Gmail Labels or Smart Folders Show Only Some Emails in Airmail (Missing Older Messages)

If a Gmail label or a Smart Folder in Airmail shows far fewer emails than you see in Gmail on the web (for example only the most recent messages, with older ones missing), it is almost always a syncing issue rather than lost mail. This guide explains why it happens and how to fix it.
Why this happens: in Airmail each Gmail label is treated as a separate IMAP folder, and by default the app downloads the most recent messages for each folder rather than the entire history. When you create a Gmail filter and apply a label to older messages after the fact, Google updates that label on its side, but Airmail still needs to fully re-sync that specific label to bring in the older messages. A quick reindex often refreshes only the recent range, which is why you may see a cut-off date with nothing older showing.
Step 1 – Make sure the label is enabled for syncing. Open Airmail Settings > Accounts > your Google account > Folders (or Labels) and confirm that each label you want to see is enabled or subscribed. Labels that are not subscribed will not sync to the app.
Step 2 – Increase the sync range if available. In the same account settings, if there is an option for how much mail to keep in sync, set it to All or unlimited instead of a limited period so that older labelled messages can download.
Step 3 – Force a full re-sync. The most reliable way to pull in the complete history is to remove the Google account from Airmail and add it again. This triggers a full re-download of all labels and folders and usually resolves cases where only part of the history appears. Your emails remain safe on Google's servers during this process.
Step 4 – Give it time to finish. A full re-sync of large labels can take a while, so keep Airmail open and connected until the counts match what you see in Gmail on the web.
Still need help? If, after a full re-add, older labelled messages still do not appear, contact us and let us know the exact label name, roughly how many messages Gmail shows versus Airmail, and your Airmail and macOS versions, so we can investigate further.
Note: Airmail for Mac is distributed through the Mac App Store and runs in a sandboxed environment. All of the steps above are done inside the app's own settings and do not require any system-level changes.

Updated on: 07/10/2026