Gmail disappears from Apple mail inbox

Joined
Sep 24, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I forward my Gmail and Earthlink mail to my Apple mail so I can use the Apple mail app which I find much more user friendly.

The problem is that after a few days my Gmail disappears from my Apple inbox and I have to go to the Google website to find it and forward it back to myself to get it back into my inbox.

Is there a way to keep Gmail from disappearing? The Earthlink mail is fine. I suspect it has something to do with POP vs. IMAP, but I'm not sure how to fix it.

Thank you!
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
If you have GMail setup in Mail, you shouldn't have to forward yourself anything. How did you set up GMail with Mail?
 

Raz0rEdge

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
15,745
Reaction score
2,071
Points
113
Location
MA
Your Mac's Specs
2022 Mac Studio M1 Max, 2023 M2 MBA
As Vansmith said, you're making this more complicated than it needs to be. You can set up Mail.app to lik to your GMail, Earthlink and Apple accounts. You will then get email from all of them and can respond independently to any of them.

The only reason to do what you are doing now is to that you always respond back with your Apple e-mail address as opposed to your GMail or Earthlink addresses..
 
OP
S
Joined
Sep 24, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I only use the forwarding because the original email disappears from my Apple inbox after a few days. The gmail email comes in, I read it and leave it in my inbox until I have time to respond. But if I wait more than 3 or 4 days, when I go to respond, the email has disappeared. Then I have to go back to Gmail, find it in my inbox there, and send it back to myself so I can respond from Apple mail. I don't want to have to do that. I just want the Gmail to sit in my inbox until I deleter it or put it in a folder in Apple mail.
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
That's not supposed to happen and I get the feeling this may because of some odd setup you have going.

Go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts and add a new account. Enter your GMail credentials and Mail should automatically configure GMail for you.
 
OP
S
Joined
Sep 24, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Yes, I did that when I first set up the Gmail account several months ago. It's set to: Incoming server: imap.gmail.com and the rest of my personal info.
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
Mail doesn't, by default, start deleting emails. Under the Accounts tab in the Mail preferences, look under "Mailbox Behaviours" and ensure that none of the delete options are set.
 
OP
S
Joined
Sep 24, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
There's actually no tab for when to delete incoming messages. For sent messages it's set to "never delete." The others are just for drafts, notes, junk and trash. And in "Advanced" tab I've got it set to:
Keep copies of messages for offline viewing: All messages and their attachments.
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
disappearing mail

Have you solved your problem? I experienced the same problem a year ago or so and now it is back. Discussion fora are full of this issue but I could find an awkward solution only: Forming a Smart Box allowed me to see the otherwise invisible messages. It means the messages are there and not deleted. Messages from another account (also Gmail, both of them are POP3 accounts) are visible in the Inbox. When I tested the effect on MacBook Air, the test message remained in the Inbox. When I went through the Mail Preferences I could not see any significant difference in setting in MacBook Air and Mac. Any idea what is wrong? I feel last time the solution was rather trivial (as usually) but I cannot recall details.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top