Automatically delete messages from IMAP-Server

Mutual Help
1

Expected behavior

I expected the messages to be only passed through by my IMAP server from the sending client to the receipient and vice versa.

Actual behavior

Messages sent and received are stored in a folder “DeltaChat” on my IMAP server.

There is an archive feature in Delta Chat so I can choose that if I want to keep my messages in a safe place. I have no need for having a copy residing on my server. Besides, most servers only provide limited space for emails. Of course I can automate this process myself by limiting the days to recide in the settings of my server. But not every user has the knowledge to do so or is even aware about that circumstance and they will go off when they find Delta Chat is not able to receive or send any more messages one day.

Maybe I have misunderstood something and this will not be a problem to anyone if he uses his regulary email adress for the use with DeltaChat, but I set up an email account only to use with Delta Chat preserving me from permanently blocking contact attempts from spammers and want to not attend the account on serverside any further.

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2

Hi @antineff
keep the messages stored on the server is important for sync between different clients on different devices.

Still there is already a long-term discussion about delete messeges after a defined time.

3

And also not all Mail provider support a time limit for keeping messages on the server (e.g. mailbox.org). In this case I have to delete messages manually. That’s not a good solution.

4

Thanks for pointing out, @webratte! And sorry, I didn’t see the other thread before. So, be sure to have my positive vote for a cleaning up solution as it seems highly recommended! For the server as well as for the device!

5

also some people are not interested in the syncing feature and actually it works as an anti-feature for them (ex. cuban people)
some people would like to use the email infrastructure as a transportation layer only (sending/receiving) so their server storage keeps clean

6

That was my hoping too. That the server it only what it sounds like. A server, not a storage. Would be alright for me if I could somehow automate the cleaning up management.

1 Like