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Syncing email 'On My Mac' folders across all my Apple devices

Hi all,

Well as the title hinted at, I'm trying to see if there's a way to sync my email folders, (the 'on my mac' ones) to all my devices. I realise these folders are stored locally on my Macbook but just wondering if anyone has a solution. This is how I tend to work:

I receive emails from different accounts, some which I need to keep (that I store in 'on my mac' folders that I've created for this purpose. ie, if it's a receipt for something I've purchased I have a folder called 'receipts', I also have a folder that I hold template emails in, one for important home related emails, etc.

I realise I can sync all my email accounts across my Macbook, iPhone 5 and iPad mini if I change my email accounts to IMAP instead of POP. I haven't done this yet as I need to resolve the 'on my mac' folders issue first. I realise the solution, if there is one, might be something completely different to having these folders but I'd be grateful for any solutions that can be suggested.

Is there an iCloud solution perhaps? Or a way I can create folders elsewhere that will sync across all devices?

Thanks in advance!

James.

Posted on Mar 22, 2013 6:33 AM

Best reply

Pete B. Moss

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Mar 14, 2017 9:01 AM

Hi James - people seem to be missing your point. You, and I, want our convenience folders in our Mac Mail folder panes to appear and sync automatically on all devices. Aside from iPad, which doesn't support Mac Mail.

IMAP is definitely required. The only caution with IMAP is if you mistakenly close an email account on the server, your stored messages will disappear on all your devices. This is rare but catastrophic.

I managed to create a folder on my Mac Air and get my iMac to sync it, but it wasn't easy. I think people are smart by suggesting we set the sub-folders up on our email servers in the cloud, and tell each device to keep a copy of those folders on our devices, synced easily by IMAP.

Then we can access the same folders from our iPads, from online cafes overseas, and on all our devices.

View in context

19 replies

SL1988

Level 1

13 points

Sep 17, 2015 3:32 AM in response to markwmsn

Well, you are wrong, because I do have IMAP accounts and the On My Mac folders do not sync, no matter the settings, everything else does though without problems. It's not that important anyway, as it is only important for my main office computer, not for the MacBook, etc.

markwmsn

Level 6

15,017 points

Sep 17, 2015 3:39 AM in response to SL1988

No, of course the "On My Mac" folders do not sync. They are, by name and definition, local to ("On") My Mac (singular).

The suggestion is to use new IMAP folders (perhaps on a new account reserved just for that purpose) to hold the messages in question instead of On My Mac folders.

SL1988

Level 1

13 points

Sep 17, 2015 3:41 AM in response to markwmsn

ah ok - I misunderstood. But as I said, it's stuff that I only need on my office computer, so no problem. And if I very occasionally need a specific On My Mac folder on another system, I just export it and put it on a USB stick, which works just fine.

Adam F

Level 3

612 points

Sep 30, 2015 12:20 AM in response to markwmsn

I understand that IMAP is the normal way for syncing email, but I think we need something better. "On My Mac" syncing would fit the bill.

Here's an example where there's an issue...I have 2 GB of saved email files (just want interactions saved for reference). I don't want my iPhone pulling all that junk in, but I want it on both of my computers. Also, I don't want to have to worry about something going wrong with my mail hosting service where my archive disappears.

Any ideas?

Syncing email 'On My Mac' folders across all my Apple devices