The Apple Mail application, also known as Mac mail, is an efficient and secure email program. Moving messages may sometimes cause Apple Mail to freeze. Syncing and performing its function do not appear to be working for the software.
You will have to restart the program to fix the issue. Have you asked yourself: Why is my Apple Mac Mail stuck on moving messages? Here are the troubleshooting solutions you can try if you’re having the same problem.
Why Moving messages in Apple Mail is not working?
Moving Messages stuck in Mac mail may have the following causes:
- The synchronization of Apple Mail is incorrect.
- A user’s mailbox size increases when it’s been used for a long time.
- Email folders for drafts, junk, trash, and sent emails cannot be assigned when transferring emails.
Best ways to Fix Apple Mail Not Moving Messages
You can delete the Target Folder in iCloud
Several users reported getting around this issue by deleting the target folder from iCloud, instead of from Mail. The iCloud app receives a notification that the folder has been deleted.
Therefore, Apple Mail demonstrates a different error message after concluding that the email cannot be moved. By replacing Moving Messages with the new error, the entire situation is opened.
The Mail messages you don’t want to appear in iCloud can be removed after this step. Check if it works by moving a small batch of emails. Before moving additional emails, make sure you backup your data and mailboxes.
However, if you are still unable to fix Apple Mail slow downloading messages issue, you can try the following method:
- The first step is to close the application.
- Next, open the Mail app.
- From the menu bar, select File option.
- Click Quit Mail to proceed.
- Hold the shift key while restarting Apple Mail.
- When Mac OS doesn’t end the start option, try to open it in safe mode.
- Also, verify whether the application works or not.
- If you do not find any problems with it, reboot it and use your account.
Get rid of Envelope Index files in Apple Mail
If you are experiencing this issue, you might want to rebuild Apple Mail’s database:
- Open Finder after closing Mac Mail.
- In this case, press the option key while holding back the Menu key to show the library option on the screen.
- Next, select the V8 version from the Mail Folder.
- Delete all the Envelope Index-related filters in the Mail Data Folder.
- Ensure that the Mac Mail application library is also cleared.
- To remove com.apple.mail, move to the library, then click on saved Application state.
- In the final step, you need to reopen the Mail app, wait for the migration to complete, and then close it.
Boot Into Safe Mode

How to Boot into Safe Mode on an Intel CPU Mac
· Turn off your Mac and restart it.
· Keep the Shift key pressed when restarting the device. The Shift key must be held down while the Mac is still booting.
· You will see the login window appear after a moment. You can now release the Shift key.
· Sign in by entering your credentials. When you sign in, you will see the Safe Boot notification.
The steps to boot Apple silicon Macs into Safe Mode
· Restart your computer
· Press the power button for 10 seconds. While the Mac is restarting, continue holding the power button.
· Once Startup options appear, release the power button.
· You’ll need to select your startup disk and select Safe Mode while holding Shift.
· Log in and see if the Mail problem has been resolved in Safe Mode.
Fix IMAP Account
Apple Mail moving messages stuck error can be fixed in a few ways:
· Go to the Mail application.
· From the Mail tab, select Preferences.
· Choose the Accounts tab under Preferences, then select the appropriate mail account.
· Click on the Server Settings icon, then Advanced IMAP Settings.
· Fill out the IMAP Path Prefix field with inbox.
· By clicking on Mailbox Behaviors, you can choose a Subfolder for the Inbox of the mailbox.
You can quickly move your Mac Mail messages now that the problem with stuck messages has been fixed. If users follow the instructions outlined above, their IMAP email accounts can work successfully.
Rebuild the Mailbox
- Open the Apple Mail program on your computer or mobile device.
- Click the Mailbox tab and then pick the Rebuild option.
It may take a while for this process to complete. Depending on how many emails you have in your Inbox or Sent Items, it takes a certain amount of time.
NVRAM Reset
- The first thing you need to do is shut down your computer.
- If you have a Mac, you can use the Command, P, R buttons. You can do this until the boot process is complete.
- When you hear the startup tone, you can release the pressed button.
- Whenever you see a logo on your screen, deselect the keys if you have an Apple T2 Security Chip Mac.
Migration/Backup of Mail Data
Apple Mail stores email messages in MBOX format. Email messages are stored in Apple Mail EMLX files. However, one may choose to switch to another email application like Outlook or Gmail due to some circumstances.
Thus, using the MacSonik MBOX Converter would also be useful in fulfilling this task. Apple Mail MBOX files can be converted to multiple formats including OST, PST, PDF, EML, CSV, and PDF. It is the most trusted and error-free converter for Mac.
In addition, you can import MBOX files into Outlook, Google Gmail, Live Exchange, and Hotmail. The program also fixes mac mail search problems on your computer.
Conclusion
When moving emails, move a limited number of attachments at a time, so that Apple Mail doesn’t get stuck moving messages again. Don’t move more than 25 emails at once.
Delete the target folder from iCloud and rebuild Apple Mail’s database if Apple Mail is having trouble moving messages. I hope following the solutions listed above would help you solve this issue.