MobileMe: Preserving deleted Mail messages for up to 30 days

  • : 05 9月, 2008
  • : HT3028

Summary

Learn how to configure your iPhone or iPod touch, or Mail in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, so that MobileMe account messages in the Trash mailbox (folder) are retained for one month (30 days).

The MobileMe mail service is designed to keep deleted messages in the Trash folder for 30 days.  After 30 days, messages in the Trash will be permanently erased.  If you use only MobileMe Webmail to check your email, the default 30 day Trash folder behavior will never change.  However, if you use any other IMAP clients like Mac OS X Mail or Mail on your iPhone, the preferences on those clients may delete messages from the Trash earlier than MobileMe otherwise would.  This means that if you use Mail on the iPhone or iPod touch to check your MobileMe email account, the preferences on the device IMAP client will determine whether or not a message in the Trash mailbox should be deleted.  Since the default behavior on the iPhone and iPod touch Mail application is to permanently delete messages in the Trash folder after seven days, you may notice that messages you put in the Trash two weeks ago have been permanently deleted since the last time you checked your MobileMe Mail from the iPhone or iPod Touch.  The same behavior applies to Mac OS X Mail.  This article will show you how to set the same deletion rules for the MobileMe Mailbox Trash folder on your iPhone, iPod touch, and your Mac running Leopard.

Note: If you don't want to risk permanently losing an important message, do not delete it or move it to the Trash mailbox (folder).

Products Affected

Mail, MobileMe Mail, Mac OS X 10.5, iPhone, iPod touch

To configure your iPhone / iPod touch to retain deleted Mail messages for up to 30 days:

  1. On the Home screen, tap Settings
  2. Scroll down, then tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars
  3. Tap your MobileMe (or .Mac) email account
  4. Tap Account Info
  5. Tap Advanced
  6. Tap Remove
  7. Select "After one month"
  8. Repeat these steps for any other email accounts on your device that you want to adjust
     

To configure Mail in Mac OS X 10.5.x to retain deleted Mail messages for up to 30 days:

  1. Open Mail in Mac OS X 10.5
  2. From the Mail menu choose Preferences
  3. Click the Accounts icon at the top of the window
  4. Select your MobileMe account in the left column
  5. Click the Mailbox Behaviors pane
  6. From the "Erase deleted messages when" pop-up menu, choose "One month old"

    Note: You can choose "Never" from the pop-up menu to keep deleted messages indefinitely. You must also uncheck (deselect) "Store deleted messages on the server" for messages to be kept indefinitely on your Mac. (If you choose "Never" but do not uncheck "Store deleted messages on the server", messages in the Trash mailbox will be deleted after 30 days.)
     
  7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for any other email accounts that you wish to adjust
  8. Close the Mail preferences window

After making these changes, as long as you access MobileMe mail from your iPhone/iPod touch and Mac OS X Leopard, any messages moved to your Trash mailbox will be kept for 30 days, then permanently deleted afterwards. If you access your mail with a different (third-party) email application, make sure that email application is similarly configured to not delete messages until after 30 days.

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