Users complain VIP mailboxes still not working properly in OS X El Capitan

The VIP tools are meant to make it easier to find messages from important contacts, such as a spouse or boss. The glitch is causing VIP boxes to display fewer messages than they should however, if any, even on Macs with the latest release, OS X 10.11.1, installed.

The issue appears to trace back to El Capitan's launch, and it does not affect the iOS version of Apple Mail.

How to fix it

There is a temporary workaround, noted in Apple's support forums:

• Select an individual VIP box
• Open the View menu
• Selecting "Sort By" and "All Mailboxes"
• Click on the main VIP mailbox, and that should should force messages to show

Apple is at work on an OS X 10.11.2 update, now in its fifth beta, which might potentially solve the problem. It's not clear when the code will be officially released, but the company will presumably want it done before the Christmas holiday.