Lost emails from Macbook Pro when turning off iCloud

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Level 1

89 points

Lost emails from Macbook Pro when turning off iCloud

iPhone SE, Macbook, and Macbook Pro connected to iCloud for the express reason of making keychain password available to the the iPhone.

After switching off iCloud on the Macbook Pro, all the email on this computer disappeared. When trying to sign out of oCloud there was indeed a waring about loss of data, but assumed this meant stuff that had been uploaded to iCloud.

How is it possible that iCloud can delete data from my hard drive? Is this intentional?

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)

Posted on Apr 30, 2016 10:01 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 30, 2016 10:06 PM in response to steve kettle

Your mail will disappear if you turn off iCloud. They're serious when they say loss of data.

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Answer 2

Apr 30, 2016 10:12 PM in response to steve kettle

If you are using the Apple Mail app, the mail is not stored on your hard drive, it is in iCloud. If you want your mail, you need to sign back into iCloud. You can limit what you turn on for iCloud to Mail only if you wish.

Once you sign back into iCloud and turn Mail on, all of your mail will reappear.

Cheers,

GB

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Answer 3

steve kettle Author

Level 1

89 points

Apr 30, 2016 10:15 PM in response to gail from maine

Thanks for the rapid replies and explanations.

Scary stuff when an add-on slave system has control over the primary data source.

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Answer 4

Apr 30, 2016 10:19 PM in response to steve kettle

In this case, iCloud is the primary data source just as it is for Notes, Messages, Contacts, Calendars, etc.

iCloud Music Library and iCloud Photo Library are the same way. If you delete a photo from your iPhone using iCloud Photo Library, you are simply using the device to delete it from the source - iCloud.

Cheers,

GB

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Answer 5

steve kettle Author

Level 1

89 points

Apr 30, 2016 10:40 PM in response to gail from maine

This my mistaken understanding.

I would prefer iCloud to be a neutral entity, at the end of a chain of command.

Instead, it puts my hardware devices on the ends of spokes, with iCloud at the centre.

Knowing this, I will look for a more passive solution.

Thank you for your clarification.

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Answer 6

Apr 30, 2016 10:41 PM in response to steve kettle

Most welcome.

Cheers,

GB

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