After ios9 update my emails with attachments won't open and say "message not yet downloaded from server". They were there previously. How do I get them back?

I note that a lot of folks focus on the inbox. As I pointed out, I use a SMTP server of my internet provider so when I send emails from my ipad, they go out on that SMTP server. No copy is held there of course. I expect my IPAD to show me the SEND messages. Would moving to IMAP change this? I dont think so, although I am very sure that you are correct that Apple regard POP as has-been technology. (Never mind that half the world works with it. WHY? because it works !)

I do not expect Apple to decide what I can keep on my ipad, I will do that.

I do not expect them to decide which email protocol I use, I will do that.

I do not expect Apple to decide which emails I will keep and which will be deleted. I will do that.

Its MY ipad. As you will probably notice I am more than a bit ticked off with Apple's arrogance when it comes to the decisions and assumptions they make as to how I use my ipad. Although in this instance I think its just incompetence that has caused this error. Not enough testing. Lets hope they belatedly fix it.

Poor workmanship.

HI, I am having exactly the same issue. Many of my old mails on my iPad just saying not yet downloaded from the server. I am using a pop account on both my iPad and windows live mail. I have tried deleting my email accounts and adding back in. Even some emails that were received this morning are now showing as not being downloaded from the server. Spoke to Apple yesterday, that asked me to call BT my internet providir n the uk, but clearly this is a bigger issue than Apple are admitting and a fix needs to applied ASAP .

I'm having this problem too, so it clearly is an issue!

IIt's got to be Apple. I'm with Virgin. Emails are there one minute then gone the next. Very annoying.

I installed ios9 on Sunday and all emails with attachments which were archived on an iPad Air now say "This message has not been downloaded from the server." I also think the problem must be with Apple; my ISP is PlusNet and I have checked with them that there are no emails for me in their server.

Hi,

I spoke to Apple yesterday evening and told them its an iOS 9 fault its affecting all POP email accounts, what I believe is happening is POP cuts and paste's the email from the server to your device so its no longer on the server where other email systems copy the main body and reload the content from the server every time you open your emails again, and I believe IOS 9 is not saving the content to the device and when you reopen your email its going back to the server for the content but its no longer there because of the POP protocol that removes the message from the server, hence the "message content not downloaded message" Apple say they will look into it but as I told them the proverbial will hit the fan when people realise they have lost important document attachments or holiday conformation emails.

I Can't access any of my work emails! they all say "message has not downloaded" -

Same problem! I lost all attachments. iOS 9 is very disappointing!

I Have the same problem. This needs to be fixed urgently. Emails should be available till deliberartly deleted. This has only come up since ios9 I have an ad air 2 and my email is poo3. This is a serious issue.

Thanks soooo much for the hint. Looks like Mail in iOS 9 is looking back to the server for content even in POP setup. I (temporarily) have fixed this by leaving all my emails on the server. Wow... I know I'm a dinosaur for still using a POP setup, but really... Thank heavens I don't archive on my iPhone. Thx again for your useful note.

Hi,

your not a dinosaur for using POP most of the business world use it because once the email is there its physically on the device like an iBook or PDF and can be viewed when there is no Wi-Fi or cellular data network available its a critical thing for many businesses and people who travel widely it is still extensively used throughout the world, this is a major issue and Apple need to sort it very quickly.

I am having the same issue with an Iphone 4s that I have just upgraded to ios 9. My email is a pop account. Some emails are still present, but others say "This message has not been downloaded from the server.", even though they were there a few days ago. I guess it is the ones with attachments or large sizes that are affected. Is there an update on a fix for this? Otherwise I'll be trying to downgrade to ios 8.4.1 very soon.

Same issue here with iPad and iPhone 5s. Can't get the messages to download to my mobile devices. They were on the device before I updated iOS to 9.0.1

HAving exactly the same problem on iPad mini - email content disappearing to be replaced by 'not downloaded from server' message. This is with iOS 9.1. With Virgin too. Vvv annoying

I think this is one of the worst bug of ever for Apple. The content of email in pop account is sacrosanct.

3 days trying to solve with Apple support but nothing! They say engineers know that and they're trying to get a patch in the next release. Anyway I downgraded to ios 8.4.1 but, unfortunately, all my old emails were disappeared.

After 25 years of faith in Apple it's the first time I'm really disappointed because of then and tens of emails with no more body cause of the bug "This message has not been downloaded from the server".

They must be very happy that, til now, the media have no talked about that.