How do I stop all email archiving in Apple mail?

Hi JBeth56

welcome to this Apple (user-to-user) Community!

Re: "How do I stop all email archiving in Apple mail?

Apple email randomly puts emails into archive folders and I do not want this to happen.

I want everything left in my inbox unless I move or delete it.

How do I stop this from happening? It should be MY choice, not the software's".

The Mail app can generally only act according to the settings that are already in place.

Settings can be either chosen ones or will usually remain as the default settings.

Eg: Mail in iOS26 may be set to sort your emails into categories you do not want.

(ie: Folders: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions)

Apple Support's article: Automatically categorize incoming email in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

Eg: says you can:

"Turn off categories 

1. Go to the Mail app  on your Mac.
2. Choose View, then turn off Show Mail Categories."

__________________________________

If the above is not the answer you seek:

It is not easy to guess which settings you have in place in your Mac's Mail app in order to help change them:

As emails are being archived instead of remaining in the Inbox until you move them:

Seems your current settings either:

✽ (1) direct mail the app considers "junk" to an archive folder

To direct the app to handle "Junk" emails as you wish:

With the Mail app open > Click "Mail" in the top menu

Then choose "Settings" from the menu that opens

then click "Junk Mail".

If needed: More info: Change Junk Mail settings in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

or

✽ (2) apps you delete are set to go to an archive folder rather than the "Bin".folder

In Mail > Settings > Accounts

Select an account,

then click Mailbox Behaviours

Click the pop-up menu next to the Bin mailbox and choose an option.

If needed: More info: View deleted emails in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

or

✽ (3) the archive folders you mention are folders you have set up to house emails from particular senders.

and

✽ there are filters in place sorting incoming emails into appropriate "archive" folders

If any are set: You can Turn Filters off or on, (or you can Set Filters)

See how to: Filter emails in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

Eg: says you can:

"Turn filters off

1. Go to the Mail app  on your Mac.
2. Click  at the top of the message list, or choose View > Filter > Disable Message Filter.

You can also click and hold , then choose Disable Message Filter from the menu that appears.

1. The Filter button changes colour  to indicate that no filters are applied."

NB: There's much more "filters" info. in the above linked article.

Hope something here helps bring about the changes you want, and helps you take control

Else: If you want: See this useful resource that the articles above come from:

Mail User Guide for Mac - Apple Support (The "Table of Contents" and "Search" field are useful.)

or

Apple Mail Support have a website online (info. / support/ contact options etc: Mail - Official Apple Support

All the best :-)