Since you’re here right now, I’m sure you’re having a gut-wrenching feeling. It’s terrifying to discover that some or all of your emails have vanished from your iPad.
Fortunately, there are a number of fixes for why your emails vanished from your iPad, including an issue with the iOS email program, inadvertent deletion, or archiving. It’s also possible that there’s a more serious culprit, such as corruption, though such instances are uncommon with iPads.
I’ll go over some of the most common reasons why emails vanish on iPads, as well as how to fix them. We’ll start with the most likely, but don’t rule out the recovery methods listed at the end of this post. Whatever the underlying problem is, there is almost always a solution.
How to Recover Emails That Have Disappeared on Your iPad
It’s excellent news if emails disappear on your iPad but appear when you enter into your email account through a browser. It implies that you should be able to resolve the issue in a few minutes.
It’s not uncommon for iPad users to have problems with Apple’s iOS email app. As a result, perform the three simple actions outlined below to reclaim your deleted emails on your device.
Step 1: Start your iPad again.
It may sound obvious, but sometimes all it takes is a reboot of your iPad to get your emails to show up again.
When shutting your iPad off, a good rule of thumb is to wait 30 seconds before turning it back on.
Step 2: Go to the iOS Options page
If restarting your iPad didn’t restore your missing emails, go to your settings and look for the iOS email area.
The first thing you should do is check “Mail Days to Sync,” which will tell you whether there’s a delay in emails appearing in your mail app based on how far back the app should go.
To access this section, go to “Mail,” then “Accounts.” If you have more than one email address, you may choose which one to use here. Choose the address that is causing you to miss emails.
Then select “Mail Days to Sync” from the drop-down menu. The “No Limit” setting should be used. Change your mail settings if you have them set to a specific number of days or years.
Step 3: Reinstall Your Email Account
At this point, your iPad should have all of your deleted emails restored. If not, you’ll need to remove and reinstall your email account on your iPad.
Through the computer, I can hear you groaning, and I’m with you. This is the next—and final—the effort you can make presuming you can see all of your emails on a web browser rather than on your iPad.
Return to “Mail” in settings and pick your email account to delete your email. Then scroll down to the bottom of the screen, where you’ll see a “Delete Account” button.
It’ll ask whether you’re sure you want to proceed with the deletion. Remember that deleting your email account from your iPad also means deleting everything related to it, including:
- Notes
- Contacts
- Calendar Events
Of course, you may and should reinstall your email account after deleting it from your iPad. All of this information, including your missing emails, will then be restored.
Other Causes for Email Disappearance
If you’ve performed the instructions above and your emails are still missing, there’s a good chance that another factor is at play. Other common reasons why you may not be able to access some of your emails on your iPad are listed below.
Accidental Deletion
Because it’s so easy to press the wrong button on an iPad, touch displays are both a blessing and a burden. As a result, it’s possible that you erased some of your emails without recognizing it.
On your iPad, there are two basic ways to erase emails by accident:
- Select some or all messages before hitting the trash button by clicking on edit in the upper right-hand corner.
- Sliding an email to the left while holding your finger on it.
The good news is that you can undo your deleting error by navigating to your trash folder if you detect it early enough. Deleted messages are typically kept on email servers for 30 days, though this can vary depending on your preferences.
If you find your iPad emails in the trash, click the “Edit” button, pick the emails you want to keep, and then select “Move” followed by “Inbox.”
Archived
When you want to save an email that you’ve seen but don’t want it to take up space in your inbox, you can archive it. Nonetheless, archiving emails inadvertently on an iPad is as simple as erasing them.
You probably accidentally archived your email by moving your finger over it and clicking the “Archive” button. As a result, the email is moved to the “All Mails” folder.
So, in the mail app, go to “Mailboxes” to see if you’ve archived your missing iPad emails. Select “Archive” from the drop-down menu.
You’ll see a list of emails you’ve archived here. Do you see any of your missing emails? Great!
In that scenario, tap on one of them and navigate to the downward-facing arrow folder icon. When it asks you which mailbox you want to move the email to, click that and select “Inbox.”
Corruption
Because iPads come equipped with powerful antivirus and anti-corruption software, it’s unlikely that your emails have vanished as a result of this. However, an email may contain a damaged file, resulting in data loss for that email.
If you feel that your iPad has a corruption problem or other damage, it’s advisable to contact Apple Support for assistance. You can contact them online or by phone to speak with one of their representatives about the problem.
Wrap Up
Hopefully, you’ve received your lost iPad emails. And, even better, you now have the skills you need to resolve this issue in the future if you ever discover missing emails. The entire procedure should only take a few minutes.
If you’re still having trouble retrieving your missing emails, it’s worth contacting Apple Support to see if they can assist you.
