Disappearing Emails

[Feral Urchin]

RE: Disappearing Emails

I'm aware this subject has been raised before, but would like to add some information and ask where additional technical support might be found.

I have a new Samsung Galaxy Tab using Verizon wireless service. When I get "new email" notifications, I start the email app (either from the notification bar or from the homepage), and in most cases my emails disappear before they can be listed in the Inbox or read. If enough new emails are present, they may be successfully listed in the Inbox, but then disappear before my eyes without any action from me. This behavior occurs whether I use the default (presumably Google/Android) email client, or whether I use K-9.

The email account type is "other", namely the POP and SMTP servers belong to my telco/ISP, CenturyTel. When I setup the email accounts (on either email client) both the incoming and outgoing settings are successfully validated. From the account setup on my PC, I've selected "leave mail on server", and have likewise selected this same option in the Galaxy Tab email account setup.

Verizon technical support disclaims responsibility for this problem, despite it's having been reported multiple times. Samsung technical support also disclaims responsibility, saying they are not responsible for any software on the Galaxy Tab, because they allegedly don't add any (unlike Verizon).

My Galaxy Tab is useful for email only if I can get my CenturyTel account working. I'm unwilling to use some other email service (e.g. GMail) just for the Galaxy Tab. I've tried the other workarounds without success. This Android mail "service" is worse than useless, obviously, because it's throwing potentially important email messages on the floor, and they appear unrecoverable.

This problem has been reported periodically for over a year, apparently without concrete explanation or solution.

Does anyone have a new suggestion? Since both Verizon and Samsung disavow responsibility, how do I get Google's attention (on behalf of myself and others)?

 

[ls377]

RE: Disappearing Emails

I'm aware this subject has been raised before, but would like to add some information and ask where additional technical support might be found.

I have a new Samsung Galaxy Tab using Verizon wireless service. When I get "new email" notifications, I start the email app (either from the notification bar or from the homepage), and in most cases my emails disappear before they can be listed in the Inbox or read. If enough new emails are present, they may be successfully listed in the Inbox, but then disappear before my eyes without any action from me. This behavior occurs whether I use the default (presumably Google/Android) email client, or whether I use K-9.

The email account type is "other", namely the POP and SMTP servers belong to my telco/ISP, CenturyTel. When I setup the email accounts (on either email client) both the incoming and outgoing settings are successfully validated. From the account setup on my PC, I've selected "leave mail on server", and have likewise selected this same option in the Galaxy Tab email account setup.

Verizon technical support disclaims responsibility for this problem, despite it's having been reported multiple times. Samsung technical support also disclaims responsibility, saying they are not responsible for any software on the Galaxy Tab, because they allegedly don't add any (unlike Verizon).

My Galaxy Tab is useful for email only if I can get my CenturyTel account working. I'm unwilling to use some other email service (e.g. GMail) just for the Galaxy Tab. I've tried the other workarounds without success. This Android mail "service" is worse than useless, obviously, because it's throwing potentially important email messages on the floor, and they appear unrecoverable.

This problem has been reported periodically for over a year, apparently without concrete explanation or solution.

Does anyone have a new suggestion? Since both Verizon and Samsung disavow responsibility, how do I get Google's attention (on behalf of myself and others)?

The bold part is blatantly untrue. I've seen the Galaxy Tab email client (I've actually used it on my Cappy), and it definitely is not the stock Android email client.

I would call your email provider (I'm assuming CenturyTel is your ISP) and see if they have any suggestions. If it's happening across multiple apps, then it might be an issue on their end, or an issue with the settings. If that doesn't work, call Samsung again, because whoever you talked to obviously doesn't know what they're talking about.

 

[takeshi]

This Android mail "service" is worse than useless, obviously, because it's throwing potentially important email messages on the floor, and they appear unrecoverable.

There's no Android email service. If the app on your device isn't working properly and you've verified that all your settings are correct then there's a problem with the app. It is odd that the stock email app and K9 behave the same way though.

Have you verified that email actually is on the POP server? What email client are you using on your PC? Are there no other email clients accessing this POP account?

 

[Feral Urchin]

Disappearing emails

Thanks to both above for your responses. The PC email client is Thunderbird. I've been receiving a large number of emails from a particular mailing list lately. When I check emails using my PC, I get normal behavior. If these emails are picked up by the Galaxy Tab instead (when I'm away and the PC is turned off), then they often are listed and then immediately disappear before my eyes without any action from me. I'm subsequently unable to locate these emails anywhere. I'm assuming they originally came from my POP server, but have no proof.

