If you use Apple’s Mail app on your Mac to read and manage your email, you know that it puts the number of unread emails in a little red circle on the top right of the Mail icon in the Dock. If you’re like most of us, however, that number is usually a.) larger than you want it to be; b.) not very descriptive. How many of those emails are actually for you, personally? Today’s tips shows you how to make that happen.
First up, you’ll need to make a rule in Mail. Launch Mail app, and then click on the Mail menu, then select Preferences. Click on the Rules tab at the top right of the Preferences window. Then, click on the Add rule button. Name it something clever, like “My email,” or “Phyllis.”
Once created, you can then set up the rule. Be sure to choose “any” from the drop down box about the following conditions. Then, one at a time, add the following rules:
Sender is in my Previous Recipients
Sender is in my Address Book
Once that’s taken care of, choose “Mark as Flagged” from the next section, and just flag it with a gray flag. Gray is cool.
Click the OK button and then choose Don’t Apply the rule, as we’re not quite ready yet. Close the preferences window, and head up to the Mailbox menu. Select New Smart Mailbox from there, and name it the same as your Rule. Choose “all” from the dropdown menu about meeting the following conditions, and then add the following rules:
Message is unread
Message has flag (choose the gray flag)
Message is in Mailbox (choose Inbox)
Any recipient contains (type in your email address here)
To complete this awesome tip, head to the Mail menu, choose Preferences, and hit the General tab at the top. Look about halfway down the window, and next to Dock Unread Count, choose the smart mailbox you just created.
Now your Dock badge will only show items that match all those rules above, and you’ll be a happier camper, right?
[Source: Macworld]
