EMAIL Rules or Filtering on the client side

[maggieo]

Even on my PC, I use an email client, so server side rules or filters don't work for me. I need an email app (IMAP or POP3) that can filer or have a rule based on either something in the subject line or the sender. They can go to a folder or even be dropped from the phone. I wondered about using the junk mail folder on the Android (Samsung S8) but don't want the listserv to be reported as Spam or Junk. I did read about using GMail and labels, but doesn't the email still end up in the inbox? I'd prefer not to use GMail app if possible. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[ManiacJoe]

Most phone email clients do not do email filtering.

What you are describing is easily done on the server using the web interface:
Create folders on the server.
Create rules on the server to put the email into the folders.
Use the IMAP protocol to sync the folders to your phone.

 

[maggieo]

Hi Joe,
Sorry I never saw your response - but it's a good one... Any way to figure out how to have folder rules on the outlook client, say, but exclude those emails completely from the phone? We never use "webmail" - we always use the email client, and on the PC I have rules there so certain things don't crap up my inbox. But - maybe using IMAP I could have the certain emails go to folders on the PC and the phone. I generally prefer not to use IMAP. I really can't imagine that of all the android email apps there's not one that does local rules.. Thanks again for any help.

 

[ManiacJoe]

My guess as to why most email apps don't do filtering is that (1) it is rather resource intensive, and (2) it is real easy to get wrong on the coding side. Plus, with all the email services already doing it, it is kind of like reinventing the wheel.

That said, as phones get better CPUs and more RAM, I can see filtering becoming an eventual feature for most email apps. However, that is probably years from now.