PROBLEM
Error message when trying to delete a message from iPad or iPhone:
Unable to move message. The message could not be moved to the Trash.
THIS FIX DOES NOT WORK WITH HOTMAIL ACCOUNTS
Hotmail is NOT IMAP, it used EAS and does not offer these options. To fix Hotmail the account needs to be removed fully and then setup as an "Outlook.com" email in the iOS Mail setup.)
SOLUTION
Navigate to your email account's settings
- Go To Settings (Gear icon).
- iOS 9 and earlier: Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
- iOS 10: Tap Mail.
- iOS 11: Tap Accounts and Passwords.
- Select your email account.
- Tap the "Account" line to pull up the settings sheet.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Advanced (At the very bottom. You may need to hide the keyboard to see this.)
Set up Mailbox Behaviors to store message in the correct folders "On The Server"
- Under the "Mailbox Behaviors" section, select "Drafts Mailbox"
- In the new window, select the "Drafts" folder from the "On the Server" section. You should see a check mark next to this folder. Do NOT check the "On My iPhone" "Drafts" selection at the top.
- Tap the "Advanced" button on the top left to go back to the advanced page.
- Repeat this process for the "Deleted Mailbox" and "Sent Mailbox", selecting the corresponding "On The Server" mailboxes. With Gmail accounts, you will also have the ability to map an "Archive Mailbox", which can be linked to the "All Mail" mailbox.
Back Out to Complete the Changes
- Tap the "Advanced" button on the top left.
- Tap on "Account Info".
- Tap "DONE" (do not tap Cancel).
You may need to then completely shut down, and then turn your iPhone back on.
Comments
82 comments
Hi Ben,
I have tried all of the above steps. however I still end up with the mailbox settings being gray. I have another account hosted at the same provider and with the same settings and that one goes fine.
I have copied the settings but it still does not work out.
regards
david
got it, a imap prefex was needed for 1 account.
Filled in the INBOX value in the IMAP prefix and it worked.
Thanks anyway.
Hi Eefke, Thanks for contributing! Great to hear you got it working and I wish email providers would be more clear on when the IMAP Path Prefix is required.
Recent commend from Jill
Yesterday 11:29 pm
I just wanted to say thanks for the tips on adjusting the settings on my IPad. I am not a tekkie,and I have been struggling with not understanding why I couldn't get rid of most of my emails. I followed your step by step instructions and they were wonderfully clear and worked perfectly. I appreciate it greatly.Thanks!
Many, many thanks. Your simple method worked like a charm. Verizon Wireless help could not figure this out; they even sent me a new iPhone, but to no avail.
Glad to hear David. Thanks for sharing!
i did this and it worked a treat bu the next day the problem returned and it doesnt work a second time? any suggestions its driving me nuts!
Hi Deborah,
Good luck!
How can I wipe data (messages, contacts, photos) off my iPhone 4? I want to sell my iPhone 4 and need to get a iPhone, I tried to erase all contents (messages, contacts) from my iPhone 4, but it seems cannot permanently erase them at all, I need help! How can I completely deleted, erase iPhone messages, contacts, photos without restoring before selling?
Hi Alex,
Summary: Go to Settings > General > Reset, then tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Details: What to do before selling or giving away your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Hi Ben, thanks for the solution, I able to delete mail now. But unfortunately there another new issue occur. Now I can't send mail, and a message : "Cannot Send Mail - A copy has been placed in your Outbox. The recipient "XXXXX" was rejected by the server." Did any of you have the same issue? Any suggestion? Thank you in advance for all your effort and help.
Hi Pong Chee Kuang, "The recipient "XXXXX" was rejected by the server." typically means there is a typo or the email address is otherwise not valid.
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Thanks!
I'm having this same problem and have just tried the above fix.. However, when I go into settings and then mail.. All of my accounts are greyed out. I've also noticed that my iCloud account is greyed out too! Do you have another step to get them back? Thanks
Hi @Lyndseyskidmore,
"Greyed out" might be normal. What are you trying to select that is not selectable?
i wish school was as is this instruction, spot on thank u
You're welcome, Cathrine!
It's sti not working with my outlook mail , help plz.
It's st not working with my outlook mail can't delete anything, help
Hi Hamsa, I recommend reaching out to your email provider. We have not tested these instructions with Outlook for iOS.
Still works. thank you I just followed these instructions with an IPhone 6
Excellent. Thanks, Thomas!
I have tried all the steps above and for now it seems to delete my emails. (sends them to trash) yet, I'm still getting the error message. Help!!
Hi Susan, Have you tried restarting? :) Or check for iOS updates ... Settings > General > Software Update.
This helped a lot, but I also needed to change the check mark in the section titled "move discarded messages into:" and the check was on archive mailbox, so I switched it to deleted mailbox. Now, my swipe allows the deletion of the email instead of the archive. the "move discarded messages into" section is right below the "mailbox behaviors" section. FYI. Thanks!!
By the way i'm using an iPhone 6 on iOS 9.2
So helpful! Clear, concise instructions, and it worked beautifully. Thank you for posting this!
May 9, 2016...... iPhone SE Thank God for this...I had been on with Apple for hours.....Came here and fixed it right away....Thank you so much for sharing the solution....I was pulling my hair out..... had me back up phone and restore...it was a horror story....They will not be getting a good survey...
When I go into Account / Advanced / Mailbox Behaviors, the "on the server" section is greyed out for all mailboxes... Appreciate any suggestions!
@kimzey, I'm guessing your email account may not be IMAP ... maybe it's POP? Who is your email provider?
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