Rule to move email from MS Exchange to Gmail **Inbox** in macOS Mail

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1

I’m getting a strange bug in the Big Sur macOS Mail app. I have a rule that automatically moves mail from my work MS Exchange Inbox and places it into my work Gmail Inbox. On my Mojave laptop (Mail Version 12.4 (3445.104.15)), this works great and the emails show up in Gmail’s inbox.

In the Big Sur version of Mail, the rule works just fine to move the email into the Gmail account; however, it doesn’t show up Gmail Inbox. I have to go to “All Mail” to see the message. I’ve tried to delete and recreate the rule, but that didn’t fix anything. I don’t want to forward it because I don’t want to “FWD” in the subject line and header of the email.

Edit: I also acknowledge that forwarding directly via my work exchange account is the “best” option, but my employer won’t let me do that.

The only thing I can think is that macOS Mail somehow strips the “Inbox” label and it didn’t in the past.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

2

I don’t have access to BS Apple mail but I would add a “mark as unread” command (if that is still an option) to the end of your rule.

3

I’ll look at that when I get back to the Big Sur machine. On the Mojave machine, I don’t have the option to mark an email as unread via Mail rules. (I can mark as read though…)

4

If Apple mail, doesn’t offer a “mark as unread” option in rules, Thunderbird mail does.

Over the years, I have set up TB mail just to move mail between accounts both for myself and others. I would set it to open on logon, leave it running minimized, and use Apple Mail for everything else.

5

Ok great. I didn’t know Thunderbird could move messages automatically (haven’t used it in years).

That’s exactly my use case. I open on login and it runs in the background moving message. I don’t currently use Mac Mail for anything else.

I’ll give it a shot and report back. Thanks!

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6

If you can’t forward, why can you move them in Mail. Surely it’s the same impact.

7

@geoffaire - This is a great question. All I know is moving between folders in Mail worked whereas forwarding via my work email did not.

@WayneG - So Thunderbird looked promising but it errored out due to a known Exchange issue. That issue could be solved via one of two add-ons (https://exquilla.zendesk.com/hc/en-us or https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/owl-for-exchange/) but I didn’t trust that with my work email and I didn’t know if that would violate our policies.

Thankfully I convinced my admins to put a server forward and now all is working just fine.

Appreciate the help.

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8

It’s not any different than moving a file from a folder in Google Drive to a folder in OneDrive. The two services don’t have to talk to each other. The OP’s Mac is facilitating the communication.

9

I’d suggest it’s probably not allowed then. You should ask your IT department.