Help Getting Mail and Gmail IMAP to Mirror Each Other

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Level 1

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Help Getting Mail and Gmail IMAP to Mirror Each Other

I am using the Apple mail client and Gmail IMAP.

Ideally, I would like Mail and Gmail to mirror each other.

Is there a way to have my original Gmail inbox have a message moved to the trash (and not All Mail) when I trash it from Mail?

Same goes for drafts. If I start a message in mail, and want to save it as a draft, can I have that draft be saved to Gmail (and not my Mail app)?

Also, when it says "server" in my Mail app, do they refer to the Mail server, or Gmail server?

So if I delete a message in Mail, it is deleted in Gmail. If I save a draft in Mail, it is saved as a draft in Gmail. etc.

Thanks.

Message was edited by: emhob13

Mac OS X (10.5.7), First Gen Black Macbook

Posted on Jun 30, 2009 11:56 AM

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Answer 1

simo72

Level 1

0 points

Jul 24, 2009 11:26 AM in response to emhob13

Hello. I have the same request/problem! I guess you have no answer because it is a mess in Mail to do this! I spent hours trying to set it up and I am just going insane. I have too many folders appearing in Mail and I do not understand how to properly delete files etc.
Please someone help!
Thanks

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Answer 2

j.v.

Level 5

4,155 points

Jul 24, 2009 12:03 PM in response to emhob13

Go through all the panels in Mail > Preferences > Accounts > select GMail account, and carefully review all three panels, particularly "Mailbox Behaviors." Sounds to me like you might have some items unchecked that you want checked, and vice-versa, such as "Store draft messages on server," and "Move deleted messages to to the Trash Mailbox," and "Store deleted messages on the server." IF you do not want to keep local copies of what is on the Gmail IMAP server on your computer, select "Don't keep any copies" from the offline viewing pulldown menu on the Advanced tab.

If you are not staying synced with the IMAP server, I wonder whether you have inadvertently made this a POP account (GMail has both)? Verify the "Account type" on the Account Information tab. That is the only way I could envision an IMAP account not staying synchronized with the IMAP server, well, short of misconfiguration of the account's preferences on the other two panels.

A server (in the context of mail) is a mail server which for this account is the Gmail server. Mail.app is a mail client application. You are the mail client. You do not have a mail server on your computer.

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