How to iCloud mail with multiple accounts

[Julien]

Don't understand how to sync mail using iCloud (I have all other iCloud functions setup working and understand but mail.....).

I have a Mac, Macbook Pro, iPhone, iPad, 3 email accounts plus iCloud. All 4 email accounts setup on each and iCloud enabled on my Mac/Macbook and all iOS devices.

1. Hotmail POP (primary)
2. Gmail IMAP (secondary/junk)
3. MS Exchange (work)
4. iCloud

Get email on each device and have since before iCloud but want to unify all since if I send a message from my Mac I can't see it on my iPad. Also sometimes a message doesn't get to all devices (Gmail usually).

I have searched and can't find any complete/useful info on how to setup iCloud mail. Apple just says to cut it on (which I have done) but it's not working.

Mail comes to each account and the Inbox but not to iCloud. Have to manually move (copy) each massage from the account (or Inbox) and drag to iCloud Inbox for the message to show up in iCloud. When I do this I can see it in the iCloud Inbox and on line.

How do I get all messages (in and sent) to automatically go to iCloud from all accounts? Also do I need all accounts setup on all devices (the way I have now? Or do I just setup all accounts on my Mac?

 

[Julien]

Would having all accounts on my Mac and then using Rules to direct all messages to iCloud work? If so would I then delete all email accounts except iCloud from all my other devices (having my Mac as the "master" email handler)? Would this give me a unified iCloud/email experience?

 

[thunderbunny]

1-3 are nothing to do with iCloud - why do you expect them to be synced? They won't

 

[Julien]

1-3 are nothing to do with iCloud - why do you expect them to be synced? They won't

So iCloud only works for/with xxx@me.com accounts?

I did set up iCloud by using Rules in Mail on my Mac to send all Inbox messages (as they come in) to the iCloud Inbox. I have also made copies of all my ON MY MAC Mailboxes on iCloud and moved all the archived emails to them.

Now my big problem (I think). I want to use my Hotmail account to send my emails from my devices. If I delete the Hotmail account on the device I can't do this. If I leave the Hotmail account on the device I get 2 copies of a new email in the Inbox (1 in iCloud and 1 in Hotmail).

Is there a way to cut off receiving email from the Hotmail account but still allow it to send my messages?

 

[EagleSwoop]

Unread but read

5 email accounts are synced on iPhone, iPad and Mac book with iCloud - however I have to open each email on all 3 devices separately? I end up having a bunch of emails on 2 devices that have already been read but are shown as unread.

Anyway to fix this? :s

 

[TheOriginalKi]

I have three email accounts:

@me.com (Primary)
@gmail.com
@msn.com

I only have the iCloud (@me) email setup on my iPhone and Macbook Pro.

I logged in to both Gmail and Hotmail on the web and set up both to forward all mail to the iCloud address. I also set filters in both to turn off the spam filltering as the iCloud account can do this. I then set up the Gmail to check the hotmail via pop3 and vice versa to keep both accounts active past their 9 month log in requirement.

This is enough, however I also logged in to iCloud.com mail and setup a filter to put the hotmail emails in a folder called 'Hotmail' and for Gmail I have it put the emails in a folder called 'Gmail'

On the Macbook Pro I have the mail app alert me for mail going in to all folders - on the iPhone it will only alert me to new emails for iCloud but I can check the others by manually going in to those folders.

 

[dglasgo1]

Outbound?

This seems like a great solution, but wouldn't it eliminate the ability to send out from the various accounts? All outbound would use the 1 .me address, correct?

 

[gcoghill]

This may not be the solution you want, but to keep email messages in sync for accounts other than a me.com email account, you need to enable IMAP on those accounts. I know Gmail offers IMAP, as do most web hosting provider email accounts.

IMAP tracks everything on the server, so when you delete or move a message on any device, that action is reflected on all other devices. No iCloud is required.

I believe iCloud uses IMAP to keep things in sync, but IMAP has nothing to do with IMAP. IMAP has been around for a long time, and has nothing to do specifically with Apple or iCloud.

 

[AuPhalanx]

I have many e-mail accounts and I sync my e-mails between my different machines using iCloud, just like what you want to do, if I am reading you correctly. If I am, then the answer is easier than you think.

Use Mail rules.

Configure a rule that moves the received e-mails from your other accounts to your iCloud account. The rule I have is simple:

If ANY the following conditions are met: Every message.
Perform the following actions: Move message to mailbox: iCloud.

Now your e-mails will sync using iCloud and be available on all your machines and devices.

(I should note that now with Mountain Lion, there is a reply-from "bug" that is vexing many of us that use this function. It still syncs, just watch your "reply-from" address when replying.)

I hope this works for you!

T.