In iOS6 I was able to configure the number of messages that Mail downloaded to my iPhone. I cannot find this setting in iOS7. Now Mail seems to synchronise all the messages in my mail accounts. Which is eating away 5 GB of memory. 
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Limiting the number of messages in Mail?
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if its an exchange account...
settings > mail > select the account > mail days to sync > change it
i remember in ios 6 you can make it the last 50, 100, all etc. i dont see that menu option anymore in my phone settings. either they got rid of it, or because my only two accounts are an icloud IMAP and work exchange, the option isnt needed.
but it used to be under settings > mail, contacts, calendar >
settings > mail > select the account > mail days to sync > change it
i remember in ios 6 you can make it the last 50, 100, all etc. i dont see that menu option anymore in my phone settings. either they got rid of it, or because my only two accounts are an icloud IMAP and work exchange, the option isnt needed.
but it used to be under settings > mail, contacts, calendar >
Yes, you are right. For an Exchange account the number of messages can still be limited. But I also have an IMAP and a Google mail account. Those account types no longer seem to have a configurable message limit.
considering how much space the average email actually takes up, 5GB is an absurd amount of old mail. you sure you need it all? i suggest deleting old unnecessary mail.
It's only 2 years of work mail in Google Apps and 16 years of private mail.
I think that persuading Apple to reintroduce the limit-option will be easier than cleaning my mail boxes. ;-)
I think that persuading Apple to reintroduce the limit-option will be easier than cleaning my mail boxes. ;-)
Do you honestly need email messages from 16 years ago? I mean hey it's up to you. But the simple solution lies in your hands. You may run out of room while waiting for Apple to fix this.
Yep we should all change how we live and waste time doing previously unnecessary things just because Apple decides to pointlessly remove a small feature that was always there. Sounds like sound reasoning.
I use mail.app on my MacBook as my archive. And I see the mail servers as "free" and easy off-site backups. Don't spread the news.
I think that Apple should reintroduce the feature. It existed in iOS5 and iOS6. Why not in iOS7?
I think that Apple should reintroduce the feature. It existed in iOS5 and iOS6. Why not in iOS7?
What kind of a question is that? Like somebody else said already: we are expected to change and adapt constantly because Apple makes silly decisions?
Of course there are reasons to keep old emails around. I have gmail dumping ground just for that purpose. Everything gets forwarded there. And believe me: as much as I otherwise can't stand gmail (with google being another one of those mother-knows-best corporations) the search function has proven extremely valuable numerous times when I had to find contacts and emails from a few years ago for business or personal reasons.
It's the same reason why I haven't bought a Mac Book yet. Not enough space (and no option to expand and swap)! And I was faced with the same question: what do you need all those photos and all that music for? Or those tax documents from 5 years ago?
Fools. They keep a lot of people out of their market who have pretty normal needs and expectations. You know, like grown-ups and stuff?
It was just a question. No reason to post a long answer to a question that wasn't directed to you. Obviously myself and the OP are over the whole situation. I was just wondering why someone would need 16 years worth of emails. Just curious that's all. No need to get mad about it.
Probably because it's not a bug but a design decision that was made for iOS 7 for some reason.