iOS 17 Mail VIP shows ALL emails

In iOS 17.0.2 mail app, when looking at the VIP folder emails, it shows all emails from all accounts, yet I only have 3 contacts setup as VIP's. Clicking on the information symbol (i) it just shows those 3 contacts.


The same VIP folder on macOS Sonoma shows the correct emails from those 3 contacts.


If I disable my iCloud email, it just shows emails from a gmail account in VIP's, yet none of my contacts have gmail accounts.

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Posted on Sep 28, 2023 11:14 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 6, 2023 2:20 AM

Problem Resolved.


I had to log the phone out of iCloud (which I had tried previously), then perform a full reset and erase all data on iPhone, then restore from backup.


VIP folder now works, as does the Flagged items (which was also inconsistent across devices).

19 replies

Oct 13, 2023 11:25 AM in response to Sparks0829

In August I signed out of iCloud on my iPhone 13 Pro. Rebuilt my mailboxes on MacBook. Rebooted iPhone. Signed in to iCloud. VIP email worked as expected on all devices until last week. Now all email is in VIP folder again, on all devices. Problem may have reappeared after updating MacBook Pro to Ventura. I use only iCloud Mail. No Gmail or other accounts set up in Apple Mail.


[Edited by Moderator]

Oct 1, 2023 10:29 AM in response to tubularnut

Hi there tubularnut,


Did you follow the steps in this link to make these contacts VIP? Make a sender a VIP in Mail on iCloud.com - Apple Support


You'll want to reach out to Apple Support directly for further assistance. They're best-equipped to take a closer look at the issue and provide some additional guidance. This link will help you get started: Apple Support


Take care.




Oct 1, 2023 10:42 AM in response to Sparks0829

Hi,


Thank you for the reply.


Yes, I've been using VIP's for years across my iCloud mail, on iPhone, iMac and MacBook. It's only with the iOS 17 update that VIP's are no longer filtered correctly in the VIP folder, (shows every email from all my inboxes - iCloud and Gmail) yet still works as expected on the iMac, MacBook and iCloud.com.


I would have previously added them either on the iPhone or Mac's.


I will try removing them on iCloud.com and add them back in again.

Oct 4, 2023 1:49 AM in response to jayachare

Nope.


As I removed them on iCloud.com, they would disappear one-by-one on the Macs.


As I added them back onto iCloud.com, they would re-appear on the Macs, but no change at all on the iPhone.


Interestingly, when I had removed them all, the appearance on the Macs was to show ALL emails under the VIP folder, exactly as it is currently showing on the iPhone.


So it seems the way they are shown on the iPhone, is as if there are no VIP's, yet clicking on the 'i' symbol does list the VIPs.


Just to show an example, I have added back just one VIP.


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iOS 17 Mail VIP shows ALL emails

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