Mac Mail issue

[lemondropCR]

Hello

Can anyone help with the following please?

We have just bought a second iMac and set up our email account using mac mail.

We now have both macs set up with the same email address / account both using mac mail.

The issue we have is regarding the blue dot indicating that a message is unread.

A message comes in on the new mac and the message displays showing the blue dot.

We do not open this message but as soon as the message arrives on the second mac the blue dot disappears on the message on the new mac. It remains present on the second mac.

This is happening without us opening the message on either machine and is causing us to think messages on the new machine have already been read.

Is there a way to stop this happening so the blue dot remains on the message on the new mac as well as the other one?

Any help appreciated.

 

[harryb2448]

Well to get help please provide Mac details and operating system.

Vitally important stuff if looking for help. Downloading a second time may convince your ISP's server the message has already been accessed.

 

[IWT]

A warm welcome to our Forums.

A crucial question. Is your email account POP3 or IMAP?

This affects the way the emails are treated.

From your answer we can explain how and why you are experiencing what you’ve described.

Ian

 

[lemondropCR]

Hello

Thanks very much to both of you for your replies, i appreciate it.

Sorry for lack of information provided.

The original mac specs are:
macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
iMac 27" Mid 2010

The new mac specs are:
macOS Mojave 10.14
iMac 27" Late 2013

The email account is a POP3 account hosted by heart internet.

We have an iPad pro which is now set up with the same email account / settings but this seems unaffected by the issue, the blue dots do not disappear next to the unread messages, the issue for some reason is just between the two iMacs.

Thanks again for taking the time to offer advice.

 

[Slydude]

Ian has probably hit on the answer. I used to have a POP3 email account several years ago and I believe it behaved just the way you are describing.

Check with Heart Internet and see what you need to do to change the account to IMAP.

 

[pm-r]

This is happening without us opening the message on either machine and is causing us to think messages on the new machine have already been read.

That would be normal for POP3 E-mail accounts if the e-mail is or has been selected in any way, even if it hasn't been "opened".

Maybe check with your ISP or their webmail option settings in case they have something that can change that with POP3 your email accounts.





- Patrick
======

 

[Slydude]

If you find that your email provider does not support IMAP accounts there is a solution. An email account that I have had for years is with a provider that only offers POP3 accounts to residential users. When I started reading some of my email on an iPad I had to circumvent this or be faced with the same situation you are currently facing. Here's my solution to the problem:
1. Open an email account with someone that does support IMAP. I use Apple's iCloud but there are lots of other options these days.
2. Test the IMAP account by sending yourself an email to that account or have someone send one to you. When that's working go to step 3.
3. Log into your Heart Internet account and change the settings so that it forwards incoming mail to the IMAP acccount you created.

The alternative is to get rid of your Heart Internet account in favor of the new one but that's a bit of a pain given how many people you have to notify.

 

[pm-r]

Here's my solution to the problem:
…
3. Log into your Heart Internet account and change the settings so that it forwards incoming mail to the IMAP acccount you created.

Interesting possibility, but I wonder if all ISPs would allow that with so many preventing forwarding and relaying in an attempt to stamp out SPAM etc. these days.





- Patrick
======

 

[MacInWin]

Another way to get around it is to create a new folder called "Unread Messages" and then write a rule that as soon as a message arrives, copy it to that folder. The unread dot will stay in that folder, even if it disappears from the Inbox. Then, as a practice, read the messages in the "Unread" folder and delete them, which you can do because you still have the original in the Inbox. Do that on both iMacs and the dots should stick until you want them to go away.

 

[lemondropCR]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply and offer advice and possible solutions.

Seems you were all correct as this is the reply I had when I contacted the hosting company:

"Thanks POP3 connection on two separate devices will not work and at some point some mails will be available only on one of the 2 devices, as POP3 connection download the e-mails from the server and doesn't update any other connections, while IMAP is leaving the content on the server and updating through all devices connected. Practically POP3 connection is not suitable for multiple devices set-up.

Let me know if you need the IMAP application settings".

Thanks again for your help

 

[Slydude]

Let me know if you need the IMAP application settings".

That suggests that perhaps the account can be chaghed to an IMAP account while keeping the current email address. If I remember correctly, some providers are willing to do this. Conact the provider. If they offer that as an option, you won't have to change the email address.

 

[pm-r]

Practically POP3 connection is not suitable for multiple devices set-up.

To each their own opinion on that comment they stated, I guess.

I also guess it depends on how the user actually uses their POP3 email account(s), and it works fine for me.





- Patrick
======

 

[chscag]

I also guess it depends on how the user actually uses their POP3 email account(s), and it works fine for me.

Good Grief! Am I agreeing with Patrick again? LOL.

POP3 will work just fine on multiple devices, however, you need to understand first how it works, and what parameters your ISP sets for using it. Some ISPs set limits for POP3 accounts and will try to push you off to using IMAP. Just make sure that IMAP is going to work for you.

 

[pm-r]

Good Grief! Am I agreeing with Patrick again? LOL.

No problem with that Charlie. ;D

And welcome aboard.





- Patrick
======

 

[lemondropCR]

Good Grief! Am I agreeing with Patrick again? LOL.

POP3 will work just fine on multiple devices, however, you need to understand first how it works, and what parameters your ISP sets for using it. Some ISPs set limits for POP3 accounts and will try to push you off to using IMAP. Just make sure that IMAP is going to work for you.

Thanks very much for your reply.

Interesting, is it then possible for us to at least try to request a change of settings with the host in order to get the mac mail to work as we want?

Thanks again

 

[lemondropCR]

That would be normal for POP3 E-mail accounts if the e-mail is or has been selected in any way, even if it hasn't been "opened".

Maybe check with your ISP or their webmail option settings in case they have something that can change that with POP3 your email accounts.





- Patrick
======

Hello Patrick

Just reading your advice again, its strange as we do not select, highlight or touch the email in any way, simply it appearing in the inbox on the older mac marks it as read on the new one.

Thanks again

 

[lemondropCR]

Hello, thanks again all of you for your help. It is appreciated.

Its seems that the new mac was using imap and the older one pop3.

Setting both up using pop3 seems to have fixed the issue and the message remains as unread with the blue dot.

Thanks again for taking the time to help.

 

[pm-r]

What gives here... I can't post back with a reply, all I get is a new page that says "Page not found".




- Patrick
======

EDIT:
Well at least this worked. But I cant seem to send a proper reply and just get this:

And end up with "Page not found" if I click "Leave".





- Patrick
======

 

[MacInWin]

Working for me.

 

[pm-r]

Thanks for adding your updates here as otherwise something wasn't making any sense or working the way one would expect.

Actually, I didn't even know one could have POP3 and IMAP set for the same e-mail address with the same ISP account. Sort of neat, but maybe also a bit confusing as you discovered.



Edit:
Finally got some text to get posted.

The "auto-saved" wouldn't work, neither would a paste of saved text. Strange happenings...