Deactivate IMAP account on iOS 11?

I want to make an imap account inactive to help sort out a problem for a user. I can do this for pop accounts on my iphone (there’s an on/off switch at the top of the account settings), but the switch isn’t there for imap accounts. I don’t want to delete the account, because it would be difficult to get it set up again if necessary (complex account settings over the phone with an out of town user.)

The problem is that his phone is putting mail sent from the gmail G Suite account we finally managed to get working into the Sent folder in the old imap account that’s being transferred to G Suite. From the screenshots he sent me, it looks like he has the Sent Mail folder set correctly to the gmail Sent Mail ‘folder’, but it ends up on the wrong server anyway.

Thanks.

I just checked and using Mail.app with MacOS El Capitan, I have a bunch of iMap email accounts (including a Google Apps “G Suite" account) which have “Enable this account” check boxes.

:slight_smile:

Doug Hogg

Doug Hogg wrote: " just checked and using Mail.app with MacOS El Capitan"

Yes, but I need it for iOS 11.n. It used to be possible in iOS even for imap, but they’ve hidden it well if it can still be done. It could still be there, the huge rearrangement of account settings makes it hard to check in every nook and cranny. But it’s still quite obvious for pop accounts. Sigh.

@gastropod I think to do what you want you go to Settings > Accounts & Passwords > Your IMAP account and simply flick the switch next to Mail to off. Note there’s also a delete button below. The off setting is what you chose if you want the account deactivated without deleting any messages from it. That way you can re-activate the same account later.

On my iPhone running some version of IOS 11, In Settings->Account & Passwords, I see a list of my accounts. If I tap on one associated with the IMAP protocol, I get a screen that first shows the protocol and the account name. I f I select that , I can vary the account parameters. Under that is a Mail item and a Note item each with a switch. I assume that toggling both of them to off (uncolored) will disable them on the iPhone without deleting the account (an option at the bottom of the screen).

Simon wrote: “simply flick the switch next to Mail to off”

Aha! Thanks. I have to say, it’s stupid to have such a huge difference in how to do things just because the account type is different. If I deactivate an account, I want it to be clear that it’s a deactivation of the entire account, and I want it to remember -all- of the settings, including the state of what gets synced with/to it.

But at least now I can tell the user what to try.

Thanks (and to Alan).