How to change setting on gmail account to fix problem with re-appearance of deleted emails

Question

How to change setting on gmail account to fix problem with re-appearance of deleted emails

MooseFoot 20

How can I change the setting of a gmail account to switch it from a Google Account to an IMAP account? I am having trouble deleting emails that are sent to my gmail address. They reappear as soon as I delete them. I tried to fix it using an answer sent to another person. The answer said to make sure the Gmail account has IMAP enabled. I found out that the gmail account in question is labelled as a Google account. I have a different gmail address that is labelled as an IMAP account and it seems to work fine. I tried deleting the problem gmail account from Outlook and then re-adding it, but nothing changes.

MooseFoot 20 Reputation points

2026-03-08T20:01:30.0966667+00:00

I tried to enable IMAP through the gmail account, but Google says that since January 2025 the only option is IMAP so all accounts automatically have IMAP enabled. If IMAP is enabled in my account, then what should I do to stop the deleted emails from re-appearing?

Answer accepted by question author

Alice-N 11,835 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear MooseFoot,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand you’re using Outlook on macOS with a Gmail account, and when you delete messages in Outlook they come back immediately. You also noticed the account shows as a “Google” account (not “IMAP”), and re-adding the account did not change that. I am happy to assist you.

With Gmail, IMAP deletion can behave like “remove the Inbox label” (archive) rather than “move to Trash”, so the message still exists in Gmail (often under “All Mail”) and can re-sync back into Outlook and look like it “reappeared”. Messages deleted from an IMAP folder can still be found under Gmail’s “All Mail” label.

Please follow these steps:

Update Outlook and (if possible) test in the new Outlook.
- Switch Legacy > new Outlook and try deleting again.
Reset the account sync state (new Outlook).
- Outlook menu > Tools > Accounts > select the Gmail account > three dots > Reset Account; this forces a fresh re‑sync and often stops “deleted items reappearing.”
Create a fresh Outlook profile and add the account there
- Finder > Applications > right‑click Microsoft Outlook > Show Package Contents > Contents > SharedSupport > Outlook Profile Manager > Create a new profile > set as Default > reopen Outlook and add the account.
Adjust IMAP sync behavior in Outlook for Mac (Legacy/new that exposes IMAP Advanced): Outlook > Settings/Accounts > select the IMAP account > Advanced > temporarily turn off “Use IMAP IDLE (if the server supports it)” and set a short “Sync all IMAP folders every X minutes,” then test deletes.
Refresh folder subscriptions from Outlook (Legacy): Tools > IMAP Folders > Query > Unsubscribe from large archive folders you don’t need in Outlook (then Subscribe only to the folders you use) and test deletion again.
In the Mac client; update to the latest build before retesting deletions.
Make sure Outlook deletes are mapped to Gmail’s Trash
- Deleted messages can remain visible in Gmail (All Mail), and to truly “delete” you often need the client to move items to Trash rather than just marking deleted.
- In Outlook, confirm that when you delete a message it is being moved into Gmail’s Trash folder (often shown as [Gmail]/Trash in IMAP folder lists). If your deletes are only “archiving”, Gmail will keep the message in All Mail and Outlook can pull it back.

I hope these steps help. Feel free to reply back if you still encounter issues. I am happy to assist further. Have a lovely day!

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MooseFoot 20 Reputation points

2026-03-12T06:55:27.46+00:00

I switched from Legacy to the New Outlook. I think this solved the problem. I deleted a number of emails and I don't think they reappeared, but it's hard to keep track of them all. During the time that I had the problem I seem to have lost about 500 or 600 emails that were in my inbox. I want to keep working through your list of things to try to see if I can get them back. I tried to do the second thing on the list, which is "reset the account sync state." I got as far as "select the Gmail account." I did that but I did not see three dots or "reset account" so I am not sure what to do next. I want to try to work on it tomorrow when I am not so tired.

I also tried a few experiments. I tried deleting emails on my iPad to see what happened. If I deleted them on my iPad, they did not come back onto my iPad, but doing that does not delete them from my Mac. The onely way to delete them from my Mac is to go onto my Mac, and then they do reappear. I also tried to delete them from Apple Mail. If I deleted emails from apple Mail, they did not reappear. But again, if I delete emails from Apple Mail, this does not delete them from Outlook. If i move an email from my Outlook Inbox to another folder, I think that prevents them from reappearing, but I need to double check that.

