Syncing emails-iPhone and mac

[Danni-c]

Hi,
This is an enquiry for my mum...normally she is very competent with apple systems, but we're both confused by this problem!
For a while she has had trouble receiving emails on multiple devices...she uses the Mac's own 'mail' programme, and has her emails synced to her iPhone, but it's all very sporadic to which device the email comes to. Sometimes it will flash up on her mac, sometimes her phone and sometimes her iPad mini. She doesn't even have to open the email for it to not show on the other devices. This also happens with her calendars. We have contacted an 'apple genius'....which was pointless, and have struggled for hours to try and get it to show an email on all devices at once, but failed! Please help!! I hope that all makes sense!

 

[C DM]

What kind of an email service is she using? And how is it set up on her computer or other devices?

 

[Danni-c]

I think it's a virgin.net email. Im not sure how to answer the second question....her devices just have that address as her email and so the emails just download to whichever handset. Hope that's what you mean? Her Apple ID has obviously produced an additional email which is an iCloud one...but she doesn't really use that, unless she emailing from her iPhone and doesn't deselect to use it.

 

[BrianBaughn]

The accounts are probably set up as POP and whichever device checks first when an email comes in is the one that gets it.

The only decent solution for that is to set the account up as IMAP on all devices. I don't specifically know if it's possible or what the process would be with Virgin.net email. Just be careful to back up the email, at least on the Mac, before doing any transition.

 

[Danni-c]

That sounds it might solve the problem....but not sure if I can work out how to do that...any ideas?

Thanks for your help so far people! x

 

[C DM]

That sounds it might solve the problem....but not sure if I can work out how to do that...any ideas?

Thanks for your help so far people! x

Might need to check with the email provider to see if they have some instructions related to that. Many do these days.