Mailbox full all the time?

Why this happens

Two settings, two devices

On phones and tablets: your device downloads a copy of each email but the original stays on the server. Over time the server-side copy of your inbox grows past your quota.

On computers: most email programs ship with the “leave a copy of messages on the server” setting turned on by default. Until you change it, every message you read stays on the server forever.

Microsoft Outlook

Outlook 2010 / 2013

1. 1
   Click File.
2. 2
   Click Account Settings.
3. 3
   Select the email account you want to update.
4. 4
   Click Change.
5. 5
   Click More Settings.
6. 6
   Click the Advanced tab.
7. 7
   Untick the Leave a copy of the message on the server checkbox.
8. 8
   Click OK, then Next, then Finish, then Close.

Microsoft Outlook

Outlook 2007

1. 1
   Click Tools.
2. 2
   Click Account Settings.
3. 3
   Click Change.
4. 4
   Click More Settings.
5. 5
   Click the Advanced tab.
6. 6
   Untick the Leave a copy of the message on the server checkbox.
7. 7
   Click OK, then Next, then Finish.

Microsoft Outlook

Outlook XP (2002 / 2003)

1. 1
   Click Tools.
2. 2
   Click Email Accounts.
3. 3
   Select View or Change an existing email address, or click the Email tab.
4. 4
   Select the email account, then click Change.
5. 5
   Click More Settings.
6. 6
   Click the Advanced tab.
7. 7
   Untick the Leave a copy of the message on the server checkbox, then click Next.
8. 8
   Click Finish.

Microsoft Outlook

Outlook Express 2000

1. 1
   Open the Tools menu and choose Accounts.
2. 2
   Double-click on your email account’s name.
3. 3
   Go to the Advanced tab.
4. 4
   At the bottom of the dialog, either untick Leave a copy of messages on the server, or tick Remove from server after … days with a short window (3 days is plenty) and also tick Remove from server when deleted.
5. 5
   Click OK, then Close.

Microsoft mail apps

Windows Live Mail and Windows Mail (Vista)

1. 1
   Right-click the email account in the left pane and click Properties. (On Windows Mail: Tools → Accounts, then select the account and click Properties.)
2. 2
   Click the Advanced tab.
3. 3
   Untick the checkbox beside Leave a copy of messages on server.
4. 4
   Click OK.

Free / older apps

Incredimail

1. 1
   Click Tools, then Accounts.
2. 2
   Select the email account and click Properties.
3. 3
   Click the Advanced tab.
4. 4
   Untick the Leave a copy of messages on server checkbox.

Cross-platform

Mozilla Thunderbird

1. 1
   Open the Tools menu and choose Account Settings.
2. 2
   On the left, under your email account, go to Server Settings.
3. 3
   Either untick Leave messages on server, or tick For at most … days with a small number (3 is fine) AND tick Until I delete or move them from Inbox.
4. 4
   Click OK to confirm.

Mac

Apple Mail on macOS

1. 1
   Open the Mail menu and choose Preferences.
2. 2
   Click the Accounts icon and select your email account on the left.
3. 3
   Go to the Advanced tab and tick Remove copy from server after retrieving a message. If you set the dropdown to Right Away, your account behaves like a clean POP3 — message comes in, message comes off the server. That is the recommended setting for most clients.
4. 4
   Click OK to confirm.