How do I move Gmail messages into Trash when deleted?

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camd Author

Level 1

85 points

How do I move Gmail messages into Trash when deleted?

When I delete an email in my Gmail account in macOS Mail, it goes into All Mail instead of Trash. How do I fix this?

In the Mailbox Behaviours settings, I have the Trash Mailbox set as Gmail/Trash.

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2013), macOS Sierra (10.12.1)

Posted on Jan 10, 2017 7:20 PM

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Answer 1

raina_b22

Community Specialist

Jan 12, 2017 7:02 AM in response to camd

Hi camd,

I understand that you're running into an issue with your Gmail account while using the Mail app in macOS Sierra. Specifically, you've noticed that a message moves to "All Mail" rather than the trash. I'd be happy to assist!

Since you've double checked that you're using the correct mailbox behaviors, I'd recommend that you remove and re-add this account using the following steps:

Remove an account

When you remove an email account from Mail, the account’s messages are deleted and no longer available on your Mac. Copies of messages remain on the account’s mail server and are still available (from webmail, for example).

Important: If you’re unsure whether messages you want to keep are still on the mail server, move or copy them to a mailbox stored on your Mac (the mailbox appears in the On My Mac section in the Mail sidebar) before you delete the account in Mail.

Choose Mail > Preferences, then click Accounts.

Select an account, then click the Remove button .

Note: If the account is used by other apps on your Mac, you’re asked to remove the account in Internet Accounts System Preferences. Click the button to open Internet Accounts, then deselect the Mail checkbox for the account. To stop using the account in all apps, make sure the account is selected, then click the Remove button .

To add another account, choose Mail > Add Account, select an account type, then enter your account information. Make sure the Mail checkbox is selected for the account.

Mail for Mac: Set up Mail with your email accounts
Take care.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,276 points

Jan 12, 2017 6:38 PM in response to camd

camd wrote:

So your solution is simply to delete the account?

Given that it is Gmail, that would likely be the best course of action; however, I do use a Google account for spam.

In the Gmail Settings under Forwarding and POP/IMAP,

Set Auto-Expunge Off.
Then set Move the Message to the Trash

Google keeps all of your email in All Mail whether you delete it or not. Makes it easier to harvest your personal information.

It also is not a true IMAP account. It uses Labels instead of folders and can add multiple Labels to a message. When a message arrives, it is marked with both an Inbox label and an All Mail label. Deleting it from the Inbox in Mail removes only the Inbox label. The above settings should allow you to actually delete the message when you move it to the Trash.

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