This problem has been reported by others as a "phantom email notification". This phenomenon also happens to me, but I believe that when only one or two emails arrive, they are removed from the device before the user can open the email app and list the Inbox--so it only appears that the notification is "phantom". There really are arriving emails, but because they are few in number, they are removed before they can even be viewed.

I've have checked with CenturyTel technical support, and have confirmed that my POP server settings are reasonable, and the tech believes the Galaxy Tab email client is somehow causing this problem.

These behaviors happen both with the stock Android (Samsung?) email client and with K-9 (which I understand is based on this stock client).

Given that users of any mobile Android device expect email to work reliably, I'm frankly surprised that no vendor in the chain seems to have investigated and provided a solution.

For now, I've deleted my email account from the Galaxy Tab and only check my email at home on my PC--a sorry state of affairs.

 

[misa888]

Same issue

I am frankly disappointed that this issue hasn't been resolved too. I got my Galaxy tab as a birthday present a month ago and have been around the virtual block several times since then trying to get some answers as to why the email app dumps my emails in the same way you describe although on occasion I can read some of my emails until the app attempts to retrieve any new emails on the server. You have described the issue perfectly and have clearly from your description gone through all the same steps I have to resolve it including trying the K-9 Mail app. which the last Samsung tech I spoke with assured me would fix the problem. Now I realize he had no fix and just wanted to move onto the next caller in the que. It's so sad that the manufacturer of the device, Samsung, the service provider, Verizon, and the email server - in my case Windstream, all declare it's not their issue to resolve. Whose is it then? Mine? Guess that's why I'm here. Anyone have any more ideas???

 

[Feral Urchin]

Greetings, misa888,

My ISP (CenturyTel) tech support suggested using the PC email client (Thunderbird in my case) to set up the POP account so that emails are never deleted from the server at client request, but remain on the server for a fixed number of days (I'm trying 10 days).

Don't know whether this will help. So far I've received one email successfully on my Galaxy Tab. I'll keep trying and post here if I find something that works.

Disappearing emails are just one issue with Google/Verizon/Samsung and other vendors. There is the matter of non-removable crapware, denial of administrative access to the device, and attempts to dictate by these vendors what apps can be installed and how they can be installed. Such restrictions are not present on traditional desktop and laptop PCs, and consumers would never tolerate such restrictions on these more traditional computing devices. Yet smart-phones and tablets are also genuine computing devices--as can be seen from the myriad of applications that can be run on these smart-phones and tablets even when no cell-phone network connection is available.

I've begun trying to raise these issues in IT industry websites (e.g. ZDnet) and in various blogs, and I'm also going to make as big a stink as I can about the disappearing emails problem and vendor non-responsiveness to it. I think all we can do is to try to get consumer pressure to bear on the vendors via emails and blog posts on some of the major sites.

Again, I'll post here if something useful surfaces!

 

[Feral Urchin]

Still no fix for disappearing emails

I'm sorry to report that setting the POP server to keep incoming emails for 10 days (rather than removing them at the request of an email client) failed to fix this problem.

This morning I turned on my Galaxy Tab, checked my emails, two new ones were listed in my inbox for a few seconds and then disappeared without any action from me.

Android devices are selling like hotcakes and most users apparently do not experience this problem---so why should the involved vendors care? Google, Samsung and Verizon are going to continue to ignore those of us having this problem unless we can publicly humiliate them over this matter in blogs and by contacting editors of various publications---online and otherwise--and potentially threaten future sales.

 

[anon(265564)]

Android devices are selling like hotcakes and most users apparently do not experience this problem---so why should the involved vendors care? Google, Samsung and Verizon are going to continue to ignore those of us having this problem unless we can publicly humiliate them over this matter in blogs and by contacting editors of various publications---online and otherwise--and potentially threaten future sales.

Get a grip. The problem seems to be obviously limited to the Samsung Galaxy Tab rather than Android in general. Google have admitted that Honeycomb was a bit of a hack job, so it would not be surprising if this is a problem specific to the tablet mail client.

See if a bug report has been filed here Report Bugs | Android Open Source. If not file one yourself.

 

[Feral Urchin]

Setting aside your incivility,

My Galaxy Tab is running Froyo, not Honeycomb as you have assumed. Further, this issue has been reported periodically for months by a variety of users, at least some of whom have responsibly tried to obtain help from Verizon, Samsung and their own ISP to solve it.

I bought the Galaxy Tab from Verizon, and lacking any other primary contact for technical support I think it is Verizon's responsibility to provide it. Further, I think most would agree that it is unreasonable of Verizon and Samsung both to have arm-waved and brushed this issue aside without any willingness to accept or forward a bug report themselves up the chain to the Android folks, and without suggesting any means for the consumer to do so themselves.

