From 406450ccb5c8b1133a54a564842806e85fc3ec14 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stefan Hildebrandt <695494+hildebrandttk@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2026 22:47:47 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] docs: clarify why the Unified Mailbox section can look empty
 (#843)

Two reporters on #843 filed it as a bug before clarified
in the thread that an empty Unified Mailbox section is expected once
none of its sub-features are on: the combined folder rows need 2+
connected accounts (or a group inbox), and All mail/Unread/Starred are
each a separate admin policy gate.
---
 FEATURES.md            | 4 ++--
 locales/en/common.json | 2 +-
 2 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/FEATURES.md b/FEATURES.md
index 1577a2db6..d37939c92 100644
--- a/FEATURES.md
+++ b/FEATURES.md
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 - Read, compose, reply, reply-all, and forward in a Tiptap rich-text editor that handles inline images, drag-and-drop embedding, and tables
 - Gmail-style threading, expanded inline, with a conversation toggle you can switch off
-- The Unified Mailbox combines Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk, Archive, and Trash. By default it stays inside the active account and its shared/group folders; an admin can unlock a cross-account mode that spans every connected account.
-- All mail, Unread, and Starred obey that same account boundary and can be narrowed to a per-account folder selection. Every row names the folder its message came from.
+- The Unified Mailbox combines Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk, Archive, and Trash. By default it stays inside the active account and its shared/group folders; an admin can unlock a cross-account mode that spans every connected account. The combined folder rows only appear once 2+ accounts are connected (or "Include group inboxes" is on and a group inbox exists) — with just one account and no group inbox, turning the setting on adds the section header but nothing under it.
+- All mail, Unread, and Starred obey that same account boundary and can be narrowed to a per-account folder selection. Every row names the folder its message came from. Each of these three is a separate admin policy gate (see [Admin & extensibility](#admin--extensibility)) — if none are enabled for your instance, the toggles for them do not even appear in Settings → Appearance, and the Unified Mailbox section can look empty even with the feature turned on and multiple accounts connected. Ask your admin to enable the ones you need.
 - Search runs across all unified views; the per-role mailboxes add the full filter panel on top
 - Three mail layouts: split three-pane, focused list, or reading pane at the bottom
 - Drafts auto-save, keeping the chosen identity, the HTML body, and correct `In-Reply-To` / `References` headers on replies
diff --git a/locales/en/common.json b/locales/en/common.json
index 68874b945..e95ed6dd1 100644
--- a/locales/en/common.json
+++ b/locales/en/common.json
@@ -1031,7 +1031,7 @@
       },
       "unified_mailbox": {
         "label": "Unified Mailbox",
-        "description": "Show combined folders (Inbox, Sent, etc.) for the active account and its shared folders.",
+        "description": "Show combined folders (Inbox, Sent, etc.) for the active account and its shared folders. Needs more than one connected account (or a group inbox included below) before any folders appear here - with just one account, this only adds the section header. The All mail / Unread / Starred entries below are separate, admin-gated options that won't show up until your admin turns them on.",
         "cross_account": {
           "label": "Across all accounts",
           "description": "Merge the unified mailbox across every connected account instead of staying within the active account."