I'm not seeing all my email messages on my iPhone or iPod touch for my POP account

  • Last Modified: November 13, 2009
  • Article: HT3228

Summary

When you check email from a POP account, most email clients delete the email from the server by default. If you want to check your email from another computer, an iPhone, or an iPod touch, you should configure your email client(s) to leave a copy on the server until your other email clients have downloaded the email.

Products Affected

iPhone, iPod touch, iPhone 3G, iPod touch (2nd generation)

If you want to check your home ISP email account from the iPhone or iPod touch and still download or view the same email messages on other computers, please contact your ISP or email provider for assistance on how to configure your email client, if not listed below, or you require additional assistance.

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Mail for Mac OS X 10.5.x

If you use the Mac OS X Mail application as your email client, you can deselect the "Remove copy from server after retrieving a message" option under the Advanced account settings in Mail Preferences. However, the default option, to remove mail after one week, should be adequate for most. Detailed instructions on setting it to remove the message after one week are included below.

  1. In Mail for Mac OS X 10.5.x, choose Mail > Preferences.
  2. Click the Accounts tab.
  3. Select the account you wish to change the settings for.
  4. Click the Advanced tab.
  5. Select the "Remove copy from server after retrieving a message" option.
  6. Choose After one week from the pop-up menu.
  7. Close Mail Preferences.

Mail for Mac OS X

Microsoft Entourage 2008

If you use the Microsoft Entourage 2008 application as your email client, you can select the "Leave a copy of each message on the server" option under the account options (choose Tools > Accounts). Detailed instructions on setting it to remove the message after one week are included below.

  1. In Microsoft Entourage 2008, choose Tools > Accounts.
  2. Double-click on the account you want to edit.
  3. Select the Options tab located across the top of the window.
  4. Select the "Leave a copy of each message on the server" option.
  5. Select the "Delete messages from the server after" option.
  6. Enter 7 in the box to the right of "Delete messages from the server after".
  7. Click OK.
  8. Close Accounts.

Microsoft Mail for Windows Vista

 If you use the Microsoft Mail application in Windows Vista as your email client, you can select the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" option under the advanced account properties. Detailed instructions on setting it to remove the message after one week are included below.

  1. In Windows Mail, choose Tools > Accounts.
  2. Click the account you wish to change the settings for and then click Properties.
  3. Select the Advanced tab located across the top of the window.
  4. Select the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" option.
  5. Select the "Remove from server after" option.
  6. Enter 7 in the box to the right of "Remove from server after."
  7. Click Apply and then click OK.
  8. Close Accounts.

Microsoft Outlook Express

 If you use the Microsoft Outlook Express application as your email client, you can select the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" option under the advanced account properties. Detailed instructions on setting it to remove the message after one week are included below.

  1. In Outlook Express, choose Tools > Accounts.
  2. Click the account you wish to edit and then click Properties.
  3. Select the Advanced tab located across the top of the window.
  4. Select the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" option.
  5. Select the  "Remove from server after" option.
  6. Enter 7 in the box to the right of "Remove from server after."
  7. Click Apply and then click OK.
  8. Close Accounts.

 

 

Microsoft Outlook 2007

 If you use the Microsoft Outlook 2007 application as your email client, you can select the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" option under the advanced account properties. Detailed instructions on setting it to remove the message after one week are included below.

  1. In Outlook 2007, choose Tools > Account Settings.
  2. Click the account you wish to edit and then click Change.
  3. Click the "More Settings" button.
  4. Select the Advanced tab located across the top of the window.
  5. Select the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" option.
  6. Select the  "Remove from server after" option.
  7. Enter 7 in the box to the right of "Remove from server after."
  8. Click OK.
  9. Close Account Settings.

 

 

Microsoft Outlook 2003

 If you use the Microsoft Outlook 2003 application as your email client, you can select the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" option under the advanced account properties. Detailed instructions on setting it to remove the message after one week are included below.

  1. In Outlook 2003, choose Tools> E-mail Accounts.
  2. Select "View or change existing email accounts" and click Next.
  3. Click the account you wish to edit and then click Change.
  4. Click the "More Settings" button.
  5. Select the Advanced tab located across the top of the window.
  6. Select the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" option.
  7. Select the  "Remove from server after" option.
  8. Enter 7 in the box to the right of "Remove from server after."
  9. Click OK.
  10. Close Account Settings.

 

 

Mozilla Thunderbird

 If you use the Mozilla Thunderbird application as your email client, you can select the "Leave messages on server" option under the server settings. Detailed instructions on setting it to remove the message after one week are included below.

  1. In Mozilla Thunderbird, choose Tools > Account Settings.
  2. Click Server Settings listed below the account you want to edit.
  3. Select the  "Leave messages on server" option.
  4. Select the "For at most" option.
  5. Enter 7 in the box to the right of "For at most".
  6. Click OK.

 

 

Yahoo, Gmail & Exchange

To leave email messages on the Yahoo! POP server, refer to the instructions available here:

http://help.yahoo.com/l/ph/yahoo/mail/pop/pop-27381.html

Instructions on how to leave messages with POP3 on Google Gmail is available here:

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13273 

If you have a Microsoft Exchange email account, see this document to change the amount of emails you can see on the device.

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