Emails keep reappearing after being deleted

Nick_1020

Well-known member
Aug 27, 2013
236
0
0
Visit site
Does anyone know why emails keep reappearing after being deleted on my Note 4 please?

I'm using Gmail app v5.5.101116392 and sometimes have to delete the same email up to 4 times before it eventually gets the message which is quite annoying.

Thanks for any help.
 

leerandall

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2014
563
185
43
Visit site
Does anyone know why emails keep reappearing after being deleted on my Note 4 please?

I'm using Gmail app v5.5.101116392 and sometimes have to delete the same email up to 4 times before it eventually gets the message which is quite annoying.

Thanks for any help.

Similar issue here. Except for me, I'm using the stock email app, and it's not deleted emails that are coming back, it's emails already marked as read are being marked as unread again. It happened to me just yesterday with 52 already-read emails all of a sudden being marked as unread. If I wait awhile (30 minutes, an hour, sometimes longer), they'll be re-marked as read without my intervention. I have the email app configured for 4 email accounts, and as far as I can tell, it's only happening with my RoadRunner (@mi.rr.com) POP account. It's been happening randomly since I bought the phone last November. I wish I could find a resolution as it's very annoying.
 

hamsterwheel

Well-known member
Mar 5, 2014
372
0
0
Visit site
Similar issue here. Except for me, I'm using the stock email app, and it's not deleted emails that are coming back, it's emails already marked as read are being marked as unread again. It happened to me just yesterday with 52 already-read emails all of a sudden being marked as unread. If I wait awhile (30 minutes, an hour, sometimes longer), they'll be re-marked as read without my intervention. I have the email app configured for 4 email accounts, and as far as I can tell, it's only happening with my RoadRunner (@mi.rr.com) POP account. It's been happening randomly since I bought the phone last November. I wish I could find a resolution as it's very annoying.


Yes this happened to me with my Roadrunner account. Has to do with deleting the emails from the server, and how you have it set on your phone...ie how many to load etc - it's a POP thing I think. I could never get it to stop no matter what I tried so I deleted the account and added it back this time setting it up as IMAP (which I didn't think would work since Roadrunner has always been POP3) but it worked, and now no annoying messages coming back.
 

leerandall

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2014
563
185
43
Visit site
Yes this happened to me with my Roadrunner account. Has to do with deleting the emails from the server, and how you have it set on your phone...ie how many to load etc - it's a POP thing I think. I could never get it to stop no matter what I tried so I deleted the account and added it back this time setting it up as IMAP (which I didn't think would work since Roadrunner has always been POP3) but it worked, and now no annoying messages coming back.

This has been my suspicion all along, that it's a POP thing. I've always used the account as POP because years ago when I first signed up, I don't believe RoadRunner supported IMAP. But I'll have to give IMAP a try now, though. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

Nick_1020

Well-known member
Aug 27, 2013
236
0
0
Visit site
My accounts are already configured as IMAP so I'm not sure if that is the cause.

It's driving me insane tbh. Deleted emails keep returning and I'm getting seemingly endless notifications about new emails that I've already read.

The only thing left to try is a factory reset which I'm reluctant to do as I will lose so much app and game data. Plus I've read that some users have tried that but the email issues remain.

Kinda feels like my time with Android is coming to an end. There's the app notifications issue too where app and game notifications re-enable themselves after I have disabled them. It's behaviour very much similar to malware.

Since switching from WP, I love having the apps and games that I would have no chance to have on WP but these annoyances are ruining the experience somewhat.
 

Crashdamage

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2015
1,960
0
0
Visit site
This is NOT an Android problem. It's a Samsung problem. A lot of Samsung users have problems with email when using the stock Samsung app. Posts about email problems with Samsung phones are all over. For whatever reason, it fails to communicate correctly with the mail server, resulting in the repeated downloads.

You could try a factory reset, but I wouldn't expect it to fix your email problem. But...ya never know. The best fix seems to be simply using a better email app. Try K-9, Maildroid or my favorite AquaMail.
 

leerandall

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2014
563
185
43
Visit site
My accounts are already configured as IMAP so I'm not sure if that is the cause.

It's driving me insane tbh. Deleted emails keep returning and I'm getting seemingly endless notifications about new emails that I've already read.

The only thing left to try is a factory reset which I'm reluctant to do as I will lose so much app and game data. Plus I've read that some users have tried that but the email issues remain.

Kinda feels like my time with Android is coming to an end. There's the app notifications issue too where app and game notifications re-enable themselves after I have disabled them. It's behaviour very much similar to malware.

Since switching from WP, I love having the apps and games that I would have no chance to have on WP but these annoyances are ruining the experience somewhat.

