In newer (but not necessarily improved!) versions of Mac OS, the mail program seems to insist on showing you a split screen view of your email, with the content of the highlighted message shown on the right-hand side, even if you uncheck “prefer opening messages in split view when in full screen” (which “experts” assure you will work when you aren’t in full screen – hint: it doesn’t).

Here is how to get your old non-split screen view in email back, as well as how get the split-screen view with the content of the message on the bottom instead of on the right-hand side.

(Also in the newer versions TimeMachine does not actually back up your email and email account information; don’t ask us how we know…grrrr. Still, our loss is your gain, as here we are telling you how to get rid of that damned split screen in email, because we had to figure it out for ourselves.)

First, here is the view we are trying to get rid of:

This is what we’re aiming for (either with or without the split-screen at the bottom)

Here we go.

How to Remove Split Screen in Apple Mail Even When Not in Full Screen Mode

First, you do need to uncheck “prefer opening messages in split view when in full screen” in your Mail settings. You will find that preference under the “General” settings, because why would it be under the “View” settings, where it would make sense.

Once you have done that, you will likely note that it hasn’t made a blind bit of difference.

Because here is what you need to do next: click on that line that separates the list of emails from the preview of that one email, and drag it all the way to the right

Now, if all you wanted to do was get rid of that right-side preview pain..er.. pane, hey, you’re done!

But if you want to go all old school, and have a preview of the selected email message down at the bottom of your email window, here’s what you need to do:

Click on the very bottom of your email window, and drag up, which will reveal the email preview at the bottom.

And there you have it, your old, much friendlier, email setup, back as you want it, not as Apple, which seems to think they know better than you, wants it.