MacMail app won't delete the emails on my GMAIL server

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Level 1

36 points

MacMail app won't delete the emails on my GMAIL server

I tried just about all the IMAP settings I can think of, but somehow the Mac Mail app just looks like it is deleting email, but if I keep the browser open to see my Gmail account, I can see that never does it trash those items on Gmail, and sure enough the emails are brought back to MacMail appearing there again.

On MacMail, prefs are: Prefs>Accounts>Mailbox behaviours: Trash Mailbox: google, erase deleted messages: when quitting mail. (I hate to have to quit all the time to trash messages, but I don't want to wait a day. I want them gone now.

On gmail IMAP is enabled, "WHEN I make a message in IMAP as deleted: Auto Exunge is off - wait for the client to update the server (If I left auto-expunge on - Immediatey update the server (default), then the message is only allowed to be archived in the server b default.

However it doesn't work with either of those setting in Gmail in any event.

I don't understand how something this important wouldn't be able to work without these headaches.

iMac 27″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Sep 12, 2021 10:39 AM

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Answer 1

tygb

Level 9

64,588 points

Sep 12, 2021 11:07 AM in response to grburgess

See the article Change Mailbox Behaviours preferences in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7401

If you don't want a message to stay in your trash for 30 days, you can permanently delete it.

On your computer, go to Gmail.
On the left side of the page, click More.
Scroll to Trash.
Check the box next to messages you want to permanently delete. Then click Delete forever.

- Tip: The "Delete forever" option is only available in the trash. You won’t be able to delete items permanently from the Search result view.

To delete all messages in your trash, click Empty Trash now.

Note : the mails are archived automatically , if you want to disable them in the settings the archive box has to be unchecked see the link also https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6576

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Answer 2

grburgess Author

Level 1

36 points

Sep 13, 2021 12:34 PM in response to tygb

I solved my own problem. The main problem lies with the way that Gmail handles folders. You have to go to the "Labels" setting and ensure that the "Trash is visible on IMAP" button is checked. In Gmail it seems to work even better when you have the Auto-expunge off, and then it forces you to accept "Archive the message (default). although if you want a bit more than a minute it vanishes from there and goes to trash on the email client. You don't even see it in the trash on Gmail. It appears in the Trash folder of the IMAP in the Mac Mail client app.

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Answer 3

tygb

Level 9

64,588 points

Sep 13, 2021 12:58 AM in response to grburgess

See some screen shots .

The mail is read no dot on it , move two fingers towards left , click on delete .

Click on drop down arrow of iCloud , you have selected iCloud rather select the complete gmail address a check mark will appear over it .

The mail is still in web mail account .

Click on refresh icon a small circle will form over the refresh icon , the mail will be deleted from web server , or you can also check mark the empty square box , the complete mail will be highlighted click on delete icon .

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Answer 4

grburgess Author

Level 1

36 points

Sep 12, 2021 1:03 PM in response to tygb

This was helpful to some extent, but my main problem remains. If I receive email to my Gmail server, which is read in the Mac Mail client on my Mac and I delete it on my Mac Mail app, it refuses to send the message to Gmail to delete it there, and then MacMail will later see it as more mail to fetch from Gmail.

If I log into Gmail, it remains there in the inbox.

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MacMail app won't delete the emails on my GMAIL server

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