Since the release of Mavericks OSX, there have been many bugs unearthed with how Apple Mail 7.* handles IMAP folders. Gmail access continues to be less than perfect for some users.
More Mail Fixes enacted in Mavericks v10.9.2 Update.
Follow above link and consider the directives for OSX Update.
See your Apple Menu: "About this Mac" to verify your OSX version.
NOTE: Many Apple Mail users report seeing best real-time SYNC with their email host after they QUIT, wait, and then Launch Apple Mail again.
To take charge and wrangle Apple Mail sync for IMAP folders, try these following Apple recommenced routines, whenever you feel Apple Mail needs a kick-start.
PLAN A: Follow the 1, 2, Punch as depicted below:
- Mailbox Menu > "Take All Accounts Offline"
- Moments later, Mailbox Menu > "Get All New Mail"
(Be sure to allow plenty of time without sleep mode being allowed to occur.)
PLAN B: Some Host accounts respond well to the "Synchronize" Mailbox Menu command.
- Mailbox Menu > "Synchronize All Accounts"
- Try this as a routine step, after PLAN A, or on its own.
NOTE: The re-sync steps can take a long time. So, Open: Apple Mail | Window Menu > Activity window. The computer should not be shut down or allowed to be put to sleep until the sync operations are complete.
ALERT: For ongoing problems that don't clear, click to choose / highlight each top-level INBOX, one by one, selecting "Rebuild" from the Mailbox Menu for each. Wait for each Rebuild to complete. This routine maintenance option Apple gives us can really help.
Many of the Apple Mail Impairment symptoms we must work-around include:
- Synching Issues (email count in Apple Mail is not reflective of what is shown in webmail)
- Email Duplication
- Delayed Email Processing
- Broken AppleScripts
- Apple Rules Not Applied Consistently
- Email randomly moved to Trash
- Missing Email & Missing IMAP folders
- ...and more
To see a descriptive spread of these issues, see Joe Kissell's write up on TidBits
Another fun read: http://www.tuaw.com/2013/10/23/how-mavericks-ruined-apple-mail-for-gmail-users/
There are also a bunch of prominent threads you can check out in the Apple Forums. We've highlighted a couple here:
- https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5468189?tstart=0
- https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5470654?tstart=0
It's likely that Apple will go on to release Mavericks OSX software updates that will continue to refine fixes for these Apple Mail annoyances. Or, at least we hope so! These mail sync problem behaviors are being experienced around the world, and not just by SaneBox users.
You might want to switch to a web mail interface, or one of these recommended clients:
These alternative Email software "client" applications are free, or cost next to nothing, and there's a wealth of support detail to be found with a simple Web Search.