Use the Apple Mail Activity Window
In OS X Mavericks or later, the Activity window displays the status when sending or receiving mail for each mail account. It’s a quick way to see what may be going on, such as an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server refusing connections, an incorrect password, or timeouts because the mail server can’t be reached. To find the Activity window, select Window > Activity from the menu bar. The Activity window has changed over time. Earlier versions of the Mail app had a more useful and helpful activity window. Still, even with the trend to reduce the information provided in the Activity window, it remains one of the first places to look for issues. The Activity window doesn’t offer a method to correct problems. However, status messages alert you when something goes wrong with your mail service and usually help you figure out what it is. If the Activity window shows problems with one or more Mail accounts, try the other two troubleshooting aids provided by Apple to solve the problem.
Use the Apple Mail Connection Doctor
The Apple Mail Connection Doctor can diagnose problems with Mail. The Connection Doctor confirms that the device is connected to the internet and checks each mail account to ensure that it can connect to send and receive mail. The status for each account displays in the Connection Doctor window. If you can’t connect to the internet, the Connection Doctor allows you to run Network Diagnostics to track down the cause of the problem. Most Mail issues are account-related rather than internet connection related, however. To troubleshoot account issues, the Connection Doctor offers an overview for each account and a detailed log of each attempt to connect to the appropriate email server.
How to Run Connection Doctor
To run the Connection Doctor utility in OS X Mavericks or later, select Window > Connection Doctor from the menu bar. Connection Doctor automatically starts the checking process and displays the results for each account. Connection Doctor checks the ability of each account to receive mail and tests the ability of each account to send mail, so there may be two status listings for each mail account. Any account with a status indicated in red has some type of connection issue. Connection Doctor includes a brief summary of the problem, such as an incorrect account name or password. To find out more about the account issues, view the details of each connection. To view log details in the Connection Doctor: The one problem with the detail display in the Connection Doctor is that the text can’t be searched, at least not from the Connection Doctor window. If you have multiple accounts, scrolling through the logs can be cumbersome. Instead, copy and paste the logs into a text editor, then search for specific account data. But there is another option—the Mail logs, which your system keeps tabs on.
Use Console to Review Mail Logs
While the Activity window provides a real-time look at what occurs as you send or receive mail, the Mail logs go one step further and keep a record of each event. Because the Activity window shows activity in real time, if you glance away or blink, you may miss seeing a connection issue. The Mail logs, on the other hand, keep a record of the connection process.
Enable Mail Logs (OS X Mavericks and Later)
To open the Connection Doctor window in Mail for OS X Mavericks or later, select Window > Connection Doctor from the menu bar, then select the Log Connection Activity check box.
View Mail Logs (OS X Mavericks and Later)
In earlier versions of macOS, Mail logs were viewed in the Console. As of OS X Mavericks, you can bypass the Console app and view the logs with any text editor, including the Console.
Enable Mail Logs (OS X Mountain Lion and Earlier)
In OS X Mountain Lion and earlier, Apple includes an AppleScript to turn Mail logging on. Once it’s turned on, the Console logs keep track of your Mail logs until you quit the Mail application. If you want to keep Mail logging active, rerun the script each time before you launch Mail. To turn on Mail logging:
View Mail Logs (OS X Mountain Lion and Earlier)
Mail logs are written as Console messages that can be displayed in the Apple Console application. Use the Mail logs to find the type of problem, such as rejected passwords, rejected connections, or down servers. After you locate the problem, use Mail to make corrections to the Account settings and run the Connection Doctor again for a quick test. The most common problems are the wrong account name or password, connecting to the wrong server, the wrong port number, or using the wrong form of authentication. Use the logs to check all the above against the information your email provider gave you to set up your email client. If you still have problems, copy the Mail logs that show the problem and ask your email provider to review them and provide assistance.
