Smart vs Classic folders
The sidebar footer Smart | Classic switch is one setting for the whole app, stored on this Mac. It is not per-account. When the sidebar is collapsed, expand it or use the View menu / command palette to change mode.
Smart (default)
Section titled “Smart (default)”Mailboxes (unified across connected accounts):
Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Archive, Trash, Junk.
Smart filters (loaded rows only):
Pinned, Flagged, Snoozed.
The sidebar also has:
- Outbox for pending and scheduled sends on this Mac
- Gatekeeper when that mode is not off
- Accounts
Those Smart rows are views. Opening them does not move mail. Done, Delete, spam, and Snooze still change provider or local state when you use those verbs.
Smart mode does not add sidebar folders named All Inboxes, Unread, Today, This Week, Priority, Newsletters, Notifications, Social, Set Aside, or Scheduled. Set Aside is a bubble. Scheduled sends live in Outbox.
Classic
Section titled “Classic”Classic shows each account’s folders, including custom paths. Use it when a provider rule files mail into a named folder, or when you need the exact server mailbox.
Create, rename, and delete are Classic (and the Mailbox menu). See Create a folder.
Inbox view is a different control
Section titled “Inbox view is a different control”Above the message list you can pick Focused List (default), Unread Cards, or Simple List. Focused List groups people versus newsletters and notifications using local heuristics and any category you set. That grouping is not the sidebar Smart list and not a saved search.
Change the default under Settings → Inbox.
What Smart cannot lose
Section titled “What Smart cannot lose”Smart views do not move mail by existing. Archive and delete still talk to the provider. Not every action is reversible.