Apple Mail "Downloading Messages" often

[tgilcas]

Has anyone else had issues with Gmail syncing?
Every so often it goes back to “Downloading Messages” and syncs around 3,000 emails again. Using the Stats app, I’ve noticed it spikes the CPU every time this happens.

I've read multiple threads from others facing the same issue:

• MacPowerUsers Discussion
• Apple Discussions Thread 1
• Apple Discussions Thread 2
• Apple Discussions Thread 3
• Apple Discussions Thread 4
• Apple Discussions Thread 5
• Reddit Thread
• Apple Discussions Thread 6
• Google Support Thread
• Apple Discussions Thread 7
• Stack Exchange Thread 1
• Apple Discussions Thread 8
• Stack Exchange Thread 2
• Apple Discussions Thread 9

Is there any solution that can help with this? still 2025 and this is annoying

 

[TumbleDryer]

Mine has been doing it for years. It's constantly 'downloading' then nothing happens. Sometimes it will flicker like mad where it says it's downloading and the loading bar will zoom up to 100% and then it starts all over again doing it so fast the message flickers. The only time it behaves is when it is actually downloading something. Then it goes crazy again the next time it checks for mail. I've sent so many bug reports over the years I just don't bother anymore because Apple clearly are not bothered themselves.

 

[AlumaMac]

I have the same issue...I've also noticed during the "downloading" process many of my flagged emails are missing.

 

[bzgnyc2]

Has anyone else had issues with Gmail syncing?
Every so often it goes back to “Downloading Messages” and syncs around 3,000 emails again. Using the Stats app, I’ve noticed it spikes the CPU every time this happens.

View attachment 2586702

How many e-mails does Gmail (the web interface) say that you have? Helping a family member through something similar recently, I find that Apple Mail <-> Gmail doesn't work well when you start talking about 100K+ e-mails in a folder (which even if you move incoming e-mails out of Inbox, it's likely you will get there with [All Mail]/Archive).

 

[eRondeau]

The magic of IMAP is that your Mail app is constantly communicating with Gmail’s servers to keep everything in sync. If you’re used to “one-and-done” POP3 seeing the constant background activity can be disconcerting.

I sync around 75,000 emails (25GB) via Gmail IMAP. I have Apple Mail on my Macs set to Download All Messages & Attachments. What you’re seeing happens whenever I set-up a new Mac and it initially downloads all emails via IMAP. (I think Gmail throttles the download speed; the first 10GB or so comes in super fast but the rest slows to a crawl and may take a day or two to catch-up.) When the download is occurring I see the same progress bar you’re seeing. If you haven’t got your Mail configured to Download All I’d try that and see if it helps things catch-up. I’m wondering if perhaps Spotlight is forcing the temporary download of batches of emails to index them and it never really catches up… especially if you’re on a relative slow internet connection.