Save Time by Using Data Detectors in Apple Mail

Data Detectors in Apple Mail image

There’s a handy and much underused feature available in Apple Mail called Data Detectors which allow you to send information to other programs with a click of a mouse. How this works, is that whenever commonly used tidbits of information such as addresses, dates or phone numbers appear, point to it with your mouse. Once you do, a border appears around the data accompanied by a downward pointing arrow. Then, either right-click (or Ctrl-click) inside the box to display a shortcut menu. You can also click on the downward pointing arrow.

Options from the shortcut menu include:

Show address in the Maps application
Create a new contact from the selection
Add selection to existing contact
Open a Link
Display flight information in the Flight dashboard widget
And more….

I find that clicking the drop-down arrow can provide even more useful information.

Options from the downward pointing triangle include:

When you highlight an address, a miniature map displaying the address appears. You can add or create a new contact from the address, or open the address in the Maps application.
When a date is selected, the event appears in a miniature version of the actual Calendar day view. Click Add to Calendar to add the event to your calendar. If you double-click event in the Calendar, it opens the associated e-mail message.
When a Web address is highlighted, clicking the downward-pointing triangle displays the actual Web page in a pop-up window.
If a Tracking Number from a service such as UPS or FedEx is highlighted, clicking the triangle allows you to display the company’s tracking page for that particular package.

The Data Detectors feature is a handy tool that many people tend to ignore. I find that it can save a lot of time and provide tons of useful information.