SO, I will keep doing the things on your list. I will accept your answer as helpful because switching to New Outlook did work, but all my problems have not yet been solved.. Thank you for your help!!
Alice-N 11,835 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-14T03:50:48.62+00:00

Hi MooseFoot — great to hear New Outlook largely stopped the reappearing deletes. Thank you for the thoughtful update. When you’re feeling fresh, please kindly try these additional steps:

1) Reset account sync state (New Outlook for Mac)

If you don’t see the … menu, create a fresh profile: Finder > Applications > right‑click Microsoft Outlook > Show Package Contents > Contents > SharedSupport > Outlook Profile Manager > + new profile > Set as Default, then reopen Outlook and add Gmail.

2) Recover the 500–600 “missing” Inbox messages

They’re very likely archived (Inbox label removed). In Gmail on the web open All Mail (or search in:archive), select the messages, and choose Move to Inbox. Also check Trash/Spam (items there auto‑delete after ~30 days).

3) Keep deletes from coming back

Different apps treat Gmail “delete” differently (Archive vs. Trash). Ensure your clients move deletes to [Gmail]/Trash; otherwise, messages sit in All Mail and can re‑sync.

If anything still looks off after the reset—or you can’t find specific messages in All Mail—please stay updated and I’ll be happy to help further.

Thank you for your time. Have a lovely day!

1 additional answer

Your answer

MooseFoot 20 Reputation points

2026-03-08T20:01:30.0966667+00:00

I tried to enable IMAP through the gmail account, but Google says that since January 2025 the only option is IMAP so all accounts automatically have IMAP enabled. If IMAP is enabled in my account, then what should I do to stop the deleted emails from re-appearing?
MooseFoot 20 Reputation points

2026-03-12T06:55:27.46+00:00

I switched from Legacy to the New Outlook. I think this solved the problem. I deleted a number of emails and I don't think they reappeared, but it's hard to keep track of them all. During the time that I had the problem I seem to have lost about 500 or 600 emails that were in my inbox. I want to keep working through your list of things to try to see if I can get them back. I tried to do the second thing on the list, which is "reset the account sync state." I got as far as "select the Gmail account." I did that but I did not see three dots or "reset account" so I am not sure what to do next. I want to try to work on it tomorrow when I am not so tired.

I also tried a few experiments. I tried deleting emails on my iPad to see what happened. If I deleted them on my iPad, they did not come back onto my iPad, but doing that does not delete them from my Mac. The onely way to delete them from my Mac is to go onto my Mac, and then they do reappear. I also tried to delete them from Apple Mail. If I deleted emails from apple Mail, they did not reappear. But again, if I delete emails from Apple Mail, this does not delete them from Outlook. If i move an email from my Outlook Inbox to another folder, I think that prevents them from reappearing, but I need to double check that.

SO, I will keep doing the things on your list. I will accept your answer as helpful because switching to New Outlook did work, but all my problems have not yet been solved.. Thank you for your help!!
Alice-N 11,835 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-14T03:50:48.62+00:00

Hi MooseFoot — great to hear New Outlook largely stopped the reappearing deletes. Thank you for the thoughtful update. When you’re feeling fresh, please kindly try these additional steps:

1) Reset account sync state (New Outlook for Mac)

If you don’t see the … menu, create a fresh profile: Finder > Applications > right‑click Microsoft Outlook > Show Package Contents > Contents > SharedSupport > Outlook Profile Manager > + new profile > Set as Default, then reopen Outlook and add Gmail.

2) Recover the 500–600 “missing” Inbox messages

They’re very likely archived (Inbox label removed). In Gmail on the web open All Mail (or search in:archive), select the messages, and choose Move to Inbox. Also check Trash/Spam (items there auto‑delete after ~30 days).

3) Keep deletes from coming back

Different apps treat Gmail “delete” differently (Archive vs. Trash). Ensure your clients move deletes to [Gmail]/Trash; otherwise, messages sit in All Mail and can re‑sync.

If anything still looks off after the reset—or you can’t find specific messages in All Mail—please stay updated and I’ll be happy to help further.

Thank you for your time. Have a lovely day!

Answer 1

Alice-N 11,835 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi MooseFoot,

I hope you are doing well ! I just want to check if you have had a chance to test the steps earlier? Please let me know if they helped resolve the issue or if you are still experiencing any difficulties. I am here to assist you further.

Best Regards

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