Compose an email
Write from the full compose sheet, a compact card, or an inline reply under the reader. Only full compose has attachments, Auto BCC, and the complete formatting toolbar.
Start a message
Section titled “Start a message”- C when the list is focused
- ⌘N from the menu or sidebar compose control
- ⇧R Reply, R Reply All, F Forward
See Keyboard shortcuts and Reply, forward, and quote.
There is no shipping iPhone compose path.
Full compose
Section titled “Full compose”The sheet has subject, To / Cc / Bcc chips, the body editor, the formatting toolbar (when the body is focused), attachment chips, Send, and Send Later.
If more than one mailbox is connected, pick Account or From before you send. That choice changes the sending mailbox. If the mailbox has more than one identity, pick Send as. Send as does not change the mailbox login.
A Pick signature control can appear next to those rows when the sending account has signatures. A single mailbox with no identity list may not show it. See Manage email signatures.
⌘↩ sends from compose. ⌘K inserts a link when the body is focused. Esc starts close; a dirty draft asks Save and Close Draft or Delete Draft.
Tab stays inside compose.
Recipients
Section titled “Recipients”Type an address or pick a suggestion. See Recipient autocomplete.
Done after reply
Section titled “Done after reply”Settings → Composer can mark the conversation Done after a full-compose reply or forward. Inline reply does not use that setting.
Drafts
Section titled “Drafts”Primail saves the draft on this device while you type. Closing without sending can keep a Drafts row on this Mac. See Drafts.
Compact and inline
Section titled “Compact and inline”Compact compose is a smaller card with the same editor core. It does not send attachments or apply Auto BCC.
Inline reply is a textarea under the reader with a fixed To line. It sends immediately. It does not use Undo Send, Auto BCC, or attachments.
See Attach a file and Schedule send & undo send.