"Delete from server Never" doesn't stop Gmail from moving messages from Inbox to Trash

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"Delete from server Never" doesn't stop Gmail from moving messages from Inbox to Trash

I use POP3 email on Gmail and access it from an iPhone and iPad running version 14 of the operating system. I had imagined that:

would leave my mail untouched on the Gmail server. But instead, it moves the Mail from Inbox to Trash. When I then access my email from a Windows computer running Outlook, it doesn't get the messages since these are in Trash.

This is certainly not what I want, and it is more annoying that one might expect given that using Manual settings instead of Push and Fetch doesn't stop getting email in the iPad and iPhone under some circumstances (e.g., plugging in the charging cable).

Is this moving of email on Gmail despite these settings a feature or a bug?

iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi

Posted on Feb 2, 2021 4:55 PM

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RedTup Author

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Feb 4, 2021 11:23 AM in response to RedTup

With some hunting around and some advice from Google I have a workaround that is partial and kludgy, but it is an improvement.

Gmail has some relevant settings at: "Settings | See all settings | Forwarding and POP/IMAP".

In "Pop download | When messages are accessed with POP" if you choose "delete [account] Mail's copy", checking mail from iPhone/iPad will move the mail to the Gmail trash even if you have set "Delete from server | Never" on the iPhone/iPad.

But if instead you choose "keep[account] Mail's copy in the Inbox", checking mail from iPhone/iPad with "Delete from server | Never" will leave the email in the Gmail inbox.

Success? Not completely, since if your main computer is set up to delete from the server, that won't work either (I used Outlook on Windows 10).

But there is a workaround to the problem. As described at https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7104828, under "Emails aren't downloading correctly", you can "Add recent: in front of your email address. For example, recent:example@gmail.com" in Outlook's "POP settings page". (Note that on Windows the POP settings can be changed in Control Panel | Mail | Email accounts). Following this kludgy workaround, Outlook will both download the email and move it from Inbox to Trash on Gmail.

Success? Not completely. There is one unfortunate side-effect to the "recent:" hack. Any email you send comes back to your Outlook Inbox. It is a bother, but more manageable than the original problem.

If anyone knows how to solve that part, please reply.

It would be good if people at Apple and Google got together to make these interactions more straightforward.

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"Delete from server Never" doesn't stop Gmail from moving messages from Inbox to Trash

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