Deleting emails from phone, but not from server!

[Boysragdol]

Does anyone know where the setting is on the Galaxy S3 that will delete emails from the phone, but not on the email server? I have aol and they say the setting is on the phone somewhere, but I just can't find it, anyone???

 

[lilnut13]

Happens to me too....it is ANNOYING!!!!!!!!

 

[blade22222]

From the Inbox go to settings then your account, incoming server, the setting is at the bottom.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Android Central Forums

 

[worwig]

If you have POP email setup. Go in to settings for your account, into Incoming settings, and set the 'delete email from server' how you want.

If you are connected as Imap, then you need to talk to someone else. I'm not real sure how that works.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

If you have POP email setup. Go in to settings for your account, into Incoming settings, and set the 'delete email from server' how you want.

If you are connected as Imap, then you need to talk to someone else. I'm not real sure how that works.

Exactly -- if you're using POP3, then this is an applicable setting. Most other protocols, such as IMAP, actually sync the mailbox to the mobile device, so if delete something on the phone, you delete it on the server.

 

[ponch301]

If you have POP email setup. Go in to settings for your account, into Incoming settings, and set the 'delete email from server' how you want.

If you are connected as Imap, then you need to talk to someone else. I'm not real sure how that works.

OK, i followed these directions and don't have the "incoming settings" option at the bottom. I have "server settings" under which I have account password and sync email, but can ONLY access account password, bc sync email is subdud. I'm using yahoo and MSN

 

[worwig]

OK, i followed these directions and don't have the "incoming settings" option at the bottom. I have "server settings" under which I have account password and sync email, but can ONLY access account password, bc sync email is subdud. I'm using yahoo and MSN

Did you set it up as POP or IMAP?

I suspect you set it for IMAP. It typically syncs the phone inbox with the server both ways. Delete it in one place, it deletes the other.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

If you set these accounts up using the default settings in the Email app, then yes, you are almost definitely using a "synced" protocol. What you view on the phone is your actual mailbox...not a copy of it you've downloaded to the phone. Any actions to make to messages on the device are reflected on the server. This is pretty standard for almost all modern devices and email accounts.

 

[ponch301]

I have an ipad and usually check my mail on that. When I delete the messages thru that, they still appear in my inbox even after i've refreshed my mailbox on my S3

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I have an ipad and usually check my mail on that. When I delete the messages thru that, they still appear in my inbox even after i've refreshed my mailbox on my S3

The device you use doesn't mean a whole lot (especially since many of us aren't familiar with iProducts). What is important to know is HOW you are connecting to the email account on your iPad (or whatever device we're referring to).

As has been mentioned on this thread a few times, if you are using POP3 to connect to your mail server, then what you are actually doing is downloading a COPY of your messages to the device. Generally, most clients that use POP3 will provide an option as to whether you want to delete items on the server after they have been downloaded and/or deleted.

What protocol you use to connect to your mail server depends on (1) what protocols the email provider allows and (2) what protocols the email client you're using is compatible with.

POP3 is kind of an older protocol, although many email providers still allow POP3 access. IMAP (or a proprietary protocol similar to IMAP), however, is more commonly utilized by most major email providers for access on mobile devices nowadays. IMAP is preferred because it actually syncs all operations, as opposed to just downloading copied files.

 

[worwig]

I have an ipad and usually check my mail on that. When I delete the messages thru that, they still appear in my inbox even after i've refreshed my mailbox on my S3

I will ask again, maybe in a different way.

Go into your server settings. Do you see the term IMAP or POP anywhere? Tell us which it is.

iPad, I see the problem now.
(I was just joking for the humor impaired)

 

[ponch301]

Go into your server settings. Do you see the term IMAP or POP anywhere? Tell us which it is.

I see neither anywhere.
Under server settings I have 2 options;
1. "account password" which when entered, only updates my password.
2. "sync email" with a checked box but is subdued and can't do anything with.

 

[McMahon]

I was having the same problem. Originally I set my hotmail up through the windows live icon. It would not sync with the server at all. I deleted my email account on phone and set up under others icon. And I was able to perform alot more of my options including syncing with the server. This fixed my issues.
Thanks

 

[jdfrye]

Worwig is you solution to your problem..lemme try to explain in a different way that maybe you can understand
I alway set my yahoo account on my phone "manually " as a IMAP account. If i'm right, POP only pulls down your email from the sever and if you delete a email on your phone it will not upload the change to the cloud and your computer you access the email also on does not know the change and also the same way around. Using IMAP you delete a email on your phone and the change is uploaded to the cloud and the email dissapears on your computer. Also the same way around...you delete a email on your computer and the same email is deleted on your phone that was once there. This is the difference from POP and IMAP
To set up IMAP add new email account as "others" and type in your email and password and click manual setup after its "un-greyed"..you should check all your setting using a google search for IMAP settings, since these are not always auto-filled in correctly.

