Mail - how to stop it using Important folder?

New MacBook using Yosemite 10.10.3.

I use IMAP for MAIL but recently duplicates of incoming mail show up in the "Important" folder as well as Inbox in the Mail app. This also means that One message is listed as Two in the Dock. I never set this up and cannot find a way of turning it option off.

It's a Gmail account so also checked online but I have not set up any special preferences on the Gmail web page.

Thanks!

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Jul 16, 2015 4:26 AM

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,144 points

Posted on Jul 16, 2015 4:50 AM

Gmail does that by default. No need to set up anything.

What you have to do is dismantle all of their goofy modifications to IMAP. Gmail isn't really IMAP; it just pretends to be.

Gmail "labels" messages with multiple tags; it doesn't move the message into folders. In order to show this functionality, Mail shows each Label in its own folder.

When email comes into Gmail, it is Labeled with Inbox and All Mail, and any other accoutrements such as Important.

When you move the message out of the Inbox in Mail, the "Inbox" label is removed, but all the rest remain.

Also note that when you delete an gmail in Mail, it isn't deleted. All that happens is the Inbox label is removed. It still remains labeled All Mail and thus remains available for Google to harvest.

You can disable showing the various labels on IMAP from the Gmail Settings page.

View in context

18 replies

Eric Root

Level 10

685,227 points

Oct 22, 2016 9:49 AM in response to JMB23

You might want to consider starting a new discussion. Since this one is marked solved, less people are likely to look at it. A new post would be much more visible. You can link to this one.

JMB23

Level 1

19 points

Oct 22, 2016 2:39 PM in response to Eric Root

Thank you Eric. I don't use this often, but I am stumped on this one. Just started a new thread.

JMB23

Level 1

19 points

Oct 23, 2016 11:06 AM in response to Eric Root

Hi Eric, I already did when you suggested that yesterday.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Mail - how to stop it using Important folder?