Fix iOS “Message not yet downloaded from server” POP Email Error

Some iOS 9 users are experiencing issues with POP email accounts and opening attachments in the emails.

iOS 9 email troubles:

Several iOS 9 users are facing email related issues after upgrading to iOS 9. The problems don’t seem to be specific to some devices as users of a wide range of iOS devices are reportedly facing these troubles. According to Apple’s discussion forums, users with POP email accounts are encountering issues when opening emails with attachments. Error “Message not yet downloaded from server” is displayed whenever they attempt to open the emails and their attachments. This problem is being faced with both new and old emails, reports MacRumors.

“Same problem! I lost all attachments. iOS 9 is very disappointing!”

“Same issue here with iPad and iPhone 5s. Can’t get the messages to download to my mobile devices. They were on the device before I updated iOS to 9.0.1”

Some proposed fixes…

1- Users have reported that downloading a different third-party email program from the App Store and going off the stock Mail app seems to work for them.

2-  Going through the threads, it is apparent that deleting email accounts and adding them back fixes the issue for some, but not all users. Worth a try if you are experiencing the problem.

3- Another fix that is working for some users is when they turn off the WiFi. Once off, users can read the previously downloaded emails and their attachments, however, images aren’t viewable.

4- According to the support communities, one customer received a response from Apple’s engineering team, suggesting that the issue occurs when an email account is configured to remove the copies of email from the server. However, this fix too isn’t working for everyone.

This issue usually starts if one of the devices/computers that was setup with this email account has been configured to remove a copy of emails on the server. If this is the case, the customer will need to check the settings of all the devices and computers that are running this email account.

iOS leaves messages on the POP3 server by default. iOS never stores email permanently, whether POP3 or IMAP. If they are removed from the server by another device then this issue can occur.

A test that you may want to do to confirm this is to have the customer produce the error by opening one affected mail on the iOS device, and then locate that specific email on his webmail. If not found, then the device is behaving as expected. If found, please try to forward it to the same mailbox and see if the same issue occurs.

Let us know if you too are facing these iOS 9 POP email issues and if so, which one of the above fixes worked for you. Apple hasn’t fixed the issue with iOS 9.0.1 or the iOS 9.0.2. However, with iOS 9.1 under development, Apple might just listen to frustrated users this time.