How to refresh the Mail app if emails are not updating

An overwhelming number of Mac users rely on Mail, and I get why: it's simple and convenient. But even reliable software can run into issues. One of the most common issues is Mail not syncing on Mac, which means recent emails don't show up.

In this article, I'll explain what to do if your email isn't syncing and how to refresh Mail on your Mac to solve the issue. I'll also dive into the "why" — why Mac Mail is not updating — and offer some useful tips to help prevent this problem in the future.

How to refresh Mail on Mac when emails aren't syncing: Quick solutions overview

How to refresh Mail on Mac	What to do
Click the envelope icon	Open the Mail app on Mac → View → Show Tab Bar → Click the icon to complete the refresh.
Use keyboard shortcut or menu option	Press Shift + Command + N. Or open the Mail app on Mac → Mailbox → Get New Mail.
Make sure Mail is online	Open Mail → Check Mailbox → Click Take All Accounts Online. If it doesn't work, check your network with WiFi Explorer.
Update Apple Mail app	Install and open CleanMyMac → Applications → Scan → Manage My Applications → Updater → Mail → Update.
Try Mail alternatives	Use third-party email apps like Spark Mail.

Tip: If you need help with crafting a detailed, thorough email, try this Business Writing AI Assistant (Free).

Why have my emails stopped coming through? 

Most of the time, Mail stops delivering new messages because it loses connection to your email server. Poor Wi-Fi, wrong credentials, or an offline account will halt the sync. Before we move on to troubleshooting, let's briefly overview the common reasons for email not updating: 

• There might be an issue with a server or internet connection
• Your account might be offline or disabled 
• Your Mail app activity might be hampered by firewall 
• You might have blocked the sender or applied some filters that prevent you from seeing certain messages. 
• The username/password/server settings are incorrect
• Infrequent fetch schedule delaying mail delivery

While you can check some of these things to fix Apple Mail issues — for example, take a look at your list of blocked contacts — it's hard to verify most of them. But worry not. Next, I present some universal solutions that will help you refresh Mail on Mac and find all the emails you're missing.

How to refresh Mail: All methods 

The key methods to refresh Mail are to click the envelope icon, to use the keyboard shortcut, and to quit Mail. Try them first, and if they won't help, try other solutions below.

How to refresh Mail using the envelope icon 

The first and easiest thing to try when email is not syncing is to refresh Mail on Mac. Where is refresh button? The envelope icon in Mail is an equivalent to a refresh button: 

1. Open the Mail app on MacBook.
2. Find the envelope icon in the top bar, next to the Create new message icon.
3. If you can't locate the envelope icon, go to View > Show Tab Bar.
4. Click the icon and wait a few seconds until Mail refresh is complete. 

According to Apple Support documentation, this manual refresh checks all configured accounts for new messages.

How to refresh Mail on a MacBook with a keyboard shortcut or menu option 

There are other methods to run a manual refresh of the Mail app. For example, you can use the following keyboard shortcut: Shift + Command + N to refresh your email inbox. Or, you can do the same via the Mail menu. Here's how to refresh email on Mac using the latter method: 

1. Open the Apple Mail app on Mac.
2. Click Mailbox in the menu.
3. Choose Get All New Mail. 

If nothing arrives, quit Mail (Mail > Quit Mail), wait a few seconds, then reopen it — a soft restart often jump-starts stalled sync.

macOS Mail app fails to download messages: What to do?

Still missing new emails? Work through these quick checks:

• Make sure every account is online: Mail > Mailbox > Take All Accounts Online.
• Run Connection Doctor: Window > Connection Doctor. Red indicators mean Mail can't reach the server — double-check your Wi-Fi or server settings. 
• Verify your Mac is actually online. Open Safari and load any webpage to confirm.

Check your network connection

If Connection Doctor shows red lights for your mail server, the next suspect is your network itself. Your Mac may appear connected to the internet while experiencing connection problems. The best way to check this is to run a network connection scan with WiFi Explorer:

1. Open WiFi Explorer via Setapp.
2. View all the active networks available nearby.
3. Click your current network connection and go to Network Details.
4. Make sure your network is not sharing a channel with too many other networks — this could be the reason behind poor Wi-Fi.
5. Check signal strength and quality. If the quality is low, you might need to switch to a different network.

Update the Mail app

Another issue you might be dealing with is an outdated Mail app. You might not see incoming emails even though Mail says there are new messages. The fastest way to update Mail:

1. Open CleanMyMac via Setapp.
2. Click Applications (on the left sidebar) > Scan.
3. Click Manage My Applications > Updater.
4. Select Mail and click Update.

Reset Mail app (advanced)

Another method to fix your Mail app is to reset it using CleanMyMac. This removes cache files that may resolve sync issues.

Important: Before modifying system apps, you need to change a CleanMyMac setting. Open CleanMyMac and go to Settings > Ignore List > Uninstaller. At the bottom, uncheck "Ignore System Applications."

Then follow this guide to reset the Mail app:

1. Open CleanMyMac.
2. Go to Applications and run a scan.
3. Click Manage My Applications.
4. Find Mail and select all its files except binaries.
5. Click Remove.

Tip: Want to declutter your Mail? Go to Cleanup > Scan. Then click Review All Junk > Mail Attachments. Before hitting Clean, review details to check if you're not deleting anything important.

Rebuild your mailbox

If emails still aren't syncing, try rebuilding your mailbox — a feature recommended for sync issues:

1. Open Mail and select the problematic mailbox.
2. Go to Mailbox menu > Rebuild.
3. Wait for the process to complete (this may take several minutes for large mailboxes).

Try an alternative email client for Mac 

If nothing works or you just need a smoother workflow, consider using an alternative email client. 

Spark Mail solves sync issues with reliable email delivery across all your devices, so you won't miss important messages. It is a fast, cross-platform email that filters out the noise – so you can focus on what matters. 

Spark Mail separates priority emails from non-priority ones, highlights priority senders for quick identification, bundles emails from preferred senders for easy access, and much more. My favorite features are Gatekeeper and +AI. The first time someone emails you, Spark's Gatekeeper checks the sender and gives you the option to accept or block future contact from that sender. +AI is an email assistant that helps you create the perfect email in seconds. Rephrase, correct grammar, adjust tone, and more.

What to do if email is not syncing: The ultimate checklist

Let's quickly recap what you should do to fix that annoying "my emails are not updating" issue:

• Learn how to refresh the email app via Mail menu, keyboard shortcut, or the envelope icon.
• Update the email app with CleanMyMac. If necessary, reset or reinstall it.
• Take your account online and check your network connection with WiFi Explorer.
• Try alternative email apps for Mac, such as Spark Mail.
• Install Setapp to save money and time on Mail troubleshooting. Setapp is an app subscription service that gives you access to CleanMyMac, WiFi Explorer, Spark Mail, and dozens of other Mac, iOS, and web apps. Setapp is free for seven days, then $9.99 + tax per month.

That's it! I hope the tips above help you make Mac Mail not syncing the issue of the past.

FAQ