chunnel
Level 1 (23 points)
Mac App Store

Q: Mail is automatically archiving every gmail email

I have three gmail accounts.  All of them are going immediately into their respective archive folders so I can't see them in my inbox.  Even when I try to physically move them into my inbox then stay in the archive folder.  I have done fairly extensive research on this and it appears to be a Mac Mail issue and not a Gmail issue as this problem is most definitely related to Mac Mail and how it's handling Gmail messages.  I think the problem is that Mail is assigning the Archive folder for the Inbox for all the Gmail accounts.  I don't see a way to change the default folder for the inbox so how can I fix the problem?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3), null

Posted on Feb 25, 2016 9:57 AM

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chunnel

Q: Mail is automatically archiving every gmail email

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Feb 25, 2016 10:01 AM in response to chunnel
    Level 9 (50,302 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 25, 2016 10:01 AM in response to chunnel

    Gmail has a switch to turn Archiving on or off, turn yours off. (it's in Gmails settings on the website)

  • by KiltedTim,

    KiltedTim KiltedTim Feb 25, 2016 10:02 AM in response to chunnel
    Level 9 (55,083 points)
    iPhone
    Feb 25, 2016 10:02 AM in response to chunnel

    The 'archive' folder is simply the gmail "all mail" folder. Once messages are read, that's where they go by default.

    If I had to guess, I'd say you have at least one of your email clients set up to access gmail using POP3. When a POP3 client downloads a message, the server flags it as having been read and gmail will remove the inbox tag. POP3 is not designed for use with multiple mail clients. Make sure all of your mail clients are set up to use IMAP to avoid this behavior. IMAP synchronizes all clients and the server.

  • by chunnel,

    chunnel chunnel Feb 25, 2016 10:31 AM in response to KiltedTim
    Level 1 (23 points)
    Mac App Store
    Feb 25, 2016 10:31 AM in response to KiltedTim

    Neither answer is accurate.  I figured it out.  I needed to uncheck all the Labels, which are like folders in each Gmail account and I also need to unselect All Mail.  Archive in Mail was showing All Mail as the Archive Folder.  So it wasn't Archiving at all.

  • by ShariPotter,

    ShariPotter ShariPotter Jul 14, 2016 4:49 AM in response to chunnel
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 14, 2016 4:49 AM in response to chunnel

    I'm having the same problem using Gmail with Apple mail. Turning off All Mail in labels, as chunnel suggests, makes all of my mail disappear in Apple Mail. Nothing seems to work. I hate the archive function. Give me trash!

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jul 14, 2016 4:56 AM in response to ShariPotter
    Level 9 (50,302 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 14, 2016 4:56 AM in response to ShariPotter

    Gmail allows you to turn off the archive function, why don't you?

  • by ShariPotter,

    ShariPotter ShariPotter Jul 14, 2016 5:41 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 14, 2016 5:41 AM in response to Csound1

    I'm not stupid. I turned off the archive in gmail in both of my accounts. Months ago. It is Apple Mail that keeps putting everything in my archive folder. When I unblock "all mail" in labels, I get no gmail in my Apple Mail.

  • by ShariPotter,

    ShariPotter ShariPotter Jul 14, 2016 5:42 AM in response to ShariPotter
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 14, 2016 5:42 AM in response to ShariPotter

    I should also  mention that it isn't happening on my iPhone. Just on my iMac. I fixed it on my phone.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jul 14, 2016 5:43 AM in response to ShariPotter
    Level 9 (50,302 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 14, 2016 5:43 AM in response to ShariPotter

    No, it is not Mail, there is no archive function in Mail at all. It is Gmail's function whether you believe me or not.