I specifically asked the second-tier Verizon tech to take a bug report, and she declined by claiming they respond only to issues acknowledged and reported downward by the Android folks. The Samsung tech put on the line by the Verizon person also disclaimed, as noted above, any responsibility--merely suggesting I try some other email client.

Now, I have deleted my email account from the Galaxy Tab once again, and am able reliably to receive emails only on my desktop PC.

If you feel that purchasing a tablet computer, paying for a 3G data contract, having no reliable email service and receiving no meaningful technical support either from Verizon or Samsung on the matter--are all reasonable, then give your reasons to someone else, not to me.

 

[anon(265564)]

My Galaxy Tab is running Froyo, not Honeycomb

Well, there's your first mistake. Early adopters get to deal with the teething pains, but I can sympathise with just how annoying they can be.

If you feel that purchasing a tablet computer, paying for a 3G data contract, having no reliable email service and receiving no meaningful technical support either from Verizon or Samsung on the matter--are all reasonable, then give your reasons to someone else, not to me.

You have two options:

a) continue complaining about the lack of support from Verizon (who don't write the software) and Samsung (who apparently didnt write the software)
b) file a bug report with the people who do write the software (google)

I'll leave you to work out which of those will be more productive.

 

[Feral Urchin]

Punting now on the Samsung Galaxy Tab from Verizon

After noting that this disappearing email problem has been around awhile (since at least September 2010), having lost some important emails, and having spent several weeks unsuccessfully attempting to find a solution, I've decided to give up.

Today I attempted to return the Galaxy Tab to the Verizon store where I bought it about a month ago, as well as cancel my 3G contract--on the basis that email was not working reliably and that lack of reliable email was a show-stopper for my use of the device.

The store manager acknowledged that he was aware of the disappearing email problem, and characterized it as lack of "coordination between the Android email client and the ISP mail server"--in other words a bug in the Android email client [my characterization]. According to him, for some users of the Cox Communications ISP in the Phoenix area, using the K-9 email client instead of the default Android one fixes the problem. I explained that I had tried K-9 but it did not fix the problem for my CenturyTel email account.

The Verizon store manager acknowledged then that he did not have a fix, and I proceeded to request a refund for the device and cancellation of the 3G contract without penalty. He persistently refused to do so, insisting that "email works", that more than 14 days (the product return period limit) had passed--by a couple of weeks during which time I was attempting to fix the email problem myself--and that since I had signed a 3G contract I would be charged a cancellation fee.

Despite my pointing out that his store had sold me a product with a defect that rendered it useless to me, he continued to claim that "email works" and we reached an impasse.

So there you have it: Verizon is selling a product with a known inherent defect in a key feature of the device (email); neither Verizon nor Samsung technical support will help--even by accepting a bug report; and Verizon is not going to give you your money back.

Taken all my experiences together with the Android, the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Verizon I'd advise:

1) be aware that receiving email may not work reliably on any Android device if you're trying to use the email account on your ISP.

2) be aware also that Google, Samsung and Verizon have packed the device with a ton of non-removable crapware. Your app menus will be littered with it, and there is nothing you can do about it. Despite articles on the web and in various publications, I've found no way to root the Galaxy Tab (purchased in mid-April and running Froyo) in order to remove the crapware.

3) be aware especially that Verizon will insist that "email works" and will not give you a break on returning your defective device nor in ending your 3G contract.

4) shop around and try to buy a device that has little nor no non-removable crapware pre-installed.

5) if possible, avoid buying a tablet computer from a carrier such as Verizon. You'll probably have more control as owner of the device by purchasing it directly from a hardware vendor. Retain your right to control your computing experience and don't give it up to Google or a carrier. Treat the carrier not as the architect of your total experience, but rather simply as a connectivity service provider.

6) if you're dependent on email, consider buying a non-Android device unless the device is running a version of Android in which this email problem is known to have been satisfactorily fixed.

7) remember the freedoms you enjoy as a consumer of traditional PCs, notebooks and netbooks. On these traditional devices you can run whatever OS and application software you want, obtain administrative privileges, remove crapware and obtain apps from a broad market which will likely allow you to exploit the full functionality of the device. Try to avoid giving up these freedoms to Google and the carriers.

