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Level 1

34 points

This message has not been downloaded from the server.

iphone emails: exchange: This message has not been downloaded from the server.

I am an I.T. admin who also runs the network and email server. This error on the iphone about the messages not being downloaded is bogus.

In the older IOS versions I would get the same error message, however, when you touch and hold the email message, it would preview the entire email because the iphone had in fact actually downloaded the message.

Now in the latest IOS, apple has disabled the preview to hide the fact that the message was actually downloaded.

I did a network packet capture on the mail server using my phone’s IP address while I downloaded email on my phone.

I can confirm 100% that when the iphone did not display a email message, it had already downloaded that message according to the email server logs and also the fact that whenever I would refresh the messages back and forth, switching between messages until the message actually displayed, the iphone never once talked to the mail server before the message was actually displayed.

I was able to reproduce this test over and over again to prove to other iphone users that their iphone never communicated with the mail server again before magically working out how to display the message that has an error message of “This message has not been downloaded from the server.”

This problem is an IOS issue that needs to be solved.

If this problem is not addressed in the next IOS update, the end users are going to see this for what it is.

Don’t simply blame the end user’s non apple / not icloud / email solution / email server / third party email.

It is an strange situation that apple’s own icloud accounts don’t get the same error message.

It is a strange situation that the previous IOS version would allow you to touch and hold the message that could not be downloaded and it would fully display the contents of the message until we let go. It is very strange that the preview feature has now been disabled in the new IOS versions.

Fix the problem and stop trying to make people feel like they should have to use an apple icloud account because their own email solution is inferior to apple’s….

I am interested in sharing my findings with others and with apple.

iPhone 12 Pro Max

Posted on Aug 15, 2023 6:10 AM

Best reply

Carliemac

Level 1

16 points

Posted on Jan 26, 2024 10:03 AM

I have several emails this week that will not download from the server. It is very frustrating as I need to be able read them as they are work related…any solutions 😟

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Similar questions

91 replies

Mar 7, 2024 12:54 AM in response to Sipizen

Have discovered that if you reply to the email that won’t open from server you can read it.

Darth151

Level 1

10 points

Mar 10, 2024 8:43 AM in response to Sipizen

And here we are on iOS 17.4 and this issue is as bad as ever. This has now been an issue for me since upgrading from 12 Pro Max to the 15 Pro Max.

Mar 15, 2024 2:35 PM in response to Carliemac

I’ve tried everything and can’t fix it either. I downloaded the Yahoo app and it works on the Yahoo app but then it’s a stand alone app and not part of my overall Mail experience on my iPhone.

Apr 5, 2024 6:23 AM in response to Sipizen

I have the same problems. Hope it will be sorted.

Apr 17, 2024 2:40 PM in response to Sipizen

I have read the issues regarding messages not downloading from server. Has to be an Apple issue. Please fix it. This is April 17, 2024 and it appears still has not been addressed.

May 4, 2024 11:53 AM in response to Sipizen

Plagued with this more and more on my iPad and iPhone. It may finally be time to break off Apple/IOS loyalty and flip to Samsung

Jun 2, 2024 3:05 PM in response to Sipizen

I have Apple iCloud storage, and I encounter the "can't be downloaded" issue daily! I'm using iOS 17, and it still persists.

Jan 3, 2024 1:37 PM in response to Sipizen

This is indeed an infuriating problem which DOES occur when using iCloud email too. Since they don’t want to fix it, it’s almost as if Apple would rather you use another email app instead of their own….

Feb 3, 2024 5:23 PM in response to Sipizen

Having the same issue but with my gmail. Looked at this forum for answers. Did everything they mentioned nothing worked. Did it one more time and still nothing. Kept seeing this loading wheel next to my service provider. Tried to touch it to see the problem- nothing. Then the lower screen message that’s says “checking for mail…” touched that and apparently because I had changed my password recently. It wanted me to log back in with the new password for that account in settings. Then all of a sudden my email is flooded with 100+ missed emails and all the ones that weren’t loading. Now are finally loaded. Needless to say it might not work for all users but it worked for me. Irritated but glad I fixed my own issue and a little disappointed that even the issue or customer support hasn’t resolved this.

cookn

Level 1

10 points

Mar 2, 2024 6:32 AM in response to Sipizen

Is there a fix to this? This has been an issue for YEARS. If the message does not download in the specified amount of time, it just stops trying and the “this message has not been downloaded” screen displays. There should be way to keep the app downloading, or force download the email. Extremely frustrating when I check my email on my phone and it won’t show up, and then I have to go to my desktop and it’s visible to view and respond, no problem. This has been an issue for as long as I can remember - internet speeds vary, the app should not just time out if the top speeds are not achieved right away. Worse than when we had dial up!

Mar 6, 2024 1:02 PM in response to Sipizen

This happens to me all too often when there is an attachment! It’s unacceptable. Sometimes it will open on either the Apple iPad or the Apple iPhone but not both! Def an Apple issue and only started about a year ago for me.

Mar 17, 2024 4:14 AM in response to Sipizen

I fixed it. !!!

too many emails

i went to yahoo mail

searched for Macys

press search

then edit

then either delete one at a time or for fast action lightly touch top left of screen ren ringer down to bottom and hold it there and all of the Macy ads I had do previously deleted were highlighter

press delete

Using this technique with other others I deleted well over 1000 emails and not yahoo works fine on my iphone

Mar 17, 2024 4:17 AM in response to Sipizen

this worked!!

Too many emails you must delete

went to yahoo mail

searched for Macys

press search

then edit

then either delete one at a time or for fast action lightly touch top left of screen ren ringer down to bottom and hold it there and all of the Macy ads I had do previously deleted were highlighter

press delete

Using this technique with other others I deleted well over 1000 emails and not yahoo works fine on my iphone

Less

Mar 17, 2024 4:19 AM in response to Sipizen

This worked too many emails saved

went to yahoo mail

searched for Macys

press search

then edit

then either delete one at a time or for fast action lightly touch top left of screen ren ringer down to bottom and hold it there and all of the Macy ads I had do previously deleted were highlighter

press delete

Using this technique with other others I deleted well over 1000 emails and not yahoo works fine on my iphone

Less

Mar 17, 2024 12:57 PM in response to Dizzyd12

I have been working with a IT person called Aaron for the past week. We were on the phone for over 3 hours and tried everything. Deleting the app, powering down, fiddling about with the settings etc. Nothing worked. I keep sending him screenshots of my “empty” emails and links to comments on this page (so that he is aware of the fact that it is a bigger issue than just mine). I’ve advised that it works fine when I go onto the yahoo mail website, just doesn’t work through the apps.

He seems to be trying to work out what’s wrong but nothing yet. I’m hoping it will be resolved shortly. Let’s see!

This message has not been downloaded from the server.