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Janeilfen

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 11, 2018
286
62
How can this happen? I don't have any Mail rules set up (that I know of). It's only to one of my contacts and it's always the same contact.
 
That’s it really. All of a sudden a draft email appears which I didn’t create. It’s empty and is always addressed to the same contact. not sure what else I can explain
 
Well…"draft" and "empty" are clues.

A draft message can be created on any device that's connected to the email account. Do you have other devices connected?
 
If I delete it it just returns, not immediately, but maybe a few days later. There is no subject, and the message body is empty, but always addressed to the same contact.
 
Nobody has access to my email accounts. I do have an iPad and iPhone but nobody has access to those either.
 
1. What email client / app?
2. Any other trusted devices assoc. with your accoiunt?
3. Have you double checked for message rules?
4. Have you tried deleting the account / recreating?
5. Then uninstalling & reinstalling whatever mail app you're using?
6. Do you often use email when drunk? :)
7. Errr that's it
 
1. What email client / app?
2. Any other trusted devices assoc. with your accoiunt?
3. Have you double checked for message rules?
4. Have you tried deleting the account / recreating?
5. Then uninstalling & reinstalling whatever mail app you're using?
6. Do you often use email when drunk? :)
7. Errr that's it
1. Apple Mail
2. Apple Watch?
3. Yes - there are none.
4. Not yet
5. Not yet
6. I resemble that remark! Cheers (hic)
 
Go to your email provider's webmail site and see if there's a draft there. Could be that there is one and deleting it in Mac Mail doesn't actually get rid of the one on the server. Drafts can be odd that way.
 
I took a look and can’t see anything untoward.
So no draft in the online drafts folder.

Sorry if this is obvious, but in Mail look in the Window menu to see if there's a blank message window open (and hidden) behind your main message viewer window. An open message window will sometimes cause a draft to be created and deleting the draft in the main window does not make the hidden message window go away…it stays…and another draft message will soon be created. This behavior may be dependent on the type of email account.
 
I suggest ...
4. Have you tried deleting the account / recreating?
5. Then uninstalling & reinstalling whatever mail app you're using?
 
I suggest ...
4. Have you tried deleting the account / recreating?
5. Then uninstalling & reinstalling whatever mail app you're using?
No, not yet. I was hoping we could find out if the cause was something less "nuclear".
 
If it's the same, single contact over and again... Is that a contact you use frequently? Is it often open on your screen? All it takes is a click on the Compose Mail icon in that contact, or when accessing that contact through another app to create a new draft.

But if it's not some sort of human error... Try deleting that contact and recreating it. Some bad data in the current contact could at least conceivably trigger the Compose Mail action.
 
It could be you're clicking on the contact's email address (in a browser, in the contacts app, in an older email) and that is triggering mail to start a new email to them somehow without you noticing.
 
So, suggestions (in ascending order) are:
1. Delete & reinstate contact
2. Delete & reinstate email account
3. Uninstall & reinstall Mail app

At this point them's yer best bets! 👍🏼
 
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