Folder List Is Empty or Incomplete for an Account (Mac and iOS)

If the folder list for one of your accounts is empty, or shows only a few folders instead of all of them, it means the folder list Airmail received from your mail provider is incomplete. Your emails are safe. Folders live on your provider's server, and nothing has been deleted. Airmail simply needs to download the folder list again.

Symptoms

• The Folders view is empty for one account, while your other accounts look normal.
• Only a few folders appear where your provider shows many. This is most common on iCloud accounts.
• Folders or labels are missing from the sidebar on iPhone or iPad.
• Smart Folders return no results, or fewer messages than expected, because the folders they rely on were never loaded.
• Airmail cannot create its own folders (To Do, Snooze, Send Later, Done, Memo) on the affected account.

Step 1: Let the account finish syncing

Quit Airmail completely, reopen it, and leave it in the foreground for a few minutes without clicking around. On a large mailbox the first sync can take a while, and the folder list is often filled in once it completes.

Step 2: Check that the folders are not simply hidden

Folders can be hidden from the sidebar without being deleted.

• On Mac: open Airmail > Preferences > Accounts, select the account, and review the folder and Mappings settings. Make sure the folders you expect are enabled.
• On iPhone or iPad: open Settings inside Airmail, select the account, and check the folder list there.

If your folders reappear here, no further action is needed.

Step 3: Remove and re-add the account

This is the step that resolves the problem in most cases. It forces Airmail to request a fresh folder list from your provider.

1. Open Airmail Preferences (Mac) or Settings (iPhone/iPad) and go to Accounts.
2. Select the affected account and remove it.
3. Add the same account again, choosing the correct type (Gmail, iCloud, Outlook/Microsoft, IMAP or POP).
4. Complete the sign-in, then wait for the first sync to finish.

Removing an account from Airmail does not delete any email from your provider's servers. Your messages are downloaded again once the account is added back. Only local settings such as Smart Folders may need to be recreated.

A note for iCloud accounts

iCloud requires an app-specific password. If you are re-adding an iCloud account, generate a new app-specific password from your Apple account and use it during setup. Note that generating a new password on its own does not fix an incomplete folder list, because the password controls sign-in, not the folder listing. The account still needs to be removed and added again.

Still not working?

If the folder list is still empty or incomplete after re-adding the account, please contact us and include:

• The account type (Gmail, iCloud, Outlook/Microsoft, IMAP or POP).
• Your Airmail version and your macOS or iOS version.
• A screenshot of the folder list as it appears in Airmail.

This lets our team check the folder listing for your specific provider and, where needed, pass the case to our developers.

Updated on: 07/11/2026