Can you keep iCloud mail in trash from deleting permanently after 30 days?

Question

Can you keep iCloud mail in trash from deleting permanently after 30 days?

I noticed that when you go to preferences in iCloud.com, it shows that mail in the trash will be deleted after 30 days. However, there is a setting in the Mac Mail preferences under "mailbox behaviors" where you can select to permanently delete trash "NEVER." So which is it? if you make this selection in Mac Mail to "never," will it still be deleted after 30 days or not?

Thank you.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.4), Mid 2012 model

Posted on Mar 31, 2013 2:12 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Mar 31, 2013 2:15 PM in response to DeputyDog2003

Never means never, not after 30 days. What is the point of your question since you apparently know the difference already.

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Answer 2

Mar 31, 2013 3:14 PM in response to Kappy

Maybe I wasn't as clear as I should have been.

1. I select >delete trash "NEVER" in my mac mail preferences. (which I would assume means never.)

2. I go to www.icloud.com and select mail preferences, it shows that the trash will be permanently deleted in 30 days.

So, that's why I asked the question. Is it possible to save trash forever (or until you purposly delete it) or will it delete in 30 days regardless of how I set the preferences in mac mail. And if the latter is the answer, what is the mail preference that allows you to select when the trash is deleted "never" or not for anyway?

Thanks.

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Mar 31, 2013 3:22 PM in response to DeputyDog2003

Aha. Gotcha! The difference is you are dealing with two different email programs. The one on your computer is Mail. At iClouc.com you are using a web-based email application. They are completely different applications. Mail does have a "Never" option for Trash deletion on your IMAP server. But the Apple WebMail program apparently does not offer that option.

So the real issue here is are you using the same email account - you@icloud.com - both on the WebMail program and in Mail on your computer?

If it's all the same account, then I am not really sure which takes precedence. If you only use Mail's configuration, then I would think it takes precedence. But I am grasping at straws here. I don't know the right answer because I don't use iCloud's WebMail interface nor my iCloud mail address. I handle my email via a separate host.

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Answer 4

Mar 31, 2013 3:26 PM in response to Kappy

I'm guessing that the amount of time trash stays on the server is a function of the server. In other words, regardless if you sign in to your mail every day, or once a year, and regardless of how you sign in to your mail account, the server it's self removes your trash after 30 days.

I'm also guessing that the selection in the mail preferences on the mac will control servers that give you the option of setting an expiration date for mail in the trash up to and including "never."

Anyone else out there know for sure?

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Answer 5

Aug 13, 2013 3:28 AM in response to DeputyDog2003

As I read it, when the Mail application connects to the server it checks mail in the Trash and if it is older than the specified delay it deletes it; or if set to 'never' it doesn't delete it.

However the server has a permanent setting to delete mail from the Trash after 30 days, so it will do this regardless of the Mail application setting.

The only workaround is to create a new Mailbox and put messages you want to hold onto into it. You shouldn't regard the trash as somewhere to store items for future use, any more than you should on your Mac.

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