Apple Mail transfers deleted gmail to Archive

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Level 1

42 points

Apple Mail transfers deleted gmail to Archive

I have two gmail accounts that I read and through AppleMail along with my other email. When I delete gmails, some go to the Archive account for that gmail and some go the Trash. Those that go to the Trash usually are deleted after 30 days. However some of the deleted gmails wind up in the Archive for the corresponding gmail account. I find the behavior unpredictable; some gmail that I delete winds up in Trash (where it normally is deleted after a month) but other deleted mail winds up in Archive for that gmail account where it is not deleted automatically and accumulates.

Normally I leave all email I save in the InBox for several months before moving it to an ON MY MAC mailbox (usually one for each year) for long-term storage, where it accumulates. At least some of the gmail that I transfer to the Yearly (e.g.,2024 Old Mail) account also winds up in the Archive for that gmail account.

I also move some incoming less-important email from one gmail account to separate ON MY MAC folder, where I read it read and usually delete it. However, that is duplicated in the Archive for that gmail account, where it is the UNREAD mark is not removed after I red it in the ON MY MAC folder, so I have to remove it manually to delete it.

What's going on here and how can I control it better? I know Apple Mail maintains links to email stored elsewhere in memory, but some of the Gmail I trash appears to linger somewhere after the trash is supposed to be emptied.

Thanks

Mac mini, macOS 15.7

Posted on Oct 15, 2025 8:33 AM

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Answer 1

AlWeir

Level 5

4,880 points

Oct 18, 2025 9:33 AM in response to fiberhome

How do you have it set up on Mail on your Mac? Not sure if you will see this on your Mac Mini since the app might differ from Mail on a MBP.

Settings >>Accounts >>Mailbox Behaviours

[Edited by Moderator]

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Answer 2

fiberhome Author

Level 1

42 points

Oct 18, 2025 1:32 PM in response to AlWeir

Thanks. I am able to access the email transfers in my Mini and was able to change things to trash junk after one month and delete the trash after one month. I think that should work; I'm trying to minimize the stuff that is saved indefinitely, which was happening in some cases. The settings you list don't look like what I want.

I note that Apple warns under "Erase Junk Messages" "To avoid exceeding storage limits set by your email account provider, choose a setting other than Never." You have that set for Never.

Apple says Erase deleted messages means:

"Choose when you want Mail to erase deleted messages. To avoid exceeding storage limits set by your email account provider, choose a setting other than Never.

If you select None for Trash Mailbox, you can have messages permanently deleted automatically.

If your email account provider sets up the server to delete older messages, the messages are deleted regardless of how you change this option."

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