Does email automatically delete in the inbox for office 365?
in office 365 and outlook, does the email ever automatically delete overtime in the inbox or does it have to be set? My impression is that if you want to delete something you have to move it to trash all the time.
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Yes, same applies - no automatic deletion. They even removed the Deleted items retention tag, so items stay in the Deleted items folder indefinitely.
ASKER
interesting so nothing really ever disappears unless set to do so
It's not interesting. This is how it's been working since I remember. If you want to change this behavior, you need to configure it (for instance with the AutoArchive feature).
https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/outlook/2177-outlook-delete-all-emails-older-than.html
https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/outlook/2177-outlook-delete-all-emails-older-than.html
Yes, nothing ever disappears unless user/admin takes a deliberate action. There's only so many way in which I can restate the same thing... :)
ASKER
I think I asked a logical question for my purposes and I appreciate when the experts provide considerate answers...
I came upon this question late.
The answer depends partly on how you set up the accounts in the email client program.
I rather anticipate that all of the responses were about IMAP setups.
However, for POP3 setups, it's different.
One question is "delete from where"?
In IMAP, deletions are universal - and apply to both the server and all the clients. Since the folders are synchronized that makes sense.
In POP3, each client handles LOCAL deletions and SERVER deletions separately.
The default setting for Outlook is:
X Leave a copy of the messages on the server .. Selected by default
X Remove messages from the server after 14 days .. Selected and set at 14 days by default
O Remove from server when deleted from 'Deleted Items' .. Not selected by default
So, imagine multiple clients for the same email account (desktop, laptop, etc.) One may not have the "Remove messages" item selected but "Leave a copy" selected and "Remove from server when deleted" not selected.
Another client may not have Leave a copy of the messages on the server selected. In this case, every time this client downloads a message, it is deleted from the server and other clients may never see it.
Also, some ISPs that serve email will NOT leave a copy of the messages on the server after it has been retrieved - in which case it's first-come first-served amongst the clients. I consider this to be very poor practice on the part of the ISP.
The answer depends partly on how you set up the accounts in the email client program.
I rather anticipate that all of the responses were about IMAP setups.
However, for POP3 setups, it's different.
One question is "delete from where"?
In IMAP, deletions are universal - and apply to both the server and all the clients. Since the folders are synchronized that makes sense.
In POP3, each client handles LOCAL deletions and SERVER deletions separately.
The default setting for Outlook is:
X Leave a copy of the messages on the server .. Selected by default
X Remove messages from the server after 14 days .. Selected and set at 14 days by default
O Remove from server when deleted from 'Deleted Items' .. Not selected by default
So, imagine multiple clients for the same email account (desktop, laptop, etc.) One may not have the "Remove messages" item selected but "Leave a copy" selected and "Remove from server when deleted" not selected.
Another client may not have Leave a copy of the messages on the server selected. In this case, every time this client downloads a message, it is deleted from the server and other clients may never see it.
Also, some ISPs that serve email will NOT leave a copy of the messages on the server after it has been retrieved - in which case it's first-come first-served amongst the clients. I consider this to be very poor practice on the part of the ISP.
ASKER
thanks Fred I appreciate the answer. It's an office 365 set up so it's exchange online. It would seem that some of those parameters would not apply in this case correct?
ignore pop3 section as IMAP rules apply to exchange.
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