8) notice the marketing games played by tablet computer vendors that exploit particular world markets. In a review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab in Smart Developer, a UK publication, the reviewer classifies the Galaxy Tab as a phone. I take this to mean that in the UK market you can use the device as a cell phone in addition to its particular tablet features. Of course here in the US, Verizon and the other carriers would like to sell you a cell phone and its contract, and additionally sell you a tablet with its separate contract--and a separate contract for each additional tablet you buy. Verizon has no "family plans" for tablets.

After going through the hoops with Verizon retail and technical support, Samsung technical support, my own ISP technical support, and posting on various community forums I'm going to try to escalate this issue publicly, with Arizona and Washington State regulatory and legal agencies, and will pass this along to my legislative representatives. I believe Google and the carriers are exercising monopolistic and otherwise abusive power and I would like to see some public policy discussion on the matter.

 

[Doc]

As a possible work around, try forwarding the e-mail from your ISP to Gmail and then use K9 or another email app to access Gmail. If this corrects the problem then you know that it is an issue with your ISP and POP, more than anything else.

Good Luck

Doc

 

[Feral Urchin]

@thedosbox: Continued misunderstandings...

Having bought the Galaxy Tab in late March 2011, I doubt I qualify as an "early adopter". Note that misa888 above acquired the Galaxy Tab only a month ago.

And there is good reason to believe that Verizon was already aware of this problem when they sold me the device. When I later went back to the Verizon store where I bought it and explained the disappearing email issue to the Verizon store manager, he acknowledged the problem had occurred among a number of his Galaxy Tab purchasers who used email accounts on the Phoenix-area Cox Communications ISP. He stated that his prior customers' disappearing email problems were fixed by using K-9 instead of the stock Android client. I explained further that K-9 did not work reliably either, whereupon he stated he had no solution.

At that point I requested returning the device and cancellation of my 3G contract without penalty. He refused, citing that the 14 day return period had expired. Of course, I have already spent more than 14 days attempting to diagnose and fix this issue myself.

Now, if a Verizon store manager acknowledges the "disappearing email" issue when using email accounts on an ISP, then it seems probable that Verizon technical support had already been notified, and also likely that the problem had already been kicked up to Google.

Here's a quote about Google's "responsiveness" from this website:

Excellent K-9 mail app for Android keeps your messages on a leash

"Google's conventional e-mail client for Android has always felt like a second-class citizen compared to the company's GMail application. It has a very limited user interface, lacks basic features like support for moving messages between folders, and isn't particularly reliable. Google has been slow to address the program's weaknesses and doesn't seem to notice most of the complaints."

The simple fact is that Verizon knowingly sold me a device with a critical defect (i.e. unreliable email functionality), provides no technical support on the issue, and refuses to take back the device and cancel the 3G contract without penalty. Between the cost of the device, accessories and 3G contract I have about $1,000 committed to Verizon for an unusable product. I own the device today; I'm paying for it today; I feel I'm entitled to reliable email today--not at some distant point in the future when Google may (but in view of the above quote probably won't) get around to fixing it--or I want my money back.

Which brings me to my preferred option (not included among your suggested ones): I want my money back. I don't want the device. Right now I don't want any Verizon/Samsung/Android device. There is no evidence that waiting for Google to fix this issue will be "productive". I think it is obvious that for me the most productive option is to try to stop the financial hemorrhaging.

Now, so far Verizon has stonewalled both on technical support and on taking the device back and canceling the 3G contract with no penalty. I'm going to be a little patient with Verizon for a while, and try to get them to do the right thing. If I can't get my money back, then I'm going to have $1,000 worth of fun with Verizon by creating for them, Samsung and Google as much public, legal and legislative pressure--and general embarrassment--as I can.

If you have suggestions on how I can raise this matter publicly on the web (particular forums, online media, etc), that would be most helpful. I do appreciate the thought you've put into responding to this issue.

 

[Feral Urchin]

Disappearing Emails Using K-9

I've spent some time testing K-9 to determine whether the "disappearing email" issue occurs with this email client. Unfortunately, this problem besets K-9 as well.

I had previously noticed with the stock Android email client that forcing a poll (checking for new emails) by touching the Inbox button "Load up to 25 more" causes existing emails to disappear from the Inbox. K-9 exhibits this behavior also. And if one chooses Menu -> Check mail, thereby also forcing a poll, the emails currently in the Inbox disappear as well. Further, if one has set up a timed poll of, say, every 5 minutes, any emails currently in the Inbox disappear at 5 minute intervals when the poll takes place.

Clearly, polling for new emails with both clients causes the Inbox to empty, and be replaced by new emails, if any. Thus, the "disappearing email" and "phantom email notification" problems occur with both email clients and with email accounts on at least two ISPs (Cox Communications in Arizona and CenturyTel in Washington).

