Sync email with iPad keeping mailboxes and previous emails

Question

I use Mail from OS X Lion with an email POP account. I have many mailboxes in order to organize it efficiently. Now I am considering to be able to sync it with my iPad, maintaining the same structure of mailboxes and all previous email. What is the best approach?

Solution 1

The mailboxes can not be synced to the iPad when using a POP email account.

A solution is possible if your e-mail provider also provides/allows you to use IMAP instead of POP (explained here )

If so, you might be able to:

• temporary disable the POP account in the OSX mail app by removing the password in the account settings (so it will not be able to receive new email)
• add a new IMAP account in the OSX Mail app
• In the OSX Maill app, copy all e-mail and folders from the old (POP) account over to the new (IMAP) account. This will upload all your messages to the IMAP mail server.
• create the IMAP account on your iPad
• you now have 2 identical mail accounts in OSX and iPad.

Please note i can not test these steps, so make sure you have a backup of your email before trying, in case something goes wrong.

Solution 2

with an email OPO account

I assume you mean a POP account ?

I believe the answer is, you can not sync existing POP email messages from the Lion Mail app to the iPad (ref: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1296?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US -> mail accounts).

What you can do is: - In the Lion Mail app, uncheck: Preferences -> Accounts -> [account name] -> "Remove message from server after retrieving a message" (OR set it to "after on week" if you prefer this).

• Plug your iPad in and launch iTunes. Click on info and scroll down to "Sync Mail Accounts". This will sync your mail settings (not emails) to the iPad.

You will now receive all new incoming emails in the Lion Mail app, and also on the iPad.

Comments

[Open the way]

why the downvote my friends?

[Shawn]

Perhaps because with POP it's not possible to sync the folders?

[Open the way]

did already know this stuff, thanks, but what about the mailboxes?

[Open the way]

ok, the last problem is; how do i transfer all mail which is organized right now in mailboxes in my system, to the new IMAP folders; could it be done somehow automatically?

[Motsel]

You can transfer them like this: 1. Right click the imap inbox folder and click "new mailbox", to create a new folder. 2. after that, simply drag the emails you want to transfer, from the POP account over to the newly created folder in the IMAP account.

[Open the way]

oh god, thanks, i do not understand why did I not realize about this before