SOLVED Mac Mail appearances and behaviors

[So Here I Am]

Hi! I'm running Big Sur on a 2014 Mac Air. Everything is up to date.

I'm trying out Mail for the first time, as an alternative to Thunderbird. Several questions:

The email address I use most frequently is the last one I added. So in the sidebar, it's way down the bottom. I'm already finding it tedious to move messages to a folder/"mailbox" I set up under that address. Is there any way to adjust the order of the mailboxes? Right now it's

Email address 1
Email address 2
Email address 3
Email address 4

I'd like to move #4 up to where #1 is. A drag'n'drop effort didn't work.

Question 2:

Going through this morning's crop of mail, I'd swear that when I deleted a message, the next unread email down the list was selected. I'd swear to it! Now when I delete an email, the one above it is selected - one I've already read. So after I delete an email, I have to manually select the next unread one.

How do I set up my preferences so that the next unread email is selected?

Thanks!

 

[So Here I Am]

And now it's started selecting the next unread message again - moving down the list instead of up. I have no idea why; I didn't deliberately change anything, either time.

 

[oldscribe]

Hi,

Possibly have a look here regarding the filtering of unread mail.

https://osxdaily.com/2018/06/14/use-unread-email-filter-mac-mail/

 

[So Here I Am]

Hi, oldscribe - thank you. I'm afraid that doesn't address the order in which the selector moves, up or down.

 

[So Here I Am]

This is so odd - whole answers seem to have disappeared! I apologize for not answering that last reply directly, as I can't see it anymore.

After spending a few days with Apple Mail, I've decided it's the wrong mail app for me. I appreciate the help getting oriented with it!

 

[bargbill]

When viewing mail, If I click on a mail item, I can view the mail where it should be, and then a second view of that mail appears to the left right over the list of incoming items.
I am on Big Sur but it started a couple of versions of OS X.
Where can I turn that troublesome extra view that sits right on top of the list of mails.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

Are you clicking once or double-clicking? If you double-click, it will open an email it its own window.

C

 

[JanetHudgins]

How can I make Mail pages gray and not so hard on my eyes. I've made the text gray but can't find out how to soften the actual page.
Appreciate your help.