How to Delete Emails on an iPhone

Countless modern businesses leverage Apple technology to support their everyday operations. Most of these organizations implement Managed Apple IDs so employees and users have access to the tools necessary to enhance their productivity in a safe way that works best for them. This also allows technology leaders to easily manage and monitor device activity. 

One Apple application that business leaders should pay attention to is the Mail app. Email—although an incredibly popular form of communication—is also a common gateway for data breaches. For this reason, email security is paramount.

The following blog post offers advice for securely deleting an email from your iPhone or iPad and additional tips for maximizing the Mail app.

Notable Email Features of the Latest iOS Update 

The Mail app saw several noteworthy changes after the release of iOS 18 in Sept. 2024 and iOS 26 in Sept. 2025, including: 

• Inbox category tabs: Your emails are now automatically segmented into four buckets: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.
• A replacement for preheaders: AI-generated short summaries based on email copy are shown instead of preheaders.
• Newsletter bundling: Multiple emails from the same sender are now grouped into a single entry.

But a consistent discrepancy has remained, predating even iOS 9: Deleted emails aren’t actually deleted from your phone, or you’re unable to delete them at all.

How to Delete Emails from Your iPhone or iPad

If you’re like many iPhone users, you’ve noticed that your deleted emails don’t actually go to your trash (like all other deleted content). In some cases, you have even received an error message that reads something along the lines of, “Unable to move message. The message could not be moved to the trash.”

If you’re wondering how to actually delete emails on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Go to “Settings.” ⚙️
2. Scroll down and select “Apps.” 📱
3. Scroll down and select the “Mail” ✉️ app.
4. Select “Mail Accounts.”
5. Select the desired account (e.g., iCloud, Gmail).
6. Select “Account Settings” at the bottom.
7. Select “Advanced.”
8. Under the “Move Discarded Messages Into” header, select “Deleted Mailbox” ✔️ so it’s checked off.
9. Under the “Mailbox Behaviors” header, select “Deleted Mailbox.”
10. Under the “On the Server” header, ensure “Trash” is selected. ✔️
11. Tap the arrow button on the top left to go back.
12. Tap the arrow button on the top left again to return to Account Settings.

Now, when you swipe left on an email message in your Mail inbox and select “More,” you should have the option to move that message to the designated trash (scroll down and select “Trash Message”). This will effectively delete that email thread from your iPhone.

Additional Tips for Managing Email on Apple Devices

Apple products are known for being rather user-friendly, but iOS developers and iPhone users alike are constantly finding new ways to streamline the interface and make it more intuitive. Here are a few general suggestions for making the Mail app work better for you:

Protect your in-app activity.

Some advertisers use email messages to obtain certain data about your activity in the Mail app by default. To prevent this, go to “Settings”→ “Apps” → “Mail” → “Privacy Protection,” and toggle the switch next to “Protect Mail Activity” to on. Doing so will not only hide your IP address but also load remote content from an email message privately.

Customize your formatting.

Format email body text to better reflect your messaging or add emphasis. You can add bold, italic, underlined, or highlighted text to emphasize key points, or even change the font size and color. To do this, select the text you want to edit and tap the “Format” option. Then, tap “Aa” on your keyboard to view all formatting options. 

Automatically remove one-time codes.

Multifactor authentication codes sent to your email are intended for one-time use, but they often clog up your email inbox. To delete these types of messages automatically after you view them, go to “Settings.” Tap “General” → “Autofill & Passwords”  → turn on “Delete After Use.” This will also remove text messages with one-time passkeys. 

Keep Your Apple Environment Operating at Peak Performance

With a new iOS release every year, Apple is perpetually updating its operating system. Inevitably, each update is accompanied by new processes, settings, and, yes, workarounds, such as those discussed above. Navigating and anticipating these changes often requires help from seasoned experts with an in-depth knowledge of Apple iOS. Get the most out of your Apple technology investment by partnering with Ntiva.

Blog was originally published in February 2017 and updated in October 2025.