This article explains how to turn off preset rules that highlight some messages in Mail, Apple’s built-in email client. In particular, messages coming from Apple are often highlighted in blue. We’ll also show you how to remove any existing highlights.

What to Know

  • Open Mail and go to Mail > Preferences. Go to the Rules tab and look for any highlighting rules, which will also be highlighted in this list.To remove a rule, select the rule and then choose Remove. Select Edit to change the rule, including using a different highlight color.To remove highlighting, select a highlighted message and go to Format > Show Colors. Click the color palette and select White.

Turn off Message Highlighting

Here’s how to find and remove any preset Mail highlighting rules, including a rule that highlights Apple messages in blue.

  • In the Mail app, select Mail > Preferences.
  • Go to the Rules tab.
  • Look for rules such as News From Apple, or Apple News, or something similar. Any highlighting rules also will be highlighted in this list.
  • To remove a rule, select the rule and then choose Remove.
  • Select Edit to change the rule, including using a different highlight color.
  • In the dialog that appears asking if you’re sure, select Remove again.
  • You’ve removed the rule and will no longer receive highlighted messages from that sender.

Remove Highlighting in Existing Messages

If there are highlighted messages in your inbox, it’s easy to remove the highlighting effect and return them to a white background.

In the Mail app, select Mail > Preferences.

Go to the Rules tab.

Look for rules such as News From Apple, or Apple News, or something similar. Any highlighting rules also will be highlighted in this list.

To remove a rule, select the rule and then choose Remove.

Select Edit to change the rule, including using a different highlight color.

In the dialog that appears asking if you’re sure, select Remove again.

You’ve removed the rule and will no longer receive highlighted messages from that sender.

  • Select a highlighted message in your inbox. To select a range of messages, hold down the Shift key.
  • Select Format > Show Colors from the menu bar.
  • In the color box that appears, select the color palette from the top, and then select White.
  • The selected email messages will no longer be highlighted.

Select a highlighted message in your inbox. To select a range of messages, hold down the Shift key.

Select Format > Show Colors from the menu bar.

In the color box that appears, select the color palette from the top, and then select White.

The selected email messages will no longer be highlighted.

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