mr_thev

Q: does iCloud backup include POP email?

Hi. I have an iPad mini that has a POP email account on it. I think this means that the messages I have composed and sent from my iPad only exist there. I accidentally deleted an important sent message and couldn't retrieve it (ironically, I was trying to move it to an IMAP email account to get it off my iPad and somewhere safe) so I decided to restore my iPad from an iCloud backup that was made earlier that morning. I assumed that this would return my iPad to it's previous state, including restoring the sent POP email I had deleted.

 

To be sure it would work, I looked online in Apple Support and found the following info:

 

iCloud backups include nearly all data and settings stored on your device. iCloud backups don't include:

  • Data that's already stored in the cloud, like contacts, calendars, notes, My Photo Stream, and iCloud Photo Library
  • Data stored in other cloud services, like Gmail and Exchange mail
  • Apple Pay information and settings
  • Touch ID settings
  • Content you didn't get directly from iTunes, App, or iBooks Stores, like imported MP3s, videos, or CDs
  • iTunes in the Cloud and App Store content (If it's still available in the iTunes, App, or iBooks Store, you can tap to re-download your already purchased content.)

 

As my POP sent emails were not stored in the cloud, but on my iPad directly I interpreted this to mean they would be included in the iCloud backup, however once I had erased my iPad and restored it from iCloud, I found that NONE of my emails were restored. I went from having accidentally deleted one email, to deleting all of my email. The restore seemed to work perfectly in every other regard apart from this POP email account.

 

What did I do wrong? Is there any way I can restore my lost email?

 

One other consideration is that I also made an iTunes backup of my iPad before erasing it - just in case. Will restoring from this backup get me back to where I started, with just one lost email? I've already mucked things up badly – I don't want to make it worse...

 

Thanks

iPad Mini, iOS 9.1

Posted on Dec 5, 2015 9:52 PM