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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?

All my email attachments are unopenableafter the ios9 upgrade. Anyone else with this issue? How do I get them back? The emails just say message not yet downloaded from server.

iPhone 5, iOS 9

Posted on Sep 17, 2015 7:32 PM

Reply
1,001 replies

Oct 20, 2015 7:54 AM in response to LesfromK

LesfromK wrote:

"I am suffering the same problem. I'm in UK. I have now started using myMail and it has recovered all of my messages.

i will continue using it until Apple sort out the issue.

The issue has caused me a lot of problems, especially when I am away from my PC."


If myMail recovered mail that was lost on your mobile device, those messages must still have been on the server; The mail client on your PC being set to not remove messages from the server after they are retrieved would explain that.

Oct 20, 2015 11:15 AM in response to Jlkochan

With regard to the iOS 9 POP email bug, it apparently was caused by an intentional change made by Apple, which breaks every single rationale behind using POP instead of IMAP.

They are now treating mail on the iOS device as transient in cache, eligible for removal at any time. Their presumption is that the mail will be downloaded again from the server whenever next accessed. In other words, they expect POP to behave like IMAP.

So if you delete mail from the POP server, then the mails previously downloaded to the iOS device will not be retrievable if and when they get removed from cache on the device.

I use POP because I want my local copies to remain accessible on the device forever, even when isolated from a network. And once mail has been retrieved by my "master" platform (my Mac), then my mail client deletes it from the server, as is expected with POP, so that I'm not constrained by inadequate storage limits on the server.

That is the way POP should work, and until iOS 9 it did work that way in the Apple world. Now, iOS 9 treats locally cached mails as disposable, expecting them to be available forever on the POP server. Very very wrong.

I have filed a bug report with Apple, but I'm not terribly optimistic. They've apparently decided that the POP model is wrong, and that they'll not accommodate it.

Oct 20, 2015 11:31 AM in response to Mike Connally

Mike Connally wrote:

"With regard to the iOS 9 POP email bug, it apparently was caused by an intentional change made by Apple, which breaks every single rationale behind using POP instead of IMAP.

I have filed a bug report with Apple, but I'm not terribly optimistic. They've apparently decided that the POP model is wrong, and that they'll not accommodate it."


I expect that everyone on this forum is interested to hear how you verified this was an intentional change in Apple's design of iOS9 Mail versus being a bug in the software so please share that. Thanks.

Oct 20, 2015 12:47 PM in response to Rontu2

Why do I think this change was intentional? Earlier on this thread, an Apple engineer had this to say:


The customer is reporting that POP emails are not opening after updating to iOS 9. iOS Mail caches the email, and then that cache may clear when space is needed. It will then download them again from the server.


This issue usually starts if one of the devices/computers that was setup with this email account has been configured to remove a copy of emails on the server. If this is the case, the customer will need to check the settings of all the devices and computers that are running this email account.


iOS leaves messages on the POP3 server by default. iOS never stores email permanently, whether POP3 or IMAP. If they are removed from the server by another device then this issue can occur.


A test that you may want to do to confirm this is to have the customer produce the error by opening one affected mail on the iOS device, and then locate that specific email on his webmail. If not found, then the device is behaving as expected. If found, please try to forward it to the same mailbox and see if the same issue occurs.


I look forward to your follow-up on this issue with the results of checking data on the server.

Oct 20, 2015 1:00 PM in response to Mike Connally

But this is absolute rubbish (apart from being a nonsensical way to work). My emails are still on the mailserver as I haven't downloaded them with the primary client that deletes them from the server yet, and certain emails in the iPad inbox have this message displayed. Also, it isn't consistent either. I have mail in my inbox, stored temporary only for few days to a couple if weeks, and random emails in this selection no longer display. It is clearly a bug despite what they or you suggest.


Randomly deleting emails which are stored on your device is not a "feature".

Oct 20, 2015 1:29 PM in response to Mike Connally

Mike Connally wrote:

"Why do I think this change was intentional? Earlier on this thread, an Apple engineer had this to say:The customer is reporting that POP emails are not opening after updating to iOS 9. iOS Mail caches the email, and then that cache may clear when space is needed."


The text you cited was a post by someone claiming to have received that comment from Apple Engineering. Perhaps they did and perhaps it was misconstrued. However, I can confirm, since I have case no. already in Apple Engineering, and it's being monitored by an Apple Senior Technical Advisor assigned to me, that as of yesterday engineering had not released any recognition of, or comment on this issue. I am in direct contact with the sr tech advisor via both his direct email and direct phone no. so my remarks are made with a good degree of certainty.


I concur with DrJogalog's response to your post because the 'not downloaded from server' message is inconsistent with messages still being on the server as he states they are. The theory also makes no sense for messages in the Sent mailbox displaying the not downloaded from server dialogue - that one seems to be a show stopper. Cache being cleared when space is needed also does not add up. My phone shows over 3GB available while the Mail app is using only 15MB.

Oct 21, 2015 7:17 AM in response to Rontu2

Rontu 2,


I agree. I have been on the phone with Apple Support and a Senior Tech multiple times. I had an open case. They closed it saying that deleting the email account and adding it back solved the problem, which it did not. I called to reopen the case. It still shows closed.


I shared several links from this forum with 50,000 views with the Apple Support rep. I also shared links from other industry sources. They would not admit that it was an intentional change. They would not acknowledge that there is a bug. You would think if they were going to make a change like this that would affect there user base, they would warn you in advance and have a strategy to migrate.


I gave up testing different configurations and talking to Apple Support. I switched to Outlook on iOS as a short term solution. It works fine with my multiple email accounts - gmail, Comcast, and Mac Mail. I am going to try a couple other mail apps as options.

Oct 21, 2015 9:48 AM in response to steve.mccormick2

steve.mccormich2 wrote:

"I have been on the phone with Apple Support and a Senior Tech multiple times. I had an open case. They closed it saying that deleting the email account and adding it back solved the problem, which it did not. I called to reopen the case. It still shows closed.... They would not admit that it was an intentional change. They would not acknowledge that there is a bug."


I just received email from the Sr Tech Advisor on my case which stated:


QUOTE:

This message is to keep you informed with the engineers response. I was directed to an emerging issue article that states that the engineers are aware of the issue and they are currently working on a fix. The article states that the fix may come in the form of a software update or further troubleshooting. I will continue to keep you updated with more information that I find.

UNQUOTE:

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?

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