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iPad User Guide

Search for email in Mail on iPad

You can search for email messages using different criteria.

👁 A message is open in the Mail app, and search terms are being typed in the screen’s sidebar.

Search for text in an email

  1. Go to the Mail app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. Tap 👁 the Search button
    to reveal the search field, then type the text you’re looking for.

  3. Choose between searching all mailboxes or the current mailbox above the results list.

  4. Tap a message in the results list to read it.

Mail searches the address fields, the subject, the email body, documents, and links. The most relevant messages appear in Top Hits above the search suggestions as you type.

Tip: To quickly find travel booking confirmations for flights and hotels, enter the three-letter airport code or the city name.

Search by timeframe

  1. Go to the Mail app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. Tap the search field of a mailbox list.

  3. Enter a timeframe, like “September,” then tap 👁 the calendar suggestion button
    to see all emails from that timeframe.

    To narrow the search, tap the search field again, then enter a keyword, like “meeting.”

Tip: Refine your search by timeframe using the Date, Before, or After options above the message list.

Search by email attributes

  1. Go to the Mail app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. In a mailbox, tap the search field.

    Before you begin typing, you may see suggested recent searches, recent documents, and links listed.

  3. Enter your search criteria, then tap one of the listed items, or do any of the following:

    • Find all flagged messages: Enter “flag” in the search field, then tap “Message is flagged” below Suggestions.

    • Find all unread messages: Enter “unread” in the search field, then tap “Message is unread” below Suggestions.

    • Find all message with attachments: Enter “attachment” in the search field, then tap “Messages with attachments” below Suggestions.

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