Fix: Mail “Select All” Button Missing in iOS 26

With the release of iOS 26, many users have been confused and frustrated to find that the “Select All” button in the Mail app has seemingly vanished. This makes bulk‑managing emails—like deleting all promotions or marking everything as read—a tedious, manual process. As users in an Apple Community discussion have pointed out, this change affects all account types and is made more confusing by the app’s new automatic email categorization feature. The good news is that the button is not gone, but Apple has changed how and where it appears.

Why the “Select All” Button Moved

The change to the “Select All” button is directly related to the new Mail categories introduced in iOS 26. To help users manage high‑volume inboxes, Mail now automatically sorts incoming messages into categories like Primary, Promotions, and Transactions.

Because of this, the “Select All” function has become context‑aware. It is designed to work on an entire mailbox at once, not on a filtered, partial view like the “Promotions” category. To prevent users from accidentally deleting important emails that are hidden in another category, Apple now only shows the “Select All” option when you are viewing every single message in a given inbox.

How to Find and Use the “Select All” Button

Follow these steps to access the “Select All” feature in the redesigned Mail app.

1. Switch to the “All” Category View

This is the primary method for revealing the “Select All” button. You must tell Mail you want to act on the entire inbox, not just a filtered category.

1. Open the Mail app and navigate to the inbox you want to manage.
2. At the top of the message list, you will see the new category filters (e.g., Primary, Transactions, Promotions). Swipe left across these categories.
3. Tap the All category at the end of the list. This ensures you are viewing every email in that inbox.
4. Tap the Select button in the top‑right corner of the screen.
5. The Select All button will now appear in the top‑left corner. Tap it to select every message.

2. Use the “All Inboxes” View

If you want to perform a bulk action on emails from all of your accounts at once, the “Select All” button is also available in the unified All Inboxes view.

1. Open the Mail app and go to the main Mailboxes screen.
2. Tap on All Inboxes at the top.
3. Tap the Select button in the top‑right corner.
4. The Select All button will now be visible in the top‑left.

3. Check for an iOS Update

User feedback on major design changes is common, and Apple sometimes makes adjustments in follow‑up software updates to improve usability. A future update may make this button more accessible.

1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
2. If an update (e.g., iOS 26.0.1) is available, tap Download and Install.

Updating can also resolve other hidden issues—such as the fix cellular data issues that sometimes appear after a major OS upgrade.

4. Force Restart Your iPhone

If the “Select All” button is still missing even after you’ve switched to the “All” view, a minor software glitch may be preventing it from appearing. A force restart can often resolve these types of UI bugs.

1. Press and quickly release the volume up button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume down button.
3. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears, then release it.

If none of these solutions work, contact Apple Support for further assistance.