Foxmail client is not easy with FastMail

[mekitron]

Hello budds,

Anyone using Foxmail Client with FastMail?

For me, foxmail is not syncing folders created with FastMail (web) except standard folders (inbox, spam, draft, trash and sent) but it syncs all folders of gmail and Zoho Mail flawlessly.

It has no any "subscribe" option to sync folders manually.

I am using IMAP and tried both 992 and 993 ports.

Thank you.

[BritTim]

Welcome to the forums!

Check this ... is it possible that all the other folders are hiding as subfolders of Inbox?

[mekitron]

Thanks BritTim

No, nothing is hidden.

[BritTim]

It has been a long time since I looked at Foxmail, and I decided to take this opportunity for a quick look. With Foxmail 7.2.6 under MS Windows 8.1, it all basically worked fine for me, except for the expected annoyance of everything being subfolders of the Inbox.

As you have surmised, it appears that folders created through the Fastmail web interface are not subscribed by default, and Foxmail only shows subscribed folders. If you wish to continue using Foxmail, you will need a separate utility to subscribe folders. Under MS Windows, a pretty good option is the small and fast IMAPSize.

My impression is that, while Foxmail may have some nice features, its IMAP support is limited. Apart from the issue with being unable to specify the IMAP Root folder (leading to the awkward behavior of everything under Inbox) it also has no support for IMAP Idle. You have already noted the lack of folder subscription management, and the sometimes used circumvention of specifying you want all folders (not just subscribed ones) is not available either.

I understand Foxmail is very popular in China, but I do not think I would recommend it for Fastmail users.

[Adrian Bell]

I tried it some years ago and had problems with it. I think it was with the marking of messages read/unread not being synchronised properly. I uninstalled it.

It is fine for POP but as BritTim says, its IMAP support is not complete.

[mekitron]

Originally Posted by BritTim

everything being subfolders of the Inbox.

a pretty good option is the small and fast IMAPSize.

My impression is that, while Foxmail may have some nice features

I understand Foxmail is very popular in China, but I do not think I would recommend it for Fastmail users.

Under port 993, all folders appear as subfolders of the Inbox where it is normal when one is using port 992.

IMAPSize is considerable.

Why I prefer Foxmail; due to its interface. Quite smooth, email viewing is easier than thunderbird, mail sender name, subject, time, flagging and starringare all at one place. Even creating a professional signature is similar. It is just mirror to Fastmail's web/mobile app interface.

Where in thunderbird, if a folder is removed from web interface then it sticks permanently with error, "folder is not accessible" until thunderbird is restarted. Thunderbird is quite slower than Foxmail and HTML is required to create a good signature. I understand technical capabilites of Thunderbird over Foxmail but setting it up according to personal needs is a lengthy procedure.

[mekitron]

Originally Posted by Adrian Bell

It is fine for POP but as BritTim says, its IMAP support is not complete.

I have no problem with gmail and Zoho, Foxmail synchronises all of the folders and nothing went wrong (not even emails had any problems) until I signed up with Fastmail.

[Adrian Bell]

Originally Posted by BritTim

If you wish to continue using Foxmail, you will need a separate utility to subscribe folders. Under MS Windows, a pretty good option is the small and fast IMAPSize.

Sorry to hijack your thread mekitron but this may be relevant to your situation.

BritTim, are you saying that subscription is a server side thing? If so why have I different subscriptions on Thunderbird and WLM for the same (ntlworld) account?

I note by using IMAPSize with Fastmail that my Fastmail Inbox is not subscribed. However it still shows using Thunderbird or Opera Mail. I've not tried it with WLM, however my sister has a Fastmail account set up with WLM and when the root folder path is entered to try and make the folders appear in line with the Inbox (port 993), the Inbox disappears. Could the non-subscription of the Inbox be the cause? Could it be that Thunderbird is not adhering to standards, whereas WLM is?

mekitron, it may be worth having a look at IMAPSize to see what is reported?

[BritTim]

Originally Posted by Adrian Bell

Sorry to hijack your thread mekitron but this may be relevant to your situation.

BritTim, are you saying that subscription is a server side thing? If so why have I different subscriptions on Thunderbird and WLM for the same (ntlworld) account?

I note by using IMAPSize with Fastmail that my Fastmail Inbox is not subscribed. However it still shows using Thunderbird or Opera Mail. I've not tried it with WLM, however my sister has a Fastmail account set up with WLM and when the root folder path is entered to try and make the folders appear in line with the Inbox (port 993), the Inbox disappears. Could the non-subscription of the Inbox be the cause? Could it be that Thunderbird is not adhering to standards, whereas WLM is?

mekitron, it may be worth having a look at IMAPSize to see what is reported?

Yes, which folders are subscribed is stored and reported by the server. Thunderbird uses this information normally. Maybe, WLM is doing something weird, allowing you to override which folders are considered subscribed on the client end. I can actually see how this might be useful, but it is certainly not standard.

I understood the Inbox to be an exception to the rule that only subscribed folders are displayed. I cannot ever remember it being omitted. Based on your report, that may be client specific, though. I do not use WLM, but have seen weirdness in IMAP support in other Microsoft products (such as Outlook)..

[mekitron]

Originally Posted by Adrian Bell

Sorry to hijack your thread mekitron but this may be relevant to your situation.

mekitron, it may be worth having a look at IMAPSize to see what is reported?

technical stuff is always for hijack............ :) There will be some charges, though.

IMAPSize showed the unsubscribed folders and Foxmail worked fine after subscribing the folders. Before working with IMAPSize, I used thunderbird to get unsubscribed folders and Foxmail just followed Thunderbird to get the unsubscribed folders but why Foxmail doesn't have this problem with gmail and Zoho? Moreover, Foxmail is setup with port 993 with other two mailing services and they do not show any folder as a sub-folder of the Inbox.

[BritTim]

Originally