apple mail in downloading loop

apple mail has progress bar running continuously saying it's downloading hundreds of messages (which I don't think exist). When i called apple support, they had me delete my mail accounts and rebuild them which took days and many hours to fix in order to get my mail back. But, the downloading progress bar hasn't stopped. I'll attach a screenshot

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Oct 27, 2025 10:43 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 27, 2025 11:04 AM

The loop is often caused by a single, large, or corrupted email.

  • Access Mail via Webmail: Log in to your email provider's website (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, etc.) using a web browser.
  • Look for Recent or Large Emails: Check the Inbox for the most recent emails. If you suspect a specific message (especially one with a large attachment), try deleting it from the web interface.
  • Check Other Folders: The corrupted message might be in the Junk/Spam or Sent folders.
  • Wait and Test: After deleting the potential culprit, wait a few minutes and check if Mail stops the loop.


8 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 27, 2025 11:04 AM in response to Donna Penn

The loop is often caused by a single, large, or corrupted email.

  • Access Mail via Webmail: Log in to your email provider's website (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, etc.) using a web browser.
  • Look for Recent or Large Emails: Check the Inbox for the most recent emails. If you suspect a specific message (especially one with a large attachment), try deleting it from the web interface.
  • Check Other Folders: The corrupted message might be in the Junk/Spam or Sent folders.
  • Wait and Test: After deleting the potential culprit, wait a few minutes and check if Mail stops the loop.


apple mail in downloading loop

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