Using Mac Mail rules breaks GMail sync in iPhone.

[HarryPot]

Hi, today I started using rules in Mac Mail app.

Everything works perfectly. But now my GMail isn't syncing correctly. Since setting up the rules, all mail goes directly to my "All Mail" folder in GMail, consequently, mail is only downloaded in my Mac, and my iPhone and iPad never receive the new mails.

How can I fix this?


Thanks for any help.

 

[BrianBaughn]

What are the rules you set up?

 

[HarryPot]

For family, friends and work, all the rules check my Contacts to see where the mail should be.

Basically, if a mail comes from Mom, it puts in a folder names Family, that resides On My Mac.

 

[waynep]

I setup my gmail rules on the gmail website. It seems to work better for me that way.

 

[BrianBaughn]

For family, friends and work, all the rules check my Contacts to see where the mail should be.

Basically, if a mail comes from Mom, it puts in a folder names Family, that resides On My Mac.

I agree that a filter at Google would be best.

But...these folders are on your Mac only...or are they IMAP folders (labels) at GMail?

 

[HarryPot]

I agree that a filter at Google would be best.

But...these folders are on your Mac only...or are they IMAP folders (labels) at GMail?

They are on my mac. GMail filters will only work with folders in Google server right?

 

[BrianBaughn]

They are on my mac. GMail filters will only work with folders in Google server right?

So there's the problem. If you create your folders at Google or inside the Gmail account in the Mac's Mail app, then the messages and folders would be the same everywhere. What's happening now is the message is being un-labeled "Inbox" at Google and copied to the folder on your Mac. The message remains in the All Mail folder at Google. Your iPhone and iPad don't "know" about the folder on your Mac because it's only on your Mac.

The messages are still at Google and you should be able to straighten all this out.

 

[HarryPot]

So there's the problem. If you create your folders at Google or inside the Gmail account in the Mac's Mail app, then the messages and folders would be the same everywhere. What's happening now is the message is being un-labeled "Inbox" at Google and copied to the folder on your Mac. The message remains in the All Mail folder at Google. Your iPhone and iPad don't "know" about the folder on your Mac because it's only on your Mac.

The messages are still at Google and you should be able to straighten all this out.

Thanks, I appreciate the help.

Is there a way to keep the mail in a GMail folder and also have it in In My Mac folder? By just using rules.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Is the rule to move the message or copy it?

 

[HarryPot]

Is the rule to move the message or copy it?

I was using Move. Copy works, but then I have two versions flying around.

Would doing the next work without creating duplicates:

1. Rule to copy mail to On My Mac folder "Family".
2. Rule to move mail to GMail server folder "Family".

With this, I'll just stay with one copy at my Mac, and one in the Google server right?

 

[waynep]

I was using Move. Copy works, but then I have two versions flying around.

Would doing the next work without creating duplicates:

1. Rule to copy mail to On My Mac folder "Family".
2. Rule to move mail to GMail server folder "Family".

With this, I'll just stay with one copy at my Mac, and one in the Google server right?

Gmail's labels are not really folders like we see other places. I would do the following.

1) Remove the rules on the Mac Mail side.
2) Setup the labels on Gmail's web page.
3) Setup the rules on Gmail web site to "label" the things you want done.

The Labels will then be seen as folders on the Mail client do to gmail presenting them as such via IMAP.

 

[HarryPot]

Gmail's labels are not really folders like we see other places. I would do the following.

1) Remove the rules on the Mac Mail side.
2) Setup the labels on Gmail's web page.
3) Setup the rules on Gmail web site to "label" the things you want done.

The Labels will then be seen as folders on the Mail client do to gmail presenting them as such via IMAP.

OK. I did this. It works for putting the mails in GMail labels.

But, if I also want to have a copy of that mail On My Mac folder, how would I achieve this?

Right now I have this:

1. Filter in GMail to move mail to "Family" label.
- In Mail.app it now appears in Inbox and in the GMail label "Family". Consequently, my unread mail count is two, since it appears in both parts.
- This way it also appears in my iPad/iPhone Inbox.

But I still have the problem that I don't want this mails in my Mail.app Inbox, I want them to go directly to the On My Mac "Family" folder. But if I apply this rule, I'm back at square one, mails will never reach my iPad/iPhone.

 

[BrianBaughn]

OK. I did this. It works for putting the mails in GMail labels.

But, if I also want to have a copy of that mail On My Mac folder, how would I achieve this?

Right now I have this:

1. Filter in GMail to move mail to "Family" label.
- In Mail.app it now appears in Inbox and in the GMail label "Family". Consequently, my unread mail count is two, since it appears in both parts.
- This way it also appears in my iPad/iPhone Inbox.

But I still have the problem that I don't want this mails in my Mail.app Inbox, I want them to go directly to the On My Mac "Family" folder. But if I apply this rule, I'm back at square one, mails will never reach my iPad/iPhone.

I'm beginning to think that what you're asking for is this:

• You receive an email from someone in your family.
• On your Mac you want that email moved immediately to the "Family" folder that resides only on your Mac, but marked as "Unread".
• Also on your Mac you want the email to not be in the inbox as "Unread".
• On you iPhone and iPad, you do want that email to appear in the inbox as "Unread".

This can't be achieved with one Gmail account. The main advantage of having an IMAP-type setup is for folders and read/unread to appear the same on all devices.

 

[HarryPot]

I'm beginning to think that what you're asking for is this:

• You receive an email from someone in your family.
• On your Mac you want that email moved immediately to the "Family" folder that resides only on your Mac, but marked as "Unread".
• Also on your Mac you want the email to not be in the inbox as "Unread".
• On you iPhone and iPad, you do want that email to appear in the inbox as "Unread".

This can't be achieved with one Gmail account. The main advantage of having an IMAP-type setup is for folders and read/unread to appear the same on all devices.

Yes, that's quite what I want.

At least it would be nice that my iPad tells me when a mail arrives to my GMail "Family" label. Right now I can see it is there if I go in my iPad to that folder. But it doesn't show in my Dock Count in the iPad, nor I receive a notification about it.

Anyways. Thanks a lot for the help.

As a final question, what do you guys normally do to keep your mails organised? Do you use folder On My Mac?

 

[BrianBaughn]

As a final question, what do you guys normally do to keep your mails organised? Do you use folder On My Mac?

Not me. Everything is organized at the server. That way, no matter what machine I'm on, I know where it is.

I realize Gmail is a little weird. At the server, folders aren't really folders...they're labels. When you add a label to an email, by a filter (rule) or manually, normally the "Inbox" label stays on the email. Therefore, on the Mac (or other device) mail client the email appears to be in multiple places.

As far as Mail showing two unread when the one email comes in, you can take care of that in Mail's general preferences.

I think it's best to set up rules (filters) at Gmail.

 

[HarryPot]

Thanks a lot.