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IMAP and sorting

I have a bunch of "on my Mac" mailboxes, for which I use rules to sort my in-boxes into subject areas. But because they are only on my laptop, they aren't visible on my phone or iPad once the rule has operated.


This is not good, since I generally sort stuff I care more about — from my family, about my son, topic areas I'm passionate about.


I could try sorting at the server level, but that seems very time-consuming, and the tools at my ISP aren't as good as on my laptop.


I could switch to Pop, so they'd be sorted and still undisturbed on the server. But then I'd have to go into each of mail clients and delete all the stuff I've sorted on my Mac.


Both of those options are unattractive to me.


I'm looking for suggestions on retaining my ability to sort off-server, while seeing the results of those sorts on all my devices. TIA.


MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.14

Posted on Apr 22, 2020 6:23 AM

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Question marked as Apple recommended

When you create new mail boxes on your Mac you have the option of where they go, by clicking on the drop down box I have arrowed in the attached picture.


If you choose the appropriate mailbox, rather than just leave it as "On My Mac" a new mailbox should be created on your mail server which will then appear on all your devices.


Alternatively you can create new mailboxes directly on your mail server web page, as you have said.


Posted on Apr 22, 2020 7:56 AM

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Question marked as Apple recommended

Apr 22, 2020 7:56 AM in response to HBob

When you create new mail boxes on your Mac you have the option of where they go, by clicking on the drop down box I have arrowed in the attached picture.


If you choose the appropriate mailbox, rather than just leave it as "On My Mac" a new mailbox should be created on your mail server which will then appear on all your devices.


Alternatively you can create new mailboxes directly on your mail server web page, as you have said.


Apr 22, 2020 8:12 AM in response to chelseeboy

Not sure if I get it.


I now have a "family" mailbox "On my Mac," into which emails from certain people whom I've identified in Rules are sent, no matter which of my email account these emails arrived in.


You're saying that I could create a "family" mailbox in email account A, and then it would be sorted out of "email account A"'s inbox, and into a "family" mailbox on the server?


If so, that would ensure that I could see my mail on all devices, even after sorting. But it would mean that I'd have X number of "family" mailboxes, depending on how many email accounts I run. It would thin out what I see in "all inboxes," but it wouldn't aggregate them so I could all my family email in one place.


As for doing it on the server, I don't think the server environment provides the extensive Rule options that Mac Mail does.


Maybe I could do some sort of forwarding thing to some "internal" email accounts that I don't give out, but use only for myself.


IMAP and sorting

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