The Mail app on an iPhone 7 can group related messages into conversation threads. Turning off threading makes individual messages appear separately in the message list without deleting or changing the messages on your email server.
Steps
- Open Settings.
- Open the Mail settings. On some iOS versions, app settings may appear in a separate Apps section.
- Find the section containing the threading options.
- Turn off Organize by Thread.
- Return to Mail and check the message list.
What changes when threading is off
Messages that Mail previously collected as one conversation are displayed as separate entries. The setting changes presentation on the iPhone; it does not split, duplicate, or delete the underlying email.
Older iPhones can show older menus
The iPhone 7 cannot run current iOS releases, so instructions captured on a newer iPhone may show a different Settings layout. Look for the Organize by Thread setting rather than relying only on a particular screenshot or menu position.
Other threading options may remain
Depending on the installed iOS version, Mail can have additional controls related to complete threads, newest-message placement, or collapsed read messages. Those options serve different purposes, so change them only if you also want their behavior altered.
Account-level conversation views are separate
Your email provider or another mail application may still group the same messages into conversations. Changing Organize by Thread controls the Apple Mail presentation on this iPhone; it does not change conversation settings in Gmail, Outlook, or webmail.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.