Accidentally deleted an email, now can't find it anywhere

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Level 1

6 points

Accidentally deleted an email, now can't find it anywhere

On my iPad 2, using Mail to access my gmail account, I accidentally deleted a message. Went to the "deleted messages" folder to get it back, and it wasn't there. Looked for it Mail on my iMac and directly in GMail using Safari, and couldn't find it in either place. It appears to be really gone. This can't be right; I've never heard of a program that doesn't give you a "second chance" to retrieve something that has been deleted.

iPad 2, iOS 5.1.1

Posted on Jul 13, 2012 8:38 AM

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Answer 1

Demo

Level 10

166,747 points

Jul 13, 2012 9:39 AM in response to Rob Ryd

Rob Ryd wrote:

I've never heard of a program that doesn't give you a "second chance" to retrieve something that has been deleted.

..... Unless you have the email settings configured that way in your web mail account or on the iPad.

I know nothing about Gmail, but if it is IMAP - whatever you do on one device is synced across devices. If you delete it on the iPad then it is deleted everywhere. However, I would think that it would go to the Trash folder.

With my POP account in the settings under Advanced - there is a setting to delete from the server when it is removed from the inbox. Do you have your gmail account set up that way?

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Answer 2

Rob Ryd Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 13, 2012 10:08 AM in response to Demo

I think I've figured it out, with your help. I went to the GMail help page and found that deleting a GMail message from Mail on the iPad "archives" it, and the archived mail can be found in the "All Mail" folder. I went there, and, sure enough, there it was.

It seems to me that locating a deleted message in "All Mail" rather than in "Deleted Messages" is a rather odd arrangement, but so be it. At least I can deal with it now that I know how it works.

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Answer 3

Demo

Level 10

166,747 points

Jul 13, 2012 10:14 AM in response to Rob Ryd

I'm glad to hear that you were able to retrieve it.

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Answer 4

MN

Level 1

39 points

Sep 30, 2012 2:48 PM in response to Rob Ryd

I just had this same problem with my iPad 2 with iOS6. I was wondering what the letterbox icon was and clicked on it. The gmail message I was reading immediately disappeared. It's not in my 'all inboixes' older. The settings are set to put deleted mail into the trash, but it's not there either. I even tried 'searching' for the subject.

egads!

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