POP to IMAP in Mail

[tatty7]

Hi
Getting really confused!
Have got 'Mail' now on my iPhone iPad & Mac for my home email all on POP, but was fed up of the three accounts not syncing e.g. when I delete an email on my iPhone it doesn't delete on the others.
I managed to change my iPhone POP account to Imap and want to do the same with my Mail account on my Mac but not sure how to and if I do will I lose the saved folders I have on my Mac?!!

Presuming I start in Mail Preferences and account settings. But do I disable the account and start again by adding a new one or can I just change the POP settings to IMAP and will my folders remain intact?!?!?

Sooooo confusing!!!

 

[Weaselboy]

Don't disable/delete the POP account yet because doing that will delete the locally stored emails.

Add the new IMAP account then drag the messages you want to keep from the POP account folders to the IMAP folders. Once that is done you can delete the POP account.

 

[tatty7]

Don't disable/delete the POP account yet because doing that will delete the locally stored emails.

Add the new IMAP account then drag the messages you want to keep from the POP account folders to the IMAP folders. Once that is done you can delete the POP account.

Hi
Thanks for replying.
Trying to add the additional IMAP account but as I'm putting in same email and password it comes up with message
The account already has this host name and user name, so can't add it…..

 

[Weaselboy]

Hi
Thanks for replying.
Trying to add the additional IMAP account but as I'm putting in same email and password it comes up with message
The account already has this host name and user name, so can't add it…..

Hmmm... I see. So it won't accept the same account twice.

Do you have perhaps and outlook.com or Gmail account you could temporarily setup as IMAP in OS X Mail? Then drag the message from the POP folders to new temp folders in the IMAP account. Then delete the POP account and folder and add the IMAP account. Then drag the messages from the Outlook/GMail account to the new IMAP account.

 

[BrianBaughn]

This might be a good time to back up all that mail. I'd export the folders as MBOX files, start fresh in Mail with the new IMAP version of your account, then re-import the mail.

That's the short version...if you don't know how to do it you'll need to research possible methods.

 

[tatty7]

This might be a good time to back up all that mail. I'd export the folders as MBOX files, start fresh in Mail with the new IMAP version of your account, then re-import the mail.

That's the short version...if you don't know how to do it you'll need to research possible methods.

I can easily export the folder as MBOX folders and store them elsewhere, but how do you import them back once you have changed to IMAP? Just having a go before I do anything else but can't drag them back or find an import option!

 

[Weaselboy]

I can easily export the folder as MBOX folders and store them elsewhere, but how do you import them back once you have changed to IMAP? Just having a go before I do anything else but can't drag them back or find an import option!

In the File menu of Mail you will see the import option.

I did not suggest MBOX export because I don't think it will bring along attachments. Somebody please correct me if I am mistaken.

 

[tatty7]

In the File menu of Mail you will see the import option.

I did not suggest MBOX export because I don't think it will bring along attachments. Somebody please correct me if I am mistaken.

You're right. Just tried it and attachments disappear!!
if I dragged all folders into my iCloud folders would that do it?

 

[Weaselboy]

You're right. Just tried it and attachments disappear!!
if I dragged all folders into my iCloud folders would that do it?

Yes, iCloud is IMAP, so just make matching folders in iCloud and drag each POP folder's contents into the new iCloud folder.

 

[scbond]

If the emails are still stored on the server then there's really no need to worry about deleting the account locally and losing the email files on the device as they'll be downloaded again when the account is added again and Mail sent/received.