IMAP Emails Not Deleting

[mapenn]

My first post. I just traded in my webOS Veer for a giant of a phone - the Samsung Galaxy SII.

I have a typical IMAP mail box setup (non gmail). Most everything works fine. However, when I delete emails using the Galaxy, they don't actually delete. In the next sync, they pop right back up.

I've noticed that this seems to be a popular topic dating a couple years back. Is there a definitive solution?

I guess I was a little spoiled by how well webOS handled the setup of all my email accounts, so hopefully I am just overlooking something obvious. Thanks!

 

[PvilleComp]

Welcome to AC.

In your mail app, check the settings for your IMAP account. there should be a delete mail off server option that you need to check or uncheck. Most mail apps default to do not delete off server.

Hope this helps.

 

[mapenn]

Thanks - but the only settings that I see for the mail app are for the Incoming and Outgoing server settings. Nothing else. Where do I find these 'advanced' settings?

 

[mapenn]

so will the stock android email client not delete IMAP emails from the server?

 

[PvilleComp]

Thanks - but the only settings that I see for the mail app are for the Incoming and Outgoing server settings. Nothing else. Where do I find these 'advanced' settings?

Look under Incoming settings - sometimes they are buried there.

 

[spectre686]

Mine does not delete either. It is super annoying and about the only thing that really bugs me about the phone. Gmail and yahoo delete fine. But my plain Imap account does not. I saw posts from over a year ago that have same issue. So who knows if they will ever fix it!

 

[mapenn]

Look under Incoming settings - sometimes they are buried there.

Nope, there are no "delete from server" settings in there.

 

[Uri Kirstein]

Wow this one is really surprising no way to have IMAP delete from the server. Anyways, I was only testing the new stock email to see if I could leave my other mail app (K9) alone and use the new Stock Android 4 Email. No problem though, like with any other glitches in stock apps, luckily we can just opt for the 3rd party app which is usually better anyhow. Most other Email apps don't have strange restrictions. Switching back to K9..

- Uri

 

[Paula Popper]

I have mine set to delete from the server when I delete from the inbox, but it doesn't. It also doesn't actually "refresh", because it holds every email I get, regardless of whether I delete from the inbox on my phone or from my computer.

 

[Rukbat]

There are two email receiving protocols - IMAP and POP3. You use POP3 when you're only using one device to read your email. The app downloads the email, stores it on the device and, at your option, deletes it from the server.

IMP is used when you have multiple devices reading the same email account. Each one reads what's on the server, but leaves the email on the server so the other devices can still read it.

VERY FEW IMAP clients give you the "delete from server" option, because that's not what IMAP is supposed to do. If the only thing you're using to read that account is your phone, set it as a POP3 account and delete from the server after downloading. (Or find a client written by someone who doesn't understand the difference between the protocols - IOW, a client that, because it was written wrong, does what you want.)

 

[Spinister]

This is for anyone that comes across this through Google since it still comes up in searches even though it's a couple years old.

The statement about Mail clients not designed to delete emails from the server is false. Almost all email clients have this ability...almost. Outlook, Thunderbird...even the default email client for BlackBerry's.

Anyone who uses IMAP would (or should) know that the server just follows the actions of the user. If the user creates, reads, or saves an email...that action is reflected on all connect devices and clients. If the user deletes an email...it should also be reflected through all connected devices. Not allowing someone to delete an email from the server, or forcing them to log into the "server" to delete emails just leads to problems later on.