User profile for user: Oberwilian
Oberwilian Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Filing causes Sent emails to be deleted

A repeatable problem - looking for help


My wife and I have iPhones with iOS 18.3.2 - though this problem has been happening for a long time and pre-dates this version


I have an iCloud email address, my wife uses a gmail address. We both have access to each others email accounts in the iOS mail app.


If I send my wife an email to her gmail address, I can see a copy in my Sent folder on my iPhone as usual. She sees the same in her inbox on her iPhone. If she files her copy of the email in one of her folders my copy in my Sent folder disappears. 


Can anyone explain why I lose the copy in my Sent folder and if there is a work around to prevent this?


More detail than you probably need...

Yes, I do talk to my wife, not just email her! I cc her when sending messages to groups of friends - but when she files the copy I can no longer find the message I sent in my account

The problem doesn't happen when she sends me an email. If I file her gmail message in an iCloud folder it does not disappear from her gmail Sent folder.

We only ever use Mac or iOS devices and the Mac or iOS mail apps

Posted on Apr 15, 2025 12:07 PM

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User profile for user: Camelot
Camelot
User level: Level 9
57,297 points

Apr 15, 2025 12:59 PM in response to Oberwilian

I can't replicate this.


I have an iCloud account and a gmail account (amongst others).


I am able to send an email from my iCloud account to my gmail account. It appears, as expected, in my gmail InBox. I can move it to a folder, and it stays in my Sent folder.


I tried this multiple ways, from my phone and my Mac, and every time it worked as expected, and I didn't lose the message in my Sent folder. Granted, I didn't test between two iPhones, but I can't see that would make much of a difference.

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User profile for user: Oberwilian
Oberwilian Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Apr 16, 2025 6:07 AM in response to Camelot

Thanks for checking. I just tried again only using one iPhone and it still happens for me - I agree, I can't see how one or two physical devices would make much of a difference.


One new fact that might be relevant - our two email accounts are linked to two AppleIDs and are both members of the same iCloud Family. As well as location sharing, family calendar etc I think iCloud Family optimises file storage between Family members to save space etc. Perhaps the logic for two Family members is they only need one copy of an email message - so when one person moves it to a folder, it is automatically deleted from *all* other locations for *all* Family members??


I'm guessing it is something obscure - if it were a common issue others would have raised it before now and it would be fixed.

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User profile for user: Camelot
Camelot
User level: Level 9
57,297 points

Apr 16, 2025 12:03 PM in response to Oberwilian

Your theory hold some water - except that the email is being sent to a gmail account, therefore it should fall outside of the iCloud ecosystem, and Mail shouldn't care (or, potentially, even be aware?) that the message in one In Box is the same as in the Sent mail for a different account.


A conundrum, for sure.


I'll see if I can try under the iCloud Family scenario.

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Filing causes Sent emails to be deleted

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