Perhaps I should have written about this last week, during arguably the most patriotic, flag-waving day of the year, but better late than never. I have long used flags as a way to manage and organize my mail, and I’ve rounded up some helpful tips for those who also appreciate a good Mail flag.
Rename Your Flags
This was a game-changer for me. It’s so simple, and embarrassingly, I didn’t even think to (or know I could) do this for a long time. I use most of the colors for different purposes, and it’s great to have the colors correspond to the message category. All you need to do is right-click on the name of the flag (“Red” for example) and select “Rename Mailbox…”
Change the Icon in iOS
In iOS 7, the Mail app replaced its flag with a circle shape (not sure if this is still the default, but many users noticed this when it was released). If you want the flag shape back, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars and click “Flag Style.” There, you can select “Shape” to see the tiny flag icon again.
Use Rules
I don’t do this for many messages, but it’s especially helpful for one category I use. Go to Mail > Preferences and click on the “Rules” tab. From there, you can flag specific senders, subjects, keywords, and more. For the one rule I use, I add a light green background (in addition to a Green flag) to make the incoming messages extra visible.
Any of you devoted flag users in Mail? Email me your best Mail organization tips!