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I don't want my iPhone to delete emails on my computer

I went to iTunes, and unchecked the box "sync mailboxes." However, whenever I delete an email on my iPhone, it also deletes it on my computer (instantaneously, over the airwaves). I don't want this to happen. How do I TURN OFF this feature on my iPhone? I do not have MobileMe.

3GS, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Jul 31, 2010 5:14 PM

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Posted on Jul 31, 2010 5:22 PM

If you have a POP3 account (and not an IMAP account) go to Settings > Mail > Your Account > Advanced > Delete from server... and set to Never.

If you have an IMAP account, then deleting a message on your iPhone will delete it from the server. That's how it works.

John
10 replies

Aug 17, 2010 9:51 PM in response to kimold

These suggestions do not work for me. I'm running iPhone OS 4.0.1. I can go to:

Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Accounts (choose corresponding account to edit) -> Account Info -> Advanced -> Deleted Mailbox -> I check the box next to "Trash" the "On My iPhone" tab. I do not select anything in the "On the Server" tab.

I do not see a "Delete from Server" selection anywhere.

My server-side mail is being deleted when I delete the message on the iPhone. I wish for this to stop. I want the message to be retained on the server.

Message was edited by: bmonnig

Aug 18, 2010 2:26 AM in response to bmonnig

Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Accounts (choose corresponding account to edit) -> Account Info -> Advanced -> Deleted Mailbox -> I check the box next to "Trash" the "On My iPhone" tab. I do not select anything in the "On the Server" tab.

If you see the "Deleted Mailbox" setting and no "Delete from server" - the account is IMAP. The iPhone Yahoo mail setup is always IMAP and has push capability.

Message was edited by: modular747

Aug 18, 2010 2:33 AM in response to modular747

Thanks for the info. Turns out I'm having my Yahoo mail forwarded to Gmail, and the Gmail account is what my iPhone talks with. Sure enough, Gmail is IMAP enabled. I tried disabling it at the Gmail settings, but it looks like the iPhone re-enables it. I guess I need to go back to having my "Deleted" messages stored in a folder somewhere on the iPhone, so they'll remain on the Gmail server.

Thanks for the info!

Aug 18, 2010 2:41 AM in response to bmonnig

You're welcome. Even if you weren't forwarding Yahoo to Gmail, the phone sets up all Yahoo accounts as IMAP, unlike computer POP setups.

Deleting IMAP email to a folder on your phone instead of the server trash folder won't prevent deleting it from your server inbox. However, the messages still appear in the inbox as a strikeout when accessed by other devices an can still be viewed, depending on the mail client.

Message was edited by: modular747

Aug 18, 2010 2:44 AM in response to modular747

Still more good info. Thanks! What would you recommend as a method to remove the e-mail from the iPhone, in order to reduce clutter, yet leave them on the server so they can be downloaded by Thunderbird on my Mac (or accessed via portal on any machine)?

I don't want to remove the e-mails from their server...I just want to get them off my iPhone. I try to keep semi-important e-mail on the phone, and let the other stuff just pull to the Mac through the day (along with the important e-mails).

Aug 18, 2010 2:55 AM in response to bmonnig

When I delete email on my iPhone using an IMAP account, (not Gmail or MobileMe) and using Entourage on my Mac, the "deleted" emails still appear in the server Inbox of the account with a line through the title (strikeout) and can be viewed normally.

In fact, to completely remove these already deleted messages from the Inbox when viewed in Entourage, I have to "purge deleted messages." I don't know how Thunderbird displays them or if there is a setting. Gmail IMAP may not be standard.

I don't want my iPhone to delete emails on my computer

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