 Lines: Indicates that Apple Intelligence has analyzed the mail and generated a summary.
- Attachment (Paper Clip): There is an attachment with this mail.
- Filter (Three Lines in Circle) Icon: Filter your inbox to view only unread messages.
- New Message (Pencil in Box) Icon: Create and send a new email.
Apple Mail Avatars/Profile Icons
The Apple Mail app also displays various avatars or profile icons next to each email for a visual representation of the sender.
Note: These icons are automatically assigned by Apple and may not always be entirely accurate. Here’s a quick guide:
- White Star on Pink Background Icon: Often used for important emails, such as security alerts or verification codes from platforms like Google or LinkedIn.
- Shopfront on Lavender Background Icon: For commercial or shop-related emails. As we saw in most of the mails, it is mostly assigned incorrectly. Like for example, in the above screenshot, it is showing this for the career mail.
- Set of Buildings on Pale Blue Background Icon: Indicates emails from companies, offices, or organizations.
- Company Logo Icon: Displays the company’s logo if available, like Apple, Facebook, or Instagram emails.
- White Plane in Green Box Icon: Represents travel-related emails.
- Letters (Initials) Icon: Assigned to emails from senders that Apple Mail cannot readily identify, showing the sender’s name initials.
- Profile Icon: Used for emails from unknown individuals or “no-reply” addresses.
- Fork and Knife in Light Brown Box Icon: Represents emails related to food, such as those from restaurants or food delivery services.
- Shopping Bags in Dark Yellow Box Icon: Represents emails related to shopping and retail, such as order confirmations or promotional offers from stores like Decathlon.
New Message Icons Meaning
When composing a new email, you’ll encounter the following icons:
- Send (Up Arrow in Blue Circle) Icon: Send your composed email.
- Choose From Contact (Blue Color Plus in Circle) Icon: Add a recipient from your contact list.
- Format (“Aa”) Icon: Select text formatting options and other text-related settings.
- Writing Tools (DNA in Circle with Pencil) Icon: Represents writing tools by Apple Intelligence. Tapping it provides options like “Proofread,” “Rewrite,” “Compose,” and other advanced writing features.
- Attach (PaperClip) Icon: Attach files, photos, or other documents to your email.
- Drawing (Pencil) Icon: Open the drawing tools, allowing you to add hand-drawn sketches, diagrams, or annotations.
We have covered more in depth about these Icons above the keyboard in our Icons and Symbols Meaning on Apple Reminders and Notes App article.
Meaning of Icons Inside Email
When viewing an individual email, you’ll find the following icons:
- Previous Mail (Blue Up Arrow) Icon: Navigate to the previous email in your inbox.
- Next Mail (Blue Down Arrow) Icon: Navigate to the next email in your inbox.
- Archive Mail (Box with Lid) Icon: Archive the email or tap and hold to reveal the option to delete it.
- Move Mail (Folder) Icon: Move the email to a different mailbox.
- Reply (Turning Left Arrow) Icon: Reply to the email, with additional options like “Reply All,” “Forward,” and more.
Other Icons in Apple Mail
Let’s explore a few more icons you might encounter within the app.
- Lightning Bolt/ “N” Icon: This icon indicates that your Apple Mail account is offline. When this symbol is present next to a mailbox or email, you will be unable to receive new messages or send emails. It’s a visual cue that you need to check your internet connection to restore mail functionality.
Here are some more Apple Mail app icons we found:
| Icon Image | Icon Name | Icon Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Not Junk button (Up Arrow in a Box with lid) Icon | Marks a wrongly identified junk email as “Not Junk,” moving it to your inbox. |
 | Junk Button (Cross in Box with Lid) Icon | Mark’s email as “Junk,” moving it to the junk mailbox. |
 | Blocked Sender (Red Slash in a Circle) Icon | Indicates a sender you’ve blocked, with a banner on their emails. |
And there you have it! By understanding these key icons and symbols, you can transform your Apple Mail experience from a source of frustration to a Mail app worth considering.
Check out our other guides for more icon and symbol meanings across your favorite apps in the links below!
- What Icons and Symbols Mean on Apple Fitness App? Complete Guide
- What Find My App Icons and Symbols Mean? Complete Guide
- What Do iPhone Status Bar Icons and Symbols Mean (Complete Guide)
