OS X Mail app loads every email to hard drive?

[Halamolo]

I´ve never used the OS X mail app. I´ve always used my gmail account with Safari. But I thought I´d give it a try...

First thing I noticed, it started downloading all the emails. Does it download everything to my hard drive, ´cause I seriously don´t want that!

Can I just view the emails through the Mail app without downloading them to my hard drive?

 

[ian.maffett]

You can tell it to leave the messages on the server but it is still going to create a local copy on your hard drive.

 

[GGJstudios]

Can I just view the emails through the Mail app without downloading them to my hard drive?

If you want to just view without downloading, use Gmail's web interface. If you want to be able to view them offline, let Mail download them.

 

[Halamolo]

If you want to just view without downloading, use Gmail's web interface. If you want to be able to view them offline, let Mail download them.

Okey, I will keep using the web interface then.

How can I delete the emails it already downloaded to my hard drive without deleting the emails from the gmail server?

 

[GGJstudios]

How can I delete the emails it already downloaded to my hard drive without deleting the emails from the gmail server?

Mail > Preferences > Accounts > your account > Mailbox Behaviors

Check "Store deleted messages on the server"
and select "Permanently erase deleted messages when: Never

 

[samh]

Orrrrr use IMAP instead of POP. IMAP will cache some messages on your local PC but POP will definitely want to download them all.

 

[GGJstudios]

Orrrrr use IMAP instead of POP. IMAP will cache some messages on your local PC but POP will definitely want to download them all.

IMAP will download them all, as well.