Unable to delete mail messages on MacBook Air
Cannot delete any.Help.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: deleting mail messages
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 15.7
Question marked as
Check Server Settings (Mailbox Behaviors): If you are using an IMAP account (common for Gmail, iCloud, and most modern providers), it's important that the Mail app knows which folder on the server corresponds to the Trash or Deleted Messages folder. Incorrect mapping can cause messages to reappear.
Open Mail.
Click Mail in the menu bar, then choose Settings (or Preferences).
Click the Accounts tab.
Select the affected email account on the left.
Click the Mailbox Behaviors tab.
Ensure that the Trash Mailbox is set to the correct folder (often named Trash or Deleted Items).
Rebuild Mailboxes: This process can fix inconsistencies in the Mail app's local database by downloading fresh copies of messages from the server.
In the Mail app, select the mailbox (e.g., Inbox) that has the undeletable messages.
Click Mailbox in the menu bar.
Select Rebuild. This may take some time depending on the size of the mailbox.
Delete and Re-add the Account: If rebuilding doesn't work, removing the email account from your Mac and adding it back often forces a complete refresh of the connection and settings. Make sure you know your email password before doing this.
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings (or System Preferences).
Click Internet Accounts.
- Select the email account you're having trouble with.
- Click Delete Account (or the minus button -) and confirm.
- Follow the prompts to add the account back.