IMAP email protocol -- need for a specific feature

Frequently Asked Questions
1

Hello, looking for an alternative to native Mail app on my Mac. My current email provider for work supports IMAP only protocol. I need to be able to label and move to appropriate catalogue all emails arriving for this account (let’s call it Work Account), including ones I have read on my phone during the day. Let me explain it better. I read emails for the Work Account at home and on my phone. When the email arrives while I work at home, there is no problem, the macOS Mail labels and moves the emails according to the Rules set. Trouble arises when I’m on the go, and I read the Work Account email on my phone. When the account is synchronized, Mail does not label or move the email because it’s already been marked “read” on the server side.
So I’m eager to know if Postbox is able to label and move emails even if they are already ‘read’ on another device. I do not wish to manually move them myself - that’s what I’m currently doing and it’s a bit annoying.

Let me also add that I can’t change email provider and they do not offer POP. Their filtering system is not robust enough to provide appropriate filtering at the server-site of things.

Thanks, MWW

2

eM Client Rules will only apply automatically to new messages as they arrive in your Inbox. If you have read the message on your phone, it will not be considered as new, and Rules will not apply to it.

You can, however, apply Rules manually by right-click on the Inbox and choosing Apply Rule. Then all your Rules will run and apply to all messages in your Inbox.

3

Hi Gary! Thanks for replying. I know I can do it manually, that’s what I do right now in macOS Mail now. It’s just a bit tedious so I was looking for a easier solution but it seems an inherent IMAP weak point.

4

I use server-side filters for many things, that way whatever email client connects to the server sees the same thing already filtered.

But if the server options are not good enough, then it is a problem. It wasn’t that long ago that Thunderbird introduced filters that run on a schedule, and that overcomes limitations on already read messages, but eM Client does not offer that option.