iPhone and iPod touch - Unable to delete email messages

Products Affected

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

This article has been archived and is no longer updated by Apple.

Symptoms

You may see the following message when attempting to delete emails:

"Unable to move message to folder "Trash" because the folder does not exist"

Note: This should not affect MobileMe accounts.

Resolution

To resolve this issue go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > [affected account name] > Advanced > Deleted Mailbox on iPhone or iPod touch.

If "On the Server" is an option, select Trash below that (or select Deleted Items or Deleted Messages). Otherwise, select Trash located under "On My iPhone". Once the Deleted Mailbox has been set, tap Advanced and then press the Home button to return the Home screen.

If the Deleted Mailbox is already set to Trash, please follow these steps:

  1. Tap another folder such as Spam under the "On the Server" section
  2. Tap Advanced.
  3. Tap Deleted Mailbox, then set it to Trash located under On My iPhone.
  4. Tap Advanced.
  5. Press the Home button to return to the Home screen.
This document will be updated as more information becomes available.
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