Forum Discussion
Apple mail considerations
Hi everyone,
My organisation has bought M365 E5 plan and we are now in the process of testing the implementation of Exchange.
What would be the implications and any other conserns that we should be aware of by using Apple mail client in our Macs instead of Outlook? Are there any security risks? And which Exchange functions are not supported by Apple mail?
Thank you,
Greg
1. Basic configuration requirements
Supported Protocols
Exchange Web Services (EWS)
IMAP (limited functionality, not recommended)
Modern Auth (OAuth 2.0) must be enabled.
System version requirements
macOS ≥ 10.15 (Catalina)
Apple Mail ≥ version 14.0
2. Frequently Asked Questions and Fixes
Unable to add account
Check the authentication method:
Administrator needs to enable “OAuth 2.0” (enabled by default in Exchange Online)
Older Exchange versions need to be enabled manually:
powershell
Set-OrganizationConfig -OAuth2ClientProfileEnabled $true
Manual configuration steps:
Select “Exchange” type (not IMAP)
Enter full email address and password
Mail synchronization failed
Rebuild the local cache:
Delete ~/Library/Mail/ folder (backup first)
Restart Apple Mail to resynchronize
Limit Sync Cycle:
Settings > Accounts > Mailboxes > Adjust “Mail download days” (recommended ≤ 90 days)
Calendar/Contacts are not synchronized
Check System Preferences > Internet Accounts
Make sure “Calendar” and “Contacts” options are checked.
4. Advanced Troubleshooting
Testing Connectivity
Use Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer:
Select “Exchange ActiveSync” test
Verify Autodiscover logging
Viewing Apple Mail Error Logs
Open Console
Filter for “Mail” and “Error” keywords
