Apple Mail deletes old messages

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Level 1

8 points

Apple Mail deletes old messages

How do I stop Apple Mail from automatically deleting older messages from my inbox? I need to keep certain messages for a period of time. (IPad iOS 13.3.1)

iPad Pro 10.5-inch, Wi-Fi

Posted on Mar 1, 2020 1:34 PM

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Answer 1

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medwds

Level 4

2,204 points

Mar 8, 2020 5:48 AM in response to Macschmidt

Sorry for this delayed reply. My only remaining suggestion is that one of your devices might be set to retrieve your mail via POP and to delete messages from the server when it does so, or after a certain number of days. For your mail to stay in sync across your devices, they all need to connect via IMAP. This article from AOL compares POP and IMAP quite well.

Sometimes, iOS will assume POP without asking. To work around this, SaskTel's instructions for getting mail on your Apple devices include the awkward but common trick of first entering an invalid password, causing the automatic setup to fail and giving you the chance to choose IMAP.

For an altogether easier experience, consider switching your email to one of the "big name" providers (iCloud, Gmail, Outlook.com) in future. You needn't change your phone provider, and you can even forward your SaskTel mail to the new address.

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Answer 2

medwds

Level 4

2,204 points

Mar 2, 2020 10:01 AM in response to Macschmidt

Thanks for the update. Just to rule this out, please can you confirm your email is not with Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail, MSN) or, if it is, that you've checked the Mail Days to Sync setting?

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Answer 3

Macschmidt Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 1, 2020 4:39 PM in response to medwds

I figured out a solution. Mail DOES delete messages from your Inbox. To stop this from happening, go into:

Settings- Passwords & Accounts - choose the appropriate Account - click on this account at the top of the page -

scroll down to Advanced & click it - scroll down to Deleted Messages & click Remove - choose Never = Done.

It appears that if you ever reboot your iPad, then this process must be repeated.

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Answer 4

medwds

Level 4

2,204 points

Mar 1, 2020 2:48 PM in response to Macschmidt

Mail doesn't delete older messages from your inbox, but if your account is Outlook (Hotmail) it defaults to keeping them for a limited period within the app itself (you can find older messages via outlook.com). Here's a thread with instructions on how to change this.

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Answer 5

medwds

Level 4

2,204 points

Mar 1, 2020 11:05 PM in response to Macschmidt

That controls how long Mail keeps deleted messages in the bin before deleting them permanently. But nothing should be deleted automatically from your inbox.

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Answer 6

Macschmidt Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 2, 2020 10:51 AM in response to medwds

My e-mail is with our local phone provider (SaskTel). I use the Mail program on my Apple devices to administer messages.

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Answer 7

Macschmidt Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 2, 2020 7:11 AM in response to medwds

I agree that nothing should be deleted from my Inbox. This problem occurred when I first got the iPad a few years ago. This was the fix someone suggested that seemed to work. I had forgotten about it until the delete problem cropped up again recently. The only thought that comes to mind is that I also rebooted the iPad recently. Interesting to note that the deleted messages actually disappear. They are not to be located in the Trash or in any other files in Mail. This problem doesn’t happen on my MacBook Air, or the iPhone. Do you think it’s the hardware or the software??

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Answer 8

Macschmidt Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 8, 2020 7:45 AM in response to Macschmidt

Thank you for this information. I checked in my settings, and Mail is using IMAP. it appears that the default on this iPad is to remove messages after a month. This default resets if I reboot the iPad apparently. I know remember how to change the delete to “never” in the advanced settings.

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Apple Mail deletes old messages

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