No Results in iPhone Mail Search

Question

Level 1

8 points

No Results in iPhone Mail Search

I support a medium sized law firm and several of the attorneys have reported that their search function for their mail app works inconsistently. I have recently observed that a user can search for a search term and get no results when they have a number of emails containing the search term in their inbox. I have also observed that a user can start the search and see suggested search terms pulled from the subject lines of mail in their inbox and still get no search results. I tested this for one user and performed the same search a number of times. I tried with wifi on and with wifi off. I tried keyword searches and contact searches based off the keywords. I tried the same search 6 times and on the 6th try I got results, then I searched it again after trying a couple of other searches and go no results.

After I updated the users iOS to 9.3.1 I performed all of these searches again and a few more for good measure and all returned results but I gave the device back to the user and it once again returned no results for him when he tried different search terms.

I've observed similar behavior on other phones including my own but since the problem usually goes away I discounted it. I have now seen it enough times on enough different users to think this is probably a bigger problem and people are just not saying anything about it.

How is it possible that the search tool can suggest search terms pulled from the subject lines of emails in the inbox and then return no results when searching for those search terms? How is it possible that I can open an email containing the search term and then when I perform a search for that search term I get no results?

We are using Office 365. These users all have very large mailboxes. I have more than once tried removing the account and re-adding it for a user experiencing this behavior and the problem persisted. I have more than once turned off the phone and back on. I have more than once updated the iOS version on the phone experiencing the issue. The problem is inconsistent enough that most people just live with it but I've heard enough reports at this point to be concerned it could happen in a situation where one of the users NEEDS to find an email and they end up not being able to and at my firm that could be an expensive problem.

Any assistance or explanation of how the mail app could behave this way would be welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Posted on Apr 8, 2016 11:34 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

ChitlinsCC

Level 7

20,924 points

Apr 8, 2016 12:49 PM in response to senseirobert

Intermittency is almost impossible to diagnose, much less fix. (from years of experience, likely like you)

No answers, but suggestions rather...

file a Bug Report from the menu here > http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html < expect no return or acknowlegement
Contact Apple Support - expect the need to be politely assertive in elevating this up the chain as 1st responders are
1. not privy to high level Knowledge Bases, and
2. are sometimes reluctant to show any inability to solve (they may think that it reflects badly on performance reports?)

I would be interested in hearing back ANY results of you contact - I;ll bet others would be too!

Good luck

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Answer 2

ChitlinsCC

Level 7

20,924 points

Apr 8, 2016 12:48 PM in response to senseirobert

I have asked our gracious Hosts to move this to Using iPhone where someone MAY have better advice - Using Apple Support Communities is for "How to use the forum features" and as kind of catch-all for unclassifiable topics

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Answer 3

senseirobert Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 8, 2016 12:58 PM in response to ChitlinsCC

Update:

Same user has an iPad Air 2 iOS version 9.2 and iPhone 6 iOS version 9.3.1. I performed the same search on both devices at the same time in the same room on the same Wifi and the iPad got results while the iPhone got none. Also did a second search and the iPhone returned a single result while the iPad returned several.

Both mail accounts are configured the same and set to No Limit. I spoke to Apple Support earlier and they recommended an iOS upgrade (at the time he had 9.3) failing that they advised removing the account and re-adding (since he is set to No Limit it takes about an hour and half to remove and re-add his account), failing that they said back it up with iTunes and restore it.No time to do any of this before he leaves on a trip so I advised using the iPad since it works (at least for now).

Since the iPad is 9.2, the iPhone is 9.3 and the problem began right after he upgraded to 9.3 I'm leaning toward it being an 9.3 bug that wasn't fixed in 9.3.1. Hopefully it will be fixed by 9.3.2. I'll update if it does but I'm open to any other suggestions as well.

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Answer 4

ChitlinsCC

Level 7

20,924 points

Apr 8, 2016 1:10 PM in response to senseirobert

To be fair (to users, not Apple), iOS 9.3 & 9.3.1 has been a fiasco.

9.3 slammed iPad 2s - for DAYS (almost a week)
9.3 slammed ALL devices for "Universal Links" (unresponsive links in Safari & emails) = again days
9.3.1 'fixed' ULs, but hit iPhone 6 & 6s with a myriad of oddball "anomalies" - still ongoing, browse the Using iPhone forum, chock full (most noticeable is Fingerprint sensor hardware MAY have been toasted... recalls the Iran "Stuxnet" dealio)

Not Apple's finest hour, I fear

Good advice for your traveling lawyer... For any business, I advise WAITING to update any other devices for quite some time until this all shakes out

best luck, keep us posted

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