How Follow-Up Reminders Work in macOS 13 Mail

Apple Mail in macOS 13 Ventura includes an automated Follow-Up feature designed to ensure important conversations do not slip through the cracks. Using on-device machine learning, the app identifies sent emails that await a response and automatically brings them back to the top of your inbox. This guide explains how the system detects these messages, how to interact with the prompts, and how to manage the setting.

How Follow-Up Detection Works

When you send an email containing language that implies a need for a reply—such as questions, deadlines, or phrases like "let me know" and "thoughts?"—the Mail app's on-device intelligence tags the message internally.

If the recipient does not reply within a few days (typically around three days), the Mail app automatically moves that sent message to the top of your unified inbox. A notification tag labeled Follow Up? appears next to the subject line, reminding you that the thread is still open.

Interacting with a Follow-Up Suggestion

When a message resurfaces with a follow-up prompt, you have a few ways to handle it:

  • Send a Reminder: Click the Follow Up button displayed inside the message preview or header. Mail immediately opens a new compose window with the recipient, subject line, and previous thread pre-filled so you can quickly send a nudge.
  • Dismiss the Suggestion: If you no longer need a response or reached out via another channel, swipe left on the message in your message list or click Dismiss on the banner to remove the reminder. The message will leave the top of your inbox and return to its chronological place in your Sent mailbox.
  • Ignore it: If you take no action, the message will eventually drop down your inbox as newer incoming emails arrive.

How to Turn Follow-Up Reminders On or Off

If you prefer to track your outgoing correspondence manually, you can disable the feature entirely:

  1. Open the Mail app on your Mac.
  2. In the menu bar, click Mail and select Settings (or press Command + ,).
  3. Click the General tab.
  4. Locate the option labeled Turn on message follow-up suggestions.
  5. Check the box to keep the feature active, or uncheck it to turn automatic reminders off.