My old emails didn't transfer from my iPhone 12 mini to my new iPhone 15

Question

My old emails didn't transfer from my iPhone 12 mini to my new iPhone 15

Hi,

just got a new iPhone 15 and successfully transferred all apps data etc from my iPhone 12 mini - both running latest iOS.

however, the transfer did not copy over the hundreds of old emails on my old phone, all I have are those emails on my email server. Had emails going back to Feb 2023 on old phone, the new phone only has emails from the last couple of weeks.

The old emails are still on my old phone - how do I get them onto the new one??

Thanks for your help.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 15, iOS 17

Posted on Nov 30, 2023 2:45 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Porky25

Level 1

4 points

Jun 2, 2024 2:31 PM in response to smalexander2103

I've just had the same problem doing phone to phone transfer onto new iPhone 15 pro. But I think I have the solution for you. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Select the problematic account (in my case it was Hotmail) > select "Mail Days to Sync" > change selection from "1 month" to "No Limit".

I then closed and reopened email on iPhone (who knows if that was necessary, but my emails and their subfolders are now ALL present on my new phone :)

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Answer 2

100clicks

Level 4

1,269 points

Nov 30, 2023 3:00 PM in response to smalexander2103

Did you check if they are only on your iphone or also on your email account online?

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Answer 3

Dec 1, 2023 1:12 AM in response to 100clicks

The emails are not on the server - for various reasons been using pop3 so downloaded to the phone and get deleted off the server after 10 days.

iCloud says it’s backing up mails, so not sure why they haven’t been transferred.

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Answer 4

100clicks

Level 4

1,269 points

Dec 1, 2023 1:40 AM in response to smalexander2103

Did you set the email as imap on the new iPhone? If yes try to archive one to see if it’s getting downloaded. Do you also have a Mac?

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Answer 5

Dec 1, 2023 1:58 AM in response to 100clicks

The email accounts were set up automatically by the quick setup system. Did a phone to phone transfer rather than from iCloud backup, as was led to believe that would ensure all data would be transferred.

I have a laptop that has access to the same email accounts so I have all the emails on that, but it’s a pain not having them on the phone.

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Answer 6

100clicks

Level 4

1,269 points

Dec 1, 2023 3:53 AM in response to smalexander2103

I don’t know what email client software you use on your PC, suppose Outlook, even if you create folders to save your emails, the iPhone isn’t importing them. For me the only option is to create a folder and move them all there and save them all on your PC so they can be backed up bypassing the server and the client. And then try from the old iPhone to archive some to see if they are syncing. Unless there’s another client from the app store where they can be transferred to

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Answer 7

100clicks

Level 4

1,269 points

Nov 30, 2023 2:50 PM in response to smalexander2103

Emails configured as Imap which is the quick setup in mail, don’t download on the iPhone, they are synced and they stay on the server in your email account

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Answer 8

100clicks

Level 4

1,269 points

Nov 30, 2023 2:52 PM in response to 100clicks

Where are all these emails in the inbox? Did you create other folders/mailboxes? You can try to archive them

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Answer 9

Nov 30, 2023 2:56 PM in response to 100clicks

It’s a pop3 account so emails are not stored on the email server. The iPhone has the emails.

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My old emails didn't transfer from my iPhone 12 mini to my new iPhone 15

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