How to Hide the Preview Pane and Delete Mail Without Opening It in Mac OS X Mail

It is nice and convenient how Mac OS X Mail displays messages semi-automatically when you just select them. But wouldn't a bigger view of the mailbox be useful sometimes?

Yes, and it's easier to get than you maybe think.

Hide the Preview Pane and Delete Mail Without Opening It in Mac OS X Mail

To hide the message preview pane in Mac OS X Mail:

• Double-click the bar that separates the message pane from the mailbox pane.

Now, to delete any email:

• Highlight the message or messages you want to delete.
  • Hold down the Command key while selecting with the mouse to highlight multiple emails and Shift to highlight a range.
• Press Del.

To get the preview pane back, double-click the same bar again.