This article explains how to select an email address to send messages from in Apple Mail. If you use one address more than the others, you can set it as the default.

What to Know

  • In a new message, select From and choose the desired email account from the list.To change the default address, select Mail > Preferences > Composing, and choose the email address you want to use.

How to Send a Message From a Different Account in Apple Mail

Mail stores one email account as the default. This address is the one that appears automatically every time you create a new email message. To change the account or address used for sending a message in the Mail application in Mac OS X or macOS:

  • With the Mail app open, create a new message in Mail by selecting New Message under the File menu. You can also create a new message by clicking the New Message button in Mail or by pressing Command+N on your keyboard.
  • Click on the From drop-down menu right below the Subject field of the email.
  • Select the desired email account from the list.
  • Keep writing your email. When you click Send, it will go from the email you selected.

How to Change the Default Email Address

If you find you are changing to an account more often than you are using the default, make the most frequently used address the default instead. To change the default address for use in the From field:

With the Mail app open, create a new message in Mail by selecting New Message under the File menu. You can also create a new message by clicking the New Message button in Mail or by pressing Command+N on your keyboard.

Click on the From drop-down menu right below the Subject field of the email.

Select the desired email account from the list.

Keep writing your email. When you click Send, it will go from the email you selected.

  • Click Mail > Preferences from the Mail application menu bar.
  • The keyboard shortcut is Command+, (comma).
  • Select the Composing tab.
  • Next to Send new messages from, select the email address you want to use as the new default or select Automatically select best account.
  • When you select Automatically select best account, the Mail application chooses the best account based on the mailbox you are using. For example, if you are replying to an email from your Gmail inbox, the Mac selects a Gmail address for the From field.
  • When you create a new message, Mail automatically populates the From field with the default address you chose.

Click Mail > Preferences from the Mail application menu bar.

The keyboard shortcut is Command+, (comma).

Select the Composing tab.

Next to Send new messages from, select the email address you want to use as the new default or select Automatically select best account.

When you select Automatically select best account, the Mail application chooses the best account based on the mailbox you are using. For example, if you are replying to an email from your Gmail inbox, the Mac selects a Gmail address for the From field.

When you create a new message, Mail automatically populates the From field with the default address you chose.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day