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User profile for user: xurxo13
xurxo13 Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

Gmail archiving in iOS doesn't work as expected

Hello,

In the IOS Mail app I can use archive to move my mails to an archiving folder so I can review them afterwards. This works for Outlook.com or exchange accounts but not for Gmail.

In mail advanced options I can set an archive mailbox, for example "Archive" instead of "All Mail".

But then whenever I archive an email it disappears from my inbox but it's not moved to the archive folder I selected ("Archive").

If I check the Gmail website I can see the "inbox label" is removed for that mail but the "[imap]\archive" label isn't added, forcing me to go to the All Mail folder to recover the mail. I understand that's the way archiving works in the Gmail website but having an option to choose an archiving folder in Mail and then not using it gets confusing.

Archiving in OSX Mail works as expected (archive button moves mail to a mailbox called [imap]\Archive).

Also, in iOS, when browsing mailboxes from the settings app the Archive icon is next to the archive mailbox but in the Mail app it's next to the "All Mail" mailbox. That seems like an inconsistent behavior to me.

iPhone 5, iOS 8.1.3

Posted on Feb 28, 2015 2:03 PM

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8 replies
User profile for user: IdrisSeabright
IdrisSeabright
User level: Level 10
154,859 points

Feb 28, 2015 2:12 PM in response to xurxo13

When you archive email in Gmail, it gets moved out of the In Box. Gmail uses "All Mail" to archive mail, not a folder called "Archive". My experience is that the Mail app on iOS devices exactly mirrors the folder structure of my Gmail account. My interpretation of that setting was that you chose to move the mail to deleted or to whatever folder the mail service uses to archive its mail. And, "All Mail" is that folder for Gmail. I would find it terribly disconcerting if the Mail app on my phone created a folder that didn't exist in my Gmail account.


I haven't used the Mail application on my Mac in years because I hate it so I can't comment on that.


Submit your feedback directly to Apple using the appropriate link on the Feedback page:


http://www.apple.com/feedback

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User profile for user: xurxo13
xurxo13 Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

Feb 28, 2015 2:20 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you say but I think I didn't explain myself well enough.

In the gmail website I can create a folder, for example "archived_mail".

If I go to my iphone I can go to the mail settings and select that folder I created as my archived folder.

But then when i archive a message in the Mail app the message doesn't go to that folder.

I don't see the point of letting the user select an archiving folder if instead the system is going to override that configuration and archive the message the way it's done in the gmail website. Apple could as well remove that option so it wouldn't be confusing (or fix it)

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User profile for user: revDAVE
revDAVE
User level: Level 2
344 points

Dec 25, 2015 5:47 PM in response to xurxo13

Hi,


I have the same issue - and it is a problem. It still is not working correctly for me.


In addition I have tried adding imap prefix = [Gmail] - but this is not helping.


- sometimes swipe to archive seems to end up in IMPORTANT folder for no reason


I started this thread here...


https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/kZE_qOSehb8


Q: Any ideas how to fix all this?

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Gmail archiving in iOS doesn't work as expected

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