HT201419: Get help with Mail on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

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Sandra000

Q: I drafted an email, hit my home button and went to Safari before sending the email or saving it as a draft. When I returned to mail, the email I was working on cannot be found. How can I recover it?

I drafted an email, hit my home button and went to Safari before sending the email or saving it as a draft. When I returned to mail, the email I was working on cannot be found. How can I recover it?

iPad

Posted on Dec 19, 2013 9:42 AM

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Q: I drafted an email, hit my home button and went to Safari before sending the email or saving it as a draft. When I returned to mai ... more

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  • by Kilgore-Trout,

    Kilgore-Trout Kilgore-Trout Dec 19, 2013 10:25 AM in response to Sandra000
    Level 7 (32,519 points)
    iPad
    Dec 19, 2013 10:25 AM in response to Sandra000

    Since you didn't actually save it, I suspect not.

  • by Sandra000,

    Sandra000 Sandra000 Dec 19, 2013 12:16 PM in response to Kilgore-Trout
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 12:16 PM in response to Kilgore-Trout

    I don't understand your grammer James.

  • by lizdance40,

    lizdance40 lizdance40 Dec 19, 2013 12:24 PM in response to Sandra000
    Level 4 (2,382 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 12:24 PM in response to Sandra000

    James means, you can't, it's gone, you will have to retype the email.

  • by Sandra000,

    Sandra000 Sandra000 Dec 19, 2013 12:54 PM in response to lizdance40
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 12:54 PM in response to lizdance40

    Thanks Liz. I've invested a lot of money in my iPhone, iPad, iMac, Airport Extreme and My Passport and have been very dissappointed. I spend 20-30% of my time dealing with randon issues that are just hit and miss, with no explanation to be had by the Apple staff. Things just mysteriously happen and then mysteriously solve themselves. I am sick of trying to figure out if it's me or the systems. After 6 months, I've decided it's the systems, the invasive tracking and unauthorized reprogramming with downloads and updates. This issue of the email disappearing, which also happens with calendar events, are just two examples of user unfriendly software. This is just basic 101 programming. It happens ALL THE TIME with APPLE! I think the developers just target kids and aren't serious about business users.

  • by AmishCake,Helpful

    AmishCake AmishCake Dec 19, 2013 12:59 PM in response to Sandra000
    Level 6 (9,381 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 12:59 PM in response to Sandra000

    So it's Apple's fault you didn't save your draft?

  • by lizdance40,

    lizdance40 lizdance40 Dec 19, 2013 1:03 PM in response to Sandra000
    Level 4 (2,382 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 1:03 PM in response to Sandra000

    I'm sorry you have been so frustrated by the device.  I also use the iPad for business and have been pleased with it.  While the newest update was not ready (way to buggy) and the iPad air has flaws, I am pleased my older iPad 2 and iPad mini updated with no problems at all.

    The Airport extreme was a good buy.  I went through 3 highly rated routers that could not maintain wifi connection to the devices in my home (and we have them all).  The Airport Extreme hasn't let me down yet.

     

    I agree your iPad shouldn't have dumped the email, usually it will auto save the draft.   I stoped using the Stock app and use Yahoo mail app, which has an auto save.

     

    IF you can list some of the other problems, I would be glad to help sort them out with you.

  • by pshute,

    pshute pshute Dec 19, 2013 1:40 PM in response to Sandra000
    Level 1 (28 points)
    iPad
    Dec 19, 2013 1:40 PM in response to Sandra000

    I've found that since I installed iOS7, I've had this problem a lot. In iOS6, I was initially cautious about leaving a draft open and unsaved while I used other apps, but soon found it was quite reliable and they were always still there when I returned to Mail.

     

    With the first version of iOS7, the draft was almost certain to be gone when I returned. Since iOS7.0.4 it's a lot better, but not reliable enough to trust. I've got into the habit of using Cancel/Save Draft *every* time I need to use Safari, etc, before continuing with an email I'm typing. It's just not worth having to retype it.

     

    Note that when you return to the Mail app, you don't have to go to the Drafts folder to find your draft again. Just tap and hold the New Message icon, and a list of drafts will appear. The most recent one will be at the top. I've found that this tip makes the idea of having to cancel, save and reopen much less tedious.

  • by pshute,Helpful

    pshute pshute Dec 19, 2013 1:47 PM in response to AmishCake
    Level 1 (28 points)
    iPad
    Dec 19, 2013 1:47 PM in response to AmishCake

    AmishCake wrote:

     

    So it's Apple's fault you didn't save your draft?

    Given that this didn't used to happen in iOS6, and that they don't warn you that swapping to another app and back again will simply close what you were doing, I'd say it is Apple's fault.

     

    I agree though that it's probably unwise to trust a device to not lose unsaved information. I wish there was a "Save and continue" button in Mail.

  • by Sandra000,

    Sandra000 Sandra000 Dec 19, 2013 1:54 PM in response to AmishCake
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 1:54 PM in response to AmishCake

    It's a glitch babycakes!

  • by lizdance40,

    lizdance40 lizdance40 Dec 19, 2013 2:09 PM in response to AmishCake
    Level 4 (2,382 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 2:09 PM in response to AmishCake

    AmishCake,  This didn't happen before the update.  While I haven't had any major problems, I have noticed Apps close on their own after the update.  It makes copying a link into emails iffy at best.

  • by lizdance40,

    lizdance40 lizdance40 Dec 19, 2013 2:23 PM in response to Sandra000
    Level 4 (2,382 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 2:23 PM in response to Sandra000

    Sandra,

    I did find that each of the updates fixed any minor glitches I had.  I only once had a super slow recharge of my iPad mini.  Maybe once or twice safari crashed.  I'm annoyed I can't do the same kind of editing in 'Get Info' in iBooks, because I store my PDFs in there.

    My son had a lot of complaints about his iPhone 4S.  By doing updates, resetting his settings and turning off bluetooth (which constantly turns on if you allow location services), his problems have been resolved.

  • by AmishCake,

    AmishCake AmishCake Dec 20, 2013 6:16 AM in response to pshute
    Level 6 (9,381 points)
    Dec 20, 2013 6:16 AM in response to pshute

    I see...well it's interesting to me, because I don't have this problem and have swapped apps many times to come back and find the draft e-mail still open. I wonder if it depends on the provider?

  • by AmishCake,

    AmishCake AmishCake Dec 20, 2013 6:34 AM in response to lizdance40
    Level 6 (9,381 points)
    Dec 20, 2013 6:34 AM in response to lizdance40

    Sorry about duplicate...seem to be having trouble posting today

     

    Message was edited by: AmishCake

  • by broncob100572,

    broncob100572 broncob100572 May 12, 2015 10:26 AM in response to Sandra000
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 12, 2015 10:26 AM in response to Sandra000

    This is a great question which i am trying to answer too, as the same thing just happened to me. This is something Apple should address bc there is no warning that the email being draftes would be lost. I was drafting and email, which began in Safari, and I wanted to forward the link to the safari web article. I spent 30 mins typing a very important email and when I was getting to send and reviewing, and went to siri to asking for thesarus help. That opened a new safari page and when i tried to return to the email, it brought me to the original webpage i had created the email from. No warning. No asking to save as draft. Very frustrated!

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