Mail gets an upgrade in iOS 5

Along with notification changes, twitter integration, and tons of new APIs - the iOS mail app will get some welcome additions as well.

New features include:

  • New keyboard - you can split it up! (iPad only most likely)
  • Rich text editing (about time!)
  • Indentation control
  • Draggable addresses
  • Built in dictionary (iOS wide - tap a word and click define to bring up the dictionary - I still want to be able to add entries)
  • Search entire content of messages
  • Flag messages

Hit the jump for a few more screens! More as we hear it!

[Image via Engadget]

Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.

13 Comments
  • Flag for follow-up, eh? That's one of the few things holding me to my BlackBerry...
  • They didn't say anything about conversation view like they did for Lion. Think we'll see it in iOS 5?
  • It is alrady in iOS.
  • The current conversation view only shows the received emails. Is there a way for it to show the emails I send as well (like in gmail), or am I missing something?
  • I use imap with Gmail, and therefore can use the threaded view when looking at the "all mail" folder to see sent and received messages together. If your mail server doesn't have a folder that shows both inbox and sent messages together, then this wouldn't work for you.
  • Thanks pat. When I go into the All Mail folder, it does show the entire conversation. Unfortunately, I sync multiple email accounts with my iphone, so it makes more sense for me to use the All Inboxes folder, which only shows received mail in conversation view. Oh well.
  • I want to be able to already add an attachment from within the mail app not having to go to the app itself.
  • That one is probably TOO much of a change in philosophy for Apple.
  • What is their philosophy? Do they not want attaching this that and everything,is that what you mean??
  • It wasn't mentioned, but I so much hope that POP accounts (at least) get header filtering and folders. I work account is POP only and 80% of the content is spam. Desktop clients like Thunderbird read my company's mail server inserted headers and remove all but one or two spams a day (out of over 100 actually received in my case).
    Please, Apple, please!!!
  • Still no group email functionality?? WTF!! This is turning into another cut and paste debacle.
  • How about adding attachments through emails rather than sending the email by clicking the attachment first. All other smartphones do it.
  • Would love to see mail account specific auto sig.