Tech Tip - June - Using iOS Mail

Getting work done on an iPad can take many different forms. Catching up on email is one of the most popular uses for this mobile device. Deciding which email application to use can be one of the more challenging decisions when trying to get the most from this great tool. There is no shortage of excellent email apps in the App Store, but today, I want to share a little about the Apple based mail application that everyone has access to.While there are a lot of useful things that different applications bring to this space, you can accomplish almost anything you need through the native app. Since it is the default system email app (and that cannot be changed at this writing of this article), it is the only application that can do certain things. The most significant benefit of it being built in is that it has integrations with almost any other application you use. That can be especially helpful when trying to send or forward information from within another program you are using.

Getting the most from the Mail app

There are a couple of quick tips to utilize to get the most out of this application. In most cases, these tips will apply whether you are using the email on your iPhone or your iPad. That said, most of the screenshots and suggestions will be focused on using the Mail app with your iPad.Use an external keyboard - Using the email (or any app for that matter) works great with an external keyboard. This is where the iPad shines and truly can become a laptop replacement. With a keyboard attached, you have a world of a keyboard shortcuts, literally at your fingertips. Press and hold the ‘command’ key to see a list of keyboard shortcuts that are available to you. These may change whether you are in the compose window or if you are scrolling through your Inbox.Change your swipe options - In the settings menu, you can select what options are available when swiping on an email. Whatever actions you will use the most should be the long swipe options you assign to the swipe motions. For example, I use ‘archive’ most frequently, so I have that assigned to my ‘swipe right’ action. I can then use this quickly as I work through my Inbox. Alternatively, if you want to have the ability to quickly delete emails as you work through Inbox, setting a quick swipe left to delete is a huge time saver. The swipe options are somewhat limited (that is a downside of the native Mail app) but the options are functional and can be made to work for most people’s needs.Drop and drag email - With the iPad you can grab email messages to drag and drop into other applications as needed. If you like to maintain emails in a separate note application for reference later, this is a good way to achieve that. I find it especially handy for using with my task management. I can grab an email message, drag it into OmniFocus, and then set it up as a task to complete. When the note lands as a task in OmniFocus, it automatically assigns a link back to the original email. This is a huge advantage of using the native email application. This function allows you to move the original message from your email Inbox to another folder or archive and manage it from your Task Manager application. This can be particularly useful in the split screen mode.Slide the compose screen out of the way - this may be a little known trick you can do with the email application. When you are in the email compose window, you can slide it down and then grab other emails or attachments to include in the email you are writing. This is a handy way to multitask within the application. Often I would begin an email, only to remember I needed to include something from another email or refer back to a different message. Since you cannot have two message windows open at the same time, I had to save the email as a draft, then get the information I want to include, copy it, then open the draft back up to attach the item. By swiping the compose window from top to bottom, it moves it out of the way and allows you to grab other information to include in the message you are writing. You can have multiple new messages started at the same time to create multiple open emails, compose windows to work between. This is a convenient benefit of the native mail app.

Manage your email productively

There are several things you can do within the native mail application that can assist in being more productive with your email.Utilize ‘Rules’ (where possible) to manage your Inbox - this can be a handy tip for both work and personal email. You can set up server based rules from your iCloud.com account. This is not available within the app itself but can be done without a computer. Visit iCloud.com, sign in, and navigate to the mail application in iCloud. From there, you can set up the rules you need to help manage your Inbox.Setting up rules let you manage your mail without having to anything. If you always get the same emails (I.e., newsletters), you can have the mail app automatically move that to a specific folder every time you receive it.Setting up folders to help productivity - This is more of a general email productivity tip than one specific to iOS Mail, but using this in conjunction with your swipe options or rules could be a useful way to pair different ideas together for a more efficient email experience. Setting up ‘working folders’ is an excellent way to help you remain productive while prioritizing your email in your Inbox. I set up four or five ‘folders’ to move email into and then work in priority order. Things that need immediate attention go into the ‘Today’ folder. Things that are important, but may not be urgent go into the ‘This Week’ folder. I then use a ‘Follow Up’ folder for items that need action but are not time bound. Finally, I use the ‘Review’ folder that does not necessarily require any action or response and do not have time sensitivity. I also use folders for ‘Quick Reference’ and ‘Awaiting Response’ as ways to keep visibility to email that I know I will use again soon or am expecting a response to them. I work with each folder daily, moving things as needed, and ensuring that I keep up to speed. At the end of the day, the ‘Today’ folder will be empty. The others will vary based on timing and workload.I use these in conjunction with my task manager to work through my email inbox a couple of times each day. My ultimate goal is to limit the amount of time I spend in my Inbox and to ensure that I close out most days with an empty inbox. I may still have email to work, but they are prioritized and organized so I can work through them quickly.As you can see, the native Mail application is quite handy and has several features that can be used to not only manage your email, but do so efficiently and effectively. I do hope that Apple eventually adds some additional power features that can be found in other email applications, but for now, I continue to use the basic mail application as my primary tool for managing email on my iOS devices.How do you stay on top of your email?Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive FREE leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills all at no cost. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.