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Apple Mail on is creating an import folder when started

Recently, every time Apple Mail is started on my Mac a mailbox is created with the name Import- followed by a number. It contains all my current e-mails.


Does anyone know how to get this import action to stop being executed.

I did not change my e-mail configuration or manually execute an import.


MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Feb 7, 2022 4:23 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 9, 2022 4:40 AM

I've had the same problem until today. I tried Apple Support, different internet forums, nothing helped. So this is what I did out of desperation:


  1. Move the contents of your Mail V9 folder (∼ / Library / Mail / V9) to the Trash. DO NOT empty the Trash!
  2. Restart Mail.


I had to re-activate my SpamSieve plugin, but the import issue is now gone. I didn't feel like going through every folder in my V9 folder to find the import problem, so I just dumped everything. None of my mails were deleted, thank goodness. Once I was sure that everything was still there I emptied the trash can.


Hope this helps a bit.

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 9, 2022 4:40 AM in response to slc0904

I've had the same problem until today. I tried Apple Support, different internet forums, nothing helped. So this is what I did out of desperation:


  1. Move the contents of your Mail V9 folder (∼ / Library / Mail / V9) to the Trash. DO NOT empty the Trash!
  2. Restart Mail.


I had to re-activate my SpamSieve plugin, but the import issue is now gone. I didn't feel like going through every folder in my V9 folder to find the import problem, so I just dumped everything. None of my mails were deleted, thank goodness. Once I was sure that everything was still there I emptied the trash can.


Hope this helps a bit.

Feb 8, 2022 8:01 AM in response to slc0904

Welcome slc0904,


Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Based on your post, the Mail app is stuck importing emails on your Mac. We'll do our best to assist with this.


There wouldn't be a way to avoid the import process. You'd want to give the Apple Mail app time to complete the import. We'd recommend leaving the Mac on, connected to a network, with the Mail app open to complete the process.


With that said, should the issue persist, have you recently restored the Mac from a backup or migrated from another computer? What happens if you test safe mode? Here's how to boot there to test it out: How to use safe mode on your Mac Safe mode is a good way to isolate the behavior further, as it can prevent some apps and processes from running while booted there.


Hoping to hear back, take care.

Feb 9, 2022 6:15 AM in response to slc0904

Hey Slc0904,


To confirm, it doesn't ever fail to import these emails? Were you able to test this further in safe mode?


If you haven't yet, it might be good to test this further in another user on the Mac: Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac

(Select your macOS version at the top.) This will tell us if the issue is system wide or user specific. You'll want to add your email account after logging in.


Did you previously migrate data to this Mac?


Let us know those results, cheers.

Feb 8, 2022 2:40 PM in response to slc0904

I never started an import. I have been using Apple Mail on this mac for more than a year.


The import is running when I start Apple Mail.


I made no config changes to Apple Mail. This started happening every time I open mail around the beginning of this month.


The import mailbox is created with all my current e-mails in a second or two. It does not run for long.


I am looking for help to identify what is triggering this processing so I can stop it.


Apple Mail on is creating an import folder when started

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