 

[kareemowheat]

I'm new to the Android world and was wondering if there is a way to, with each email, to delete a message from the phone only or delete a message from the phone and the server? I now have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and was a former Blackberry user. With a Blackberry, I had either option for each message and liked to delete certain messages off my phone but keep them on my email server so I could later reference them from my computer (or just totally delete the message altogether)--so I wouldn't have as many messages to wade through on my phone. Is this a possibility for the Android email setup with multiple email accounts (or even one for that matter)? Thanks

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I'm new to the Android world and was wondering if there is a way to, with each email, to delete a message from the phone only or delete a message from the phone and the server? I now have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and was a former Blackberry user. With a Blackberry, I had either option for each message and liked to delete certain messages off my phone but keep them on my email server so I could later reference them from my computer (or just totally delete the message altogether)--so I wouldn't have as many messages to wade through on my phone. Is this a possibility for the Android email setup with multiple email accounts (or even one for that matter)? Thanks

This again has less to do with the device, and more with what protocol the email app uses to fetch your mail. *IF* you POP3 as your email protocol, then you have different options about deleting messages on the server when you download and/or delete messages on your phone.

I don't believe the S3's builtin email app gives you the option for individual messages, however, even when using POP3. I think it's only "all or nothing" as far as deleting off server goes; which can be configured in the settings.

 

[kareemowheat]

The thing is, I do not want a global setting for deleting or retaining messages on the server--I want an email-by-email option to delete from the phone only or delete from the phone and server. From doing some more web searches, it appears this isn't possible with Android but is on the Blackberry OS....unless there's an email app that can be downloaded/used to accomplish this?

 

[xKrNMBoYx]

The thing is, I do not want a global setting for deleting or retaining messages on the server--I want an email-by-email option to delete from the phone only or delete from the phone and server. From doing some more web searches, it appears this isn't possible with Android but is on the Blackberry OS....unless there's an email app that can be downloaded/used to accomplish this?

No you've got it wrong. You just need to set up your email the correct way. There are two major setups/formats for emails. IMAP and POP3. While I don't remember which one currently, one lets you have emails separate from the ones on the email server, while one is synced directly to it so when you delete an email on the device, it is also deleted on the whole server/email. Look up both formats as that will be the answer to your concern.

Once again there is virtually no phone operating system that will not allow you to select IMAP or POP3..just look carefully (you don't even have to look carefully)

 

[kareemowheat]

I'm not sure I understand how the IMAP or POP3 setup really relates to the functionality/flexibility of what I'm trying to achieve (and could do so on the Blackberry regardless of the email server/setup) -- how would you then suggest going to your inbox on your Galaxy and delete email A from from only the device, and say email B from both the device and server (say they're from the same email server in this example). i.e. what option/feature/etc on the device allows that to be done on an email-by-email basis?

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

The thing is, I do not want a global setting for deleting or retaining messages on the server--I want an email-by-email option to delete from the phone only or delete from the phone and server. From doing some more web searches, it appears this isn't possible with Android but is on the Blackberry OS....unless there's an email app that can be downloaded/used to accomplish this?

I tried it out using the default email app yesterday, and you are correct as far as I can tell -- there is no way to choose delete options per email message, only within the universal options.

You could try a different 3rd party email app, such as K9...but I'm not sure.

No you've got it wrong. You just need to set up your email the correct way. There are two major setups/formats for emails. IMAP and POP3. While I don't remember which one currently, one lets you have emails separate from the ones on the email server, while one is synced directly to it so when you delete an email on the device, it is also deleted on the whole server/email. Look up both formats as that will be the answer to your concern.

Once again there is virtually no phone operating system that will not allow you to select IMAP or POP3..just look carefully (you don't even have to look carefully)

That is correct, however the specific setting regarding being able to delete only specific messages does not seem to exist even if POP3 is being used. While using this protocol would theoretically allow it, the question is whether the Email app has a way to actually do it.

I'm not sure I understand how the IMAP or POP3 setup really relates to the functionality/flexibility of what I'm trying to achieve (and could do so on the Blackberry regardless of the email server/setup) -- how would you then suggest going to your inbox on your Galaxy and delete email A from from only the device, and say email B from both the device and server (say they're from the same email server in this example). i.e. what option/feature/etc on the device allows that to be done on an email-by-email basis?

Fact is, there is ONE thing that BlackBerry does excel in over any other OS (at least in my opinion), and that's email. Both Android and iOS may run circles around BlackBerry OS in a lot of ways, but email management is something BlackBerry has always been focused on.

None the less, the options you speak of to be able to delete emails from either the device or server or both would still only exist IF the email account is setup using POP3 protocol -- any other protocol would only be an "all or nothing" sort of deal (so that information is still technically correct). It just so happens that BB has more robust options for handling POP3 email accounts.