How to remove Category icons in iOS 18.2 Mail?

I don’t want icons, I do want contact photos!

I think the programmers who come up with these updates get bored and don’t ask anyone if this would be a plus or minus. This one was definitely.👎 Thank you for the help!

Thanks. It is stupid that Apple turns on features that people then need to research how to turn off.

Even after switching back to list view I notice there is background “categorizing” going on. I imagine this is using up processing power and I can see it slowing down my other mail features like search, general scrolling, etc. it’s also performing what Apples algorithms determine are how my emails should be categorized, which many have already pointed out are completely inaccurate and annoying.

This feature reminds me of when spotlight reads and tags all data on a Mac computer. There needs to be an option to disable this feature. This is our data in devices we pay tremendous prices for. Give us control or we will find better options to these lame ideas and products.

@rosefromulster

You’re the best! Thank you for the help!

KeauxKeaux wrote:

Open the 1. Settings

etc

Didn’t you notice that you just repeated the contents of the Top Ranking Reply that has appeared on every one of the 12 pages of this thread?

This no longer works, now when you open the inbox tap the three dots in the upper right hand corner and choose list view. Unfortunately, if you have a half a dozen or more email accounts, like I do, you have to do it for each one, but once you do it the changes not one single Apple customer likely asked for have been reverted.

It would be one thing if the icons meant anything. But there doesn't seem to be any consistency of how they are applied. Same with categories, they aren't very useful to me. Maybe if we could assign the correct icon to the sender ourselves. But as it is now, it's just useless clutter.

wdvittori wrote:

Should be an option to add, not default. Btw, the categories that were chosen made absolutely no sense at all.

Interesting. They are the same categories gmail forces on you, with no way to opt out.

In general, when Apple adds new features they default them to on, otherwise the 99% of users who never read release notes won’t know those features have been added.

This doesn’t solve the problem, it just replaces it with a different issue. I want to keep the contact photos and get rid of the Apple generated icons for categories. If I get a message from a trusted contact it was much easier to identify previously, now it’s grouped in a category with a badly designed graphic in ugly colors.

There are 2 different new features in Mail: Category icons, and message categories.

To disable icons, see this post in this thread:How to remove Category icons in iOS 18.2 … - Apple Community

To turn off message categories, on any inbox tap the ⋯⃝ in the upper right, then tap List View.

Thanks a lot. Quite illogical switch to turn off…

What is Apple thinking?!!

“Show Contact Photos” option in Mail settings does not show my “Contact Photos!”

Get rid of those gross icons!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been searching for the same solution to this as the "noise" of the icons has been driving me nuts! This worked!

The first problem with the category icons is the very limited number of categories and therefore a very crude allocation which serves no purpose. If it distinguished between an unwanted promotion and confirmation of a delivery timetable for example that would be helpful. And showing photographs where there is an actual image and or where the sender is in your contacts would also be helpful. This would make for a slightly irregular layout with some messages having an icon and some not but that would help you sift the important one.

This looks like the most basic application of AI and whoever allowed this to be released in this ultra simplistic and meaningless format Should be told off (not wishing to resort to hyperbole in public discussion)