Individual emails deleted as soon as read

Hey there, @user_mdk0pa! Excellent question. Thanks for taking the time to reach out over our Xfinity Community Forum regarding this missing email concern. I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you're having, and I'd love to see what we can do to help! Our Digital Care Team is awesome to work with because we'll always do whatever we can to review and resolve issues quickly.

 

Common Causes for Disappearing Emails:

 

1. POP3 Settings in a Third-Party Email Client: This is one of the most frequent culprits. If you're using an email client like Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc., and it's configured with POP3 settings that are set to "remove messages from the server after retrieval," then once the email client downloads the message, it's deleted from the Xfinity server. This means you won't see it in the Xfinity webmail or on any other device.

2. Email Filters or Forwarding Rules: You might have a rule set up in your Xfinity email settings (or in your email client) that automatically moves or deletes messages after they're read.

3. Sorting Order: Less common for complete disappearance, but if your inbox is sorted by "Unread" or some other specific filter, a read email might simply move out of view within that sorted list.

4. Browser Cache and Cookies: Corrupted browser data can sometimes cause display issues with webmail, making it seem like emails are disappearing.

5. Server Issues (Less Common, but Possible): Occasionally, we might experience temporary server issues that affect email delivery or storage.

6. Compromised Account: In rare cases, if someone else has unauthorized access to your account, they could be deleting emails.

 

How to Troubleshoot and Fix the Issue:

 

Step 1: Check your Xfinity Webmail directly.

- Log in to your Xfinity email account through a web browser (https://www.xfinity.com/email).
- Do emails disappear here after you read them?
If YES: The problem is likely with your Xfinity email settings or a server-side issue. Proceed to Step 2.
If NO: The problem is likely with a third-party email client you're using. Proceed to Step 3.
Step 2: Troubleshoot Xfinity Webmail Settings (if emails disappear there):

- Check Filters/Rules:
In Xfinity Webmail, click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Mail > Filter Rules.
Review any existing rules. If you see a rule that might be moving or deleting emails after they're read, disable or delete it.
- Check Sorting Order:
In your Xfinity inbox, look for a "Sort by" or "View" option. Make sure it's set to "Date" or "Newest" rather than "Unread" or a similar setting that would hide read messages.
- Clear Browser Cache and Cookies:
Go into your web browser's settings and clear your Browse data, specifically cache and cookies. Then, restart your browser and log back into Xfinity Mail.
- Try a Different Browser or Incognito Mode:
Test if the issue persists in a different web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge) or in your current browser's incognito/private mode. This can help rule out browser-specific problems.
- Recover Deleted Items (within 30 days):
In Xfinity Webmail, right-click on the Trash folder or click the "More Actions" icon (three lines) next to it.
Select "Recover Deleted Items."
Select the messages you want to restore and click "Move Selected Items" to move them back to your Inbox or another desired folder. (Note: Emails are only recoverable for 30 days.)
- Change Xfinity Password and Check Security:
If you suspect your account might be compromised, change your Xfinity password immediately.
Review your Xfinity account security settings for any suspicious logins or activity.
Step 3: Troubleshoot Third-Party Email Clients (if emails disappear only when using an app):

- Check POP3 Settings: This is the most crucial step if you're using a desktop or mobile email client.
Open your email client (Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.).
Go to the Account Settings for your Comcast email account.
Look for settings related to "Server Settings," "Advanced Settings," or "Delivery."
Crucially, find the option for "Leave a copy of messages on the server" or similar wording. Make sure this box is checked. If it's unchecked, the client will download the email and then delete it from the Xfinity server.
If you have a setting like "Remove from server after X days" or "Remove from server when deleted from 'Deleted Items'," adjust those as desired. You typically want "Leave a copy on server" checked.
- IMAP vs. POP3: If your email client is currently set up as POP3, consider changing it to IMAP. IMAP synchronizes your email across all devices and the server, so what you see in webmail is what you see in your client. If you delete an email in your client, it deletes it from the server, and vice-versa. 
To do this, you might need to remove your existing Comcast account from the email client and re-add it, selecting IMAP during the setup process.
Xfinity IMAP Settings:
Incoming Mail Server (IMAP): imap.comcast.net
Incoming Port: 993
Encryption: SSL/TLS
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): smtp.comcast.net
Outgoing Port: 465 (SSL/TLS) or 587 (STARTTLS)
Username: Your full Xfinity email address
Password: Your Xfinity email password
- Third-Party Access Security (Xfinity Setting):
Log in to Xfinity Webmail.
Click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner.
Go to Security.
Ensure the box for "Third Party Access Security" is checked. This allows external email clients to connect to your Xfinity email.

 

Please let us know if this helps! Otherwise, we may have to take a closer look and/or refer you to our Customer Security Assurance (CSA) team.

@XfinitySara wrote: "... 2. Email Filters or Forwarding Rules: You might have a rule set up in your Xfinity email settings (or in your email client) that automatically moves or deletes messages after they're read. ..."

That isn't possible, is it? Appsuite filter rules only operate on email at the moment Comcast/Xfinity delivers it to the Inbox. Isn't that the only time they are triggered? Filter rules simply do not have a "trigger when read" provision.

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