For some reason, this behavior is related to deleting emails in the Samsung email app. I've found that, if I don't delete emails in the Samsung email app, the problem doesn't occur. However, after deleting even a single email, the very next time the program syncs with your mail server, this will happen. As a result of this discovery, I am no longer deleting any emails in the app and I have not had this problem since.
 

muzzy996

Well-known member
Feb 3, 2011
1,087
0
0
Visit site
My suggestion is try other email applications. I've never found stock email applications to be as robust as 3rd party ones, but that's just me. Personally I'm using Aquamail and love it. Within that one application I'm accessing my work's MS Exchange account, 3 Gmail accounts and a POP RR account. I'm sure there are others out there that will work great as well.

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
 

Nick_1020

Well-known member
Aug 27, 2013
236
0
0
Visit site
For some reason, this behavior is related to deleting emails in the Samsung email app. I've found that, if I don't delete emails in the Samsung email app, the problem doesn't occur. However, after deleting even a single email, the very next time the program syncs with your mail server, this will happen. As a result of this discovery, I am no longer deleting any emails in the app and I have not had this problem since.

AFAIK, I'm using the Gmail app and not the stock one. When I go to to Play Store and load Gmail, it shows as installed and that is the app I'm using to check the email.
 

Nick_1020

Well-known member
Aug 27, 2013
236
0
0
Visit site
My suggestion is try other email applications. I've never found stock email applications to be as robust as 3rd party ones, but that's just me. Personally I'm using Aquamail and love it. Within that one application I'm accessing my work's MS Exchange account, 3 Gmail accounts and a POP RR account. I'm sure there are others out there that will work great as well.

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the suggestion, I may give it a go :)
 

morsedl

New member
Dec 22, 2015
1
0
0
Visit site
I've been on iOS for quite some time and only started using an Android tablet about a year ago. I am also a professional and experienced (27+ years) software developer.

I believe the underlying problem for most users reporting here is that the IMAP protocol distinguishes between the true deletion of a message and "marking" it for deletion (a status flag in the typically-hidden Status: field of the message headers):

  • Most email clients do not show messages that have been marked for deletion unless you ask for them to do so.
  • The stock Andriod email client ALWAYS shows messages marked for deletion (since its inception), and I have never seen any sign that this can be changed without a hack or crack.

It astonishes me that Google has not fixed this in the 6-7 years of Andriods history, and there are posts all over the Internet about this issue.

I personally believe Google has things this way on purpose, so people will get frustrated and use Gmail instead. That way, Google can know more (most everything?) about you, target their ads better and hence make more money, etc.

Thus, I do not believe this issue will ever be officially resolved.

As such, I typically recommend two things to people:

  1. When using other email clients, routinely and explicitly purge or compact the folders you use most. This will force the actual deletion of the mesages marked for deletion and hence they will now longer show up within the stock Android email client. For example, in the Mutt text-based email client, you can set up "autopurge" (or the like) such that all messages marked for deletion are deleted every time you change folders. In Thunderbird, you can right-click on a range of folders in the folder pane and select "Compact", which will do the same thing (but I am unaware of a way to have Thunderbird to do this automatically, probably a useful and simple plugin could do this). Most modern email clients (except Andriod's) typically have a way to force message deletion, but terminology for doing so can vary widely (e.g., purge, compact, delete messages marked for deletion, shrink, clean, etc.).
  2. Or, better yet, install and use a different email client on your Android device that does not have this problem (i.e., most of them). I believe AquaMail does not suffer from this problem.

If anyone does find a solution with the stock Android email app, please do post. I don't use email on my tablet enough to worry about this much, and typically only read rather than compose. Still, it's quite an annoyance, as I don't always remember to compact my folders when working elsewhere, or sometime need to read messages from a folder that I don't compact routinely (I have thousands). So, a fix would be nice. :)
 

Crashdamage

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2015
1,960
0
0
Visit site
A few things...

You are correct that AquaMail does not have a problem, if you set it correctly. It has several deletion options. Actually, I don't see the deletion thing as a problem, more a different way of handling. I prefer a different way and with Android we have choices.

The term you are looking for is usually called 'expunge'. AquaMail has expunge options also. I used Mutt for many years, and if I remember right you're correct it is called 'autopurge' in Mutt. A little more self-explanitory term I guess.

Since Lollipop 5.0 the stock Android email app is the Gmail app and the only one by Google that's included. Any other email client on a device is either supplied by the manufacturer or a 3rd-party client.

Now, the Gmail app does things the way it does for whatever reason, and probably Google would like you to use the Gmail app. But trying to herd users into using it for 'spying' purposes isn't one of them. The Gmail app itself does nothing to help Google in their quest for your info. .It communicates directly with mail servers and mail is sent/recieved directly to/from servers without passing through Google.

IOW, email from non-Gmail accounts goes only through whatever servers are set. If it's not a Gmail account or an account purposely setup to go through Gmail, it never goes through Gmail servers and Google doesn't get a look at it. In this respect, unlike many other clients, the Gmail app behaves as it should.

Now, if you're using Inbox by Google instead of the standard Gmail client, it's a whole different story. Inbox is, like many clients now, cloud-based, meaning ALL email is run through and stored on Google servers, which in turn means they can - and no doubt do - scan ALL your email.

