How to delete and recover emails in Mail on iPad

You can delete or archive emails you no longer need. If you change your mind, you can recover deleted emails.

There are multiple ways to delete email messages, and selecting a Transactions, Updates, or Promotions message selects all the messages in that category from the sender. You can also archive instead of delete, and decide how long to keep deleted messages.

Here’s how to delete and recover emails in Mail on iPad.

Delete emails

There are multiple ways to delete email messages. Do any of the following:

1. Go to the Mail app on your iPad.
2. Do any of the following:
   • While viewing a Primary message: Tap the Delete button above the message.
   • While viewing a message list: Tap Select. Select the messages you want to delete by tapping their checkboxes. Tap the Delete button at the bottom of the message list.

     Important: When you select a Transactions, Updates, or Promotions message, you’re selecting all the messages in that category from the sender.

   • While viewing a sender’s digest view: Swipe left on a message, then tap the Reply Actions button.

To turn off the deletion confirmation, go to Settings > Apps > Mail, then turn off Ask Before Deleting (below Messages).

Recover a deleted email

1. Start the Mail app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Sidebar button in the upper-left corner to view your mailboxes and tap the Collapsed button next to the email account.
3. Tap Trash, then tap the message you want to recover.
4. Tap the Move button. Select a mailbox to move the message to.

Quick tip: An All Trash mailbox shows deleted messages across all your accounts in one place. Tap Mailboxes (top left), then tap Edit at the top of the list and select the All Trash mailbox.

Archive instead of delete

You can archive email messages in the Archive mailbox. (You can still choose to delete messages, even if you set up an Archive mailbox.)

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Apps and then tap Mail.
3. Tap Mail Accounts and then do one of the following:
   • If you’re using an iCloud email account: Tap iCloud, then tap Mailbox Behaviors.
   • If you’re using another email account: Tap an email account, tap Account Settings, and then tap Advanced.
4. Select Archive Mailbox (below Move Discarded Messages Into).

When this option is turned on, to delete a message instead of archiving it, touch and hold the Archive button, then tap Trash Message.

Decide how long to keep deleted emails

With some email clients, you can set how long deleted messages stay in the Trash mailbox.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Apps and then tap Mail.
3. Tap Mail Accounts and then do one of the following:
   • If you’re using an iCloud email account: Tap iCloud, then tap Mailbox Behaviors.
   • If you’re using another email account: Tap your email provider and tap Account Settings. Then tap Advanced.
4. Tap Remove, then select a time interval.

Note: Some email services can override your selection. iCloud, for instance, doesn’t hold on to deleted messages longer than 30 days, even if you select Never.

See also

• Organize email in mailboxes on iPad
• Change your Mail settings on iPad
• Automatically fill in one-time verification codes on iPad