Fix Apple Mail Moving Messages Stuck, Freezes, or Not Working

Users sometimes find that the Mail App in macOS displays the Moving Messages action in the activity window or bar for a prolonged time, and thus conclude Apple Mail is stuck moving messages. Here are a few possible reasons and practical fixes that can help when Mac Mail freezes when Moving Messages.

Indicators of Mac Mail Moving Messages Stuck Error

• The activity window always shows moving messages
• Moving Messages count is stuck on a particular number, e.g., Moving Messages 1 of 2,276
• Email messages cannot be found in the source as well as the destination folder of Mac Mail.
• When you try to close the Mail App, you always get a message like “Mail is currently moving messages.”
• You may get a null error message when trying to move Apple Mail emails from one folder to another.
• Moving bulk messages at once can slow down the process.

This issue is frustrating for the user; it hinders daily tasks and can even cause Mac Mail to slow down.

What does Moving Messages Mean in Apple Mail?

In Apple Mail, you can move messages from one mailbox to another using the built-in Move To option or with drag & drop.

Wherever you move a message in a configured email account (such as Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, Outlook.com, etc.), it needs to get synced with the email (IMAP & SMTP) server. The operation is not entirely local.

Key Reasons: Why Apple Mail Stuck Moving Messages?

There can be a few reasons why macOS Mail’s moving messages get stuck:

• Not able to connect to the server due to internet issues.
• Older cached or corrupted indexes – Causing Mac Mail to be unable to locate mail properly.
• Due to insufficient or limited storage in macOS, Moving Mac Mail messages from an IMAP account to On My Mac can get stuck.
• Folder mapping is not getting synchronized with the server.

Troubleshoot Mac Mail Moving Messages Stuck

Although the error does not always cause data loss, it can create an issue of duplicate messages and temporary missing email due to sync issues.

You can fix the problem by using the troubleshooting steps we’re providing below to help resolve Apple Mail cannot move messages issues in Sequoia, Tahoe, Sonoma, Ventura, or other versions.

Quick Checks Before Trying Advanced Fixes

Fix 1: Force Quit Apple Mail & Safe Mode Restart

Whenever Apple Mail freezes while Moving Messages, you can close the application and stop the process.

Wherever Apple Mail does not close using standard steps, follow the steps below:

1. Press Command + Option + Esc on the keyboard.
2. Choose the Mail App.
3. Confirm to Force Quit.

Then restart Apple Mail in safe mode. Safe mode removes temporary bugs and cached files and hence prevents Apple Mail from freezing when transferring messages.

1. Click on the Apple Logo >> Shut down.
2. Press the Shift key and turn on macOS.
3. Choose Safe Boot when restarting.
4. Go-to Mac Mail and then try moving messages.

Fix 2: Fix the Index Issue in Apple Mail When Moving Stuck Messages

The Mac Mail application enables its users to Rebuild local Mailbox index as well as the Envelope Index whenever there are sync issues or in case the Apple Mail index gets corrupted.

Such unhealthy indexing can cause Apple Mail to be stuck moving messages. Here is how to fix them to resolve the issue.

Step to Rebuild Mailbox Index

1. In the Mac Mail, select the Mailbox (Inbox, Sent, Draft).
2. Go to the Mailbox tab at the top.
3. Select the Rebuild option to fix Mac Mail moving messages stuck.

You need to repeat these steps for both the source and destination mailboxes in Apple Mail.

Steps to Rebuild Mail Database by Recreating Envelope Index

1. Close the Mail Application in macOS.
2. Click on the Finder icon.
3. Press the Command + Shift + G on keyboard to open the Go to Folder.
4. Enter ~/Library/Mail/
5. Select the correct folder based on your macOS version.
6. Open the MailData folder.
7. Delete Envelope Index, Envelope Index-shm, Envelope Index-wal files from the Mail Data Folder.
8. Restart Apple Mail to rebuild.

This is likely to resolve the Apple Mail Stuck Moving Messages issues.

Fix 3: Disable & Re-enable the Mail Account

Disconnecting & reconnecting the configured mail account in Apple Mail from the server re-established the sync error caused over time.

1. Go to System Settings on your Mac.
2. Scroll and select the Internet Settings section from the left panel.
3. Click on a small arrow in front of the required email account.
4. Toggle off Mail option, and after some time, toggle on the Mail settings.

Fix 4: Delete Unnecessary Emails in Mac Mail

Mac Mail moving messages stuck issue can be caused by slow performance, as unnecessary emails like Junk and Trash continue to occupy space. It also removed the corrupted messages that may be the cause of the issue.