Gmail server issues

J_B

Just changed my phone so setting up a new (Bluemail) app on it.

I've entered my gmail address etc and it seems to have downloaded all my messages going back to 2018!

I use Thunderbird on my PC regularly and only the phone occasionally.

TB (I thought) was set to delete from server after 21 days - what am I doing wrong?

Neil_Jones

Think the key phrase was "until I delete them".  So if you weren't deleting them, they're not going to go.

That aside, you'd do better to use IMAP, as this will mirror the state of the server, so if you delete them, they will go.  POP email you're effectively in a hybrid state to some extend, as your offline copy will not mirror the state of the server

J_B

Neil_Jones said:

Think the key phrase was "until I delete them".  So if you weren't deleting them, they're not going to go.

In my inbox on Thunderbird, I have 38 emails

Here https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox there are 615 🤔

Neil_Jones said:

That aside, you'd do better to use IMAP, as this will mirror the state of the server, so if you delete them, they will go.  POP email you're effectively in a hybrid state to some extend, as your offline copy will not mirror the state of the server

I've tried IMAP and don't like it / it doesn't suit me.

I like to keep some emails on my phone for reference and the rest that I can deal with from the laptop when in 'office' mode

grumpycrab

I think this is Google being a bit cautious. It probably ignores the TB request to delete messages at 21 days old.

J_B

grumpycrab said:

I think this is Google being a bit cautious. It probably ignores the TB request to delete messages at 21 days old.

Hmm, that's good of them - do you think I'm going to have to manually delete them all

grumpycrab

J_B said:

grumpycrab said:

I think this is Google being a bit cautious. It probably ignores the TB request to delete messages at 21 days old.

Hmm, that's good of them - do you think I'm going to have to manually delete them all

If 615 emails causes you stress, yes I'm afraid you'll have to delete them yourself.
Quite easy to delete a large chunk at a time....eg to delete all 2018 emails....
- in the gmail search box enter  after:2018/1/1 before:2019/1/1
- then click the square box to select all emails on display (selects 50 by default)
- then click on the box to the right of "All 50 conversations on this page are selected" which  says "Select all XYZ conversations in Inbox" 
- Then click delete. (** Take care ** I'm not responsible for you deleting something important :-:smile:

J_B

grumpycrab said:

J_B said:

grumpycrab said:

I think this is Google being a bit cautious. It probably ignores the TB request to delete messages at 21 days old.

Hmm, that's good of them - do you think I'm going to have to manually delete them all

If 615 emails causes you stress, yes I'm afraid you'll have to delete them yourself.

It's just that I'm trying to find a suitable pop3 email app for my phone https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6338345/best-android-email-app and each 'trial' downloads all 615 of them :-(

Neil_Jones

J_B said:

grumpycrab said:

J_B said:

grumpycrab said:

I think this is Google being a bit cautious. It probably ignores the TB request to delete messages at 21 days old.

Hmm, that's good of them - do you think I'm going to have to manually delete them all

If 615 emails causes you stress, yes I'm afraid you'll have to delete them yourself.

It's just that I'm trying to find a suitable pop3 email app for my phone https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6338345/best-android-email-app and each 'trial' downloads all 615 of them :-(

Well it will do, because that's how POP3 works.  POP3 copies the mail from the remote server into the local mail client.  If another program is not removing them then whatever email program you use will keep downloading them.

Hence why I suggested IMAP earlier, because then you wouldn't have this problem   Yes you won't have the offfline access thing but you wouldn't have the other problem of every device/trial/app you use downloading 615 emails every time.

J_B

Neil_Jones said:

Well it will do, because that's how POP3 works.  POP3 copies the mail from the remote server into the local mail client.  If another program is not removing them then whatever email program you use will keep downloading them.

I understand that, it's just that with my two 1and1 accounts, they do what Thunderbird tells them, whereas the gmail accounts don't!

Every day's a school day!

Neil_Jones

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-make-iphone-mail-delete-mail-from-pop-servers-1172555 might be of interest.

This appears in my Gmail settings so it should appear in yours.  It might help if you change the drop-down option or choose the other Pop option to effectively force Gmail to "forget" about old email POP3 wise..  If you choose the delete option, be sure that's what you want, because they will vanish and if you come back on here and say "gmail deleted all my old email" then this post will be exhibit A m'lud.

J_B

That link is for IpHoNe - I have Android

I did have a play with those settings but it seemed that, whatever I did, GM wouldn't do what TB asked it to.

Have now manually deleted what I don't need so onwards and upwards!