Now, since K-9 is a derivative of the stock Android email client, there may be a bug common to each. However, there may be a bug in Android's underlying email layer instead.

For reasons stated in earlier posts, I believe someone at Verizon/Samsung/Google knows the answer, and all parties are certainly aware that there is a problem of some kind resulting in unreliable email service. Both Verizon and Samsung are chorusing "not my problem", and Google doesn't feel any pressing need either to acknowledge or to fix the problem. And meanwhile they're pushing Galaxy Tabs out the door as fast as they can.

 

[jniebaum]

On Sept. 30, 2011 I bought an ASUS Eee Transformer running Android 3.1. My email provider uses POP3 and I successfully configured the native Mail client to access my account. After retrieving multiple email messages I watched as the Inbox emptied on its own and the email could not be found on the Transformer. I repeated the process several times by sending email from a second computer. Each time after a few seconds the Inbox emptied spontaneously. After checking some of the Android Forums, I tried the K-9 client with the exact same results. I then tried using the Webmail access through my provider. To my shock it did the same thing. Reluctantly, I returned my Transformer as unusable. Why hasn't this flaw been fixed?

 

[MediumUser]

I recently solved my Disappearing Email problem on my Samsung Galaxy (Fascinate) running Froyo. I had temporarily set up Outlook to download emails from a mail server POP3 account on two new laptops do to a recently lost laptop, but inadvertently left one Outlook?s settings to delete the emails on the server once downloaded. My phone always downloaded emails before Outlook on my laptop did. The emails would appear on my phone and then disappear after a few minutes or so. It appears my phone downloaded new email as it appeared on the mail server and deleted the mail on my phone minutes later when it disappeared from the server due to Outlook on one computer deleting the mail from the server once downloaded. My phone email must act this way to automatically remove emails from phone if deleted on server.

 

[ianhannh]

Have had my Galaxy Tab for a couple of weeks - loved it, but had the same problem-- Inbox seemingly randomly emptying if you searched for new messages or tried to "load up to 25 more".
I am new to smart phones, tablets, Android etc but have had Windows PCs since the dawn of time!!.Checked out all the forums such as this one, and found all the same sorts of issues with email messages emptying themselves from the Inbox never to be found.
My problem was common to both the native Galaxy email and K-9 apps. I have always had a very simple email setup-- the same address accessed from two windows based PCs-- one of which removes messages from the server when read, the other leaving them on the server.
When checking the setup on my Tab, I found an extra setting which was enabled (by default??) and seems to have been the cause of the problem--Under "account settings"-- "fetching mail"--"sync server deletions" (remove messages when deleted on server)
Note that this is separate to, and different from, the setting "when I delete a message" (Do not delete on the server).
It appears to me that the apparent random deletions were occurring any time my Tab email looked at the server, did not find any messages there, (removed after having been read by my other PC ?) and followed its own instruction above and emptied the Inbox on my Tab.
I have checked this idea out several times (this setting both enabled and disabled, with and without messages on the server) and it has worked to expectation very time.
Hope it continues to work as I only bought the Tab to access email when away from my home PC set up!!! Will revisit this forum if I have crowed too soon!!
ianhannh

 

[TheoDog]

Re: Disappearing Emails ... Today No Change ... ASUS TF700 ICS!!!

Thanks for a thorough description of an issue I encountered today
With a brand new Asus TF700 running ICS and using a POP server with a UK ISP.
I had the issue on the standard client, I too tried K-9 before resorting to the forums and reading your experience.
It's either time to take our hats off to the iPad or wait for Microsoft's Surface.

I don't suppose you ever managed to resolve the issue?

 

[BryanC17]

Just to say that I have the same problem on my Samsung Tab 2 bought 3 weeks ago.I got onto Samsung support who suggested deleting and then reinstating my default email account - this I did and it seemed sucessful for a while but then reverted to its former capricious self!
I suspect that If I adopted GMAIL things would be better but, like others, I do not want to change my email address if that is avoidable.

 

[Martha Dillon]

I found the thread about disappearing e-mail but these are all 2012 messages. Has this issue been solved in the meantime. I just bought a Samsung Galaxy Light and my EarthLink emails are disappearing shortly after landing in my inbox. If this is a continuing Samsung issue, and other brands don't have this issue, please let me know. I'd rather pay the $ 50 restock fee than no longer have access to earthlink mail on my cellphone.... I have had a Blackberry and HTC while with Verizon, and never had this problem.
Frustrated T Mobile newbie