Where are my POP emails and iPhone still shows only POP account?

[Dean]

I'm giving Spam Sieve a try cause I'm tired of all the spam in my inbox. I went ahead and created an imap account in an effort to rid my iPhone of spam. When I did that all of my old emails vanished from my inbox (use macs mail app) I tried to drag the emails from the pop folder and put them into the INBOX.imapmbox folder but they still don't show up. Any help? Also, do I need to create a new account on my iPhone? ITunes>iPhone>Info recognizes the new mail account but when I synced the phone it still shows the pop account as the default in the phone settings on the phone itself and the other account doesn't appear anywhere. I hope I'm making sense and I hope this app works. Glad to give the $30 if it does. Any help? Thanks

[Michael Tsai]

I went ahead and created an imap account in an effort to rid my iPhone of spam. When I did that all of my old emails vanished from my inbox (use macs mail app)

Simply creating a new account will not affect the messages in your old account. So I think you must have done something else to make the old e-mails vanish. Did you delete or disable the old account? I recommend not doing this until after you’ve transferred the messages.

I tried to drag the emails from the pop folder and put them into the INBOX.imapmbox folder but they still don't show up.

Dragging the files in the Finder will not work. You need to drag the messages from (and to) mailboxes within Mail.

Also, do I need to create a new account on my iPhone? ITunes>iPhone>Info recognizes the new mail account but when I synced the phone it still shows the pop account as the default in the phone settings on the phone itself and the other account doesn't appear anywhere.

You don’t need to create a new account on the iPhone, but you do need to tell iTunes to sync the new account (and, probably, not sync the old account).

[Dean]

I have the physical email files in the pop account folder but I tried to move them from the pop account inbox folder to the new account thinking the emails would show back up in my inbox but when I dragged them into the new inbox folder they still don't appear in my Mac email inbox. So the files are in the new inbox folder but not appearing on my desktop as emails in my inbox.

[Michael Tsai]

I have the physical email files in the pop account folder but I tried to move them from the pop account inbox folder to the new account thinking the emails would show back up in my inbox but when I dragged them into the new inbox folder they still don't appear in my Mac email inbox. So the files are in the new inbox folder but not appearing on my desktop as emails in my inbox.

In general, you cannot move files that belong to an application (such as e-mail files belonging to Mail) without confusing that application and making it lose track of the files. So, if you moved any e-mail files to a different folder, you’ll need to move them back.

As to why your POP account does not appear in Mail, I repeat my question from the previous post: did you disable that account in Mail’s preferences? If so, try enabling it.

[Dean]

Sorry Michael,

Yes I did and just enabled it again and the emails are back in my inbox. I thought the instructions said to disable that account? I've left include when checking for mail unchecked.

Also, the IMAP account does not give me the option when to remove the copy from the server but the POP does. Am I reading the instructions wrong or was the option to delete from server supposed to show up in the new account?

[Michael Tsai]

Yes I did and just enabled it again and the emails are back in my inbox. I thought the instructions said to disable that account?

The instructions do say that, but the previous step says to drag the old messages to the new account.

Also, the IMAP account does not give me the option when to remove the copy from the server but the POP does. Am I reading the instructions wrong or was the option to delete from server supposed to show up in the new account?

There is no such option for IMAP, because it wouldn’t make sense. With IMAP, all the messages (and the mailbox hierarchy) stay on the server. That is how they can be automatically synchronized between multiple Macs and iPhones. To remove an IMAP message from the server, drag it into a mailbox in “On My Mac” or delete it.

[Dean]

Got it. Forgot to click the arrow next to mailboxes to reveal both accounts. Dragging them over now. Just dragging the physical files from one folder to another doesn't create the proper paths? Just a guess. Either way as soon as it's done "importing" the files over I'll disable the pop account.

Still not 100 percent understanding how IMAP accounts can communicate between devices but I'm just a Photographer/Photoshop guy, not a computer expert. Just as long as it works.


Thanks

PS If I like this app and want to use it on my Mac Book Pro as well. Just repeat instructions?

[Michael Tsai]

Forgot to click the arrow next to mailboxes to reveal both accounts. Dragging them over now. Just dragging the physical files from one folder to another doesn't create the proper paths?

The problem with moving the files yourself (rather than dragging the messages within Mail) is that Mail doesn’t actually read the folder contents when determining the contents of your mailboxes. That would be too slow. It instead uses a database to keep track of all the messages. If you move the files manually, you’ve not updated Mail’s database.

Still not 100 percent understanding how IMAP accounts can communicate between devices but I'm just a Photographer/Photoshop guy, not a computer expert.

It’s OK to think of it as magic. :-) But, essentially, the mail server keeps the master copy and each device syncs up with the server.

If I like this app and want to use it on my Mac Book Pro as well. Just repeat instructions?

Yes, but please see the bottom of this page regarding multiple copies of SpamSieve accessing the same account.

[Dean]

Last question. Instead of moving the emails it's try to email them to me? Is that right?

[Michael Tsai]

Instead of moving the emails it's try to email them to me? Is that right?

Sorry, but I don’t understand what you’re asking. What is “it”? Could you give an example?

[Dean]

Never mind. For some reason when I dragged the emails from one account to the other it tried to send 10,000 some odd emails. I stopped it at around 300. At first I thought it was sending it to others but it was sending them back to me. Not sure why. What's odd is that they don't seem to be duplicates or they are and are replacing the emails but now showing up as unread. Either way the emails I wanted are on the new account and if their are any missing I know where to find them. Very strange. Is there any way to idsable the pop mailbox but keep it shown in Mail?

[Michael Tsai]

Is there any way to idsable the pop mailbox but keep it shown in Mail?

You could uncheck “Include when automatically checking for new mail” in the Advanced tab of the Accounts preferences.

[Dean]

So keep enabled checked but not “Include when automatically checking for new mail.”

So, a few spam emails that your app detected and moved to the spam folder on my tower are showing up on my phone.

I'm supposed to be working : )

[Michael Tsai]

So keep enabled checked but not “Include when automatically checking for new mail.”

Yes, but I really recommend that you move the messages from the POP account to IMAP or local mailboxes and then disable it.

So, a few spam emails that your app detected and moved to the spam folder on my tower are showing up on my phone.

Assuming that your iPhone is set to use IMAP, the next time you check for mail on the iPhone the spam messages should disappear.

[Dean]

And I do not need to create an IMAP account on my physical phone. I just need to make sure the IMAP account via iTunes is checked(pop account unchecked) and sync the phone. Correct? I restarted the phone as well.

[Michael Tsai]

And I do not need to create an IMAP account on my physical phone. I just need to make sure the IMAP account via iTunes is checked(pop account unchecked) and sync the phone.

Right.

[Dean]

Think I finally go it. Both accounts now show up on my phone. Turned the POP off. Seems to work now. Push should be off as well right? Thanks for your help Michael and thanks for the app. I have my own domain and the spam is out of control.

[Michael Tsai]

Push should be off as well right?

It will work both ways, but I recommend turning it off so that you aren’t notified for new messages that end up being spam.

[Dean]

Last question again.

Now I understand why when I was moving the emails from my POP account to the new IMAP account my Mac was emailing them to me. They need to live on the server and they had been deleted from the server prior by me to try and control the spam on my iPhone. Is there anyway I can also have a hard copy sent to my tower just for back up using IMAP like a POP account does?

No more questions.......

[Michael Tsai]

Is there anyway I can also have a hard copy sent to my tower just for back up using IMAP like a POP account does?

When using IMAP, Apple Mail automatically keeps a backup (cache) on your hard disk.