Email on iOS, as far as I can tell, works similar to Gmail. The default handling of deleted email is different. But why anyone would consider Applemail more secure than Gmail is a mystery to me.

See this:
http://androidforums.com/index.php?posts/7051405
 
Last edited:

patdj

New member
Apr 18, 2016
4
0
0
Visit site
Hi @morsedl
Sorry for bumping this topic, but I can't find anyone on the web that seems to know a bit about this problem. So I ll give it a try here. I doubt that
I personally believe Google has things this way on purpose, so people will get frustrated and use Gmail instead
is true though, since I'm experiencing these exact problems with the Gmail app itself (I think other people do as well). I'm using an IMAP connection.

From what I understand the app fails to move mails to the Bin. Instead they just disappear for a while and are redownloaded in the next sync. Also worth mentioning that (maybe due to language reasons) the Bin is translated into a folder with name "Trash" on the mail server, which is not the Bin-Folder, but a normal one. But well, it fails to move it there anyway, so maybe that's not an issue.

Anyone any idea, why the GMail app would not move mails I delete into the Bin-folder?
 

Mavrikfalkon

New member
Aug 13, 2013
2
0
0
Visit site
Clear the cache for the email app not deleting or moving emails properly. Routine clearing of these apps has proven effective in solving this problem for several freinds who have had the same issue.
 

scottdmad1

New member
Jan 17, 2017
1
0
0
Visit site
This is NOT an Android problem. It's a Samsung problem. A lot of Samsung users have problems with email when using the stock Samsung app. Posts about email problems with Samsung phones are all over. For whatever reason, it fails to communicate correctly with the mail server, resulting in the repeated downloads.

You could try a factory reset, but I wouldn't expect it to fix your email problem. But...ya never know. The best fix seems to be simply using a better email app. Try K-9, Maildroid or my favorite AquaMail.

Its not an andriod issue its a microsoft issue,i had live.com account and before microsoft took it over it worked perfectly fine,since microsoft took over live and merged with outlook its been nothing but issues,they have linked all devices,so when you look at your mail on your phone and delete it,it deletes it entirely from server and all.
I found it better before,i could look at an email on my phone,delete it to free up memory or space on my phone and i knew the email would still be in my email account online,now when i get an email i get it four times,ipad,samsung,computer,laptop.
Not to mention the large amount of spam coming into my inbox that never came in before the merger.
Ive had many conversations with microsoft,they have remote logged into me,changed settings,only for it to stop or cause me to miss or not recieve important much needed emails,and also it to stop emails with attatchments sending from me and being recieved ,only to call up and complain about that and they switch the settings back and them im hammered with spam over and over.
The same issue happens on my pc,hp laptop,ipad,andriod phone.
Its not your device,its microsoft.
And they cant help you because ive been at them for 6 months straight and its not changed,i gave up trying.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

me2642

New member
Mar 2, 2018
1
0
0
Visit site
I have Galaxy GT-S7275T and I am having same problems. My emails are through bigpond.com and using Incredimail 2.0 on PC and also getting notifications on my GT-S7275T. When deleting from Galaxy, the deleted emails keep returning. I usually delete the current day's emails at the end of the day or next morning. Within 30 minutes of deleting them they reappear, delete again, then some of the deleted ones return almost immediately, PLUS some that were deleted 2 or 3 days previously! I have been to my local Vodaphone store, but the "technicians" there are as about as useful as t**s on a bull!! One "technician" said I don't have the particular setting that would stop this. Didn't say what the setting was. Great help there. NOT What do I have to do to stop this happening.

My bigpond.com account is IMAP.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 

jljecj

Well-known member
Apr 7, 2015
100
0
16
Visit site
I have Galaxy GT-S7275T and I am having same problems. My emails are through bigpond.com and using Incredimail 2.0 on PC and also getting notifications on my GT-S7275T. When deleting from Galaxy, the deleted emails keep returning. I usually delete the current day's emails at the end of the day or next morning. Within 30 minutes of deleting them they reappear, delete again, then some of the deleted ones return almost immediately, PLUS some that were deleted 2 or 3 days previously! I have been to my local Vodaphone store, but the "technicians" there are as about as useful as t**s on a bull!! One "technician" said I don't have the particular setting that would stop this. Didn't say what the setting was. Great help there. NOT What do I have to do to stop this happening.

My bigpond.com account is IMAP.

Thanks in advance for any help.
The account has to be POP or they are just left on the server and thus reappear very time your phone checks for mail.
 

Tullio Phone

New member
Mar 6, 2018
1
0
0
Visit site
Mavrikfalkon's solution (Clear the cache of the email app) has worked for me. I have an android 7.0 cell phone , using stock email client, and a gmail account which was already configured as EMAP.
I wonder how often i will need to clear the cache, but at least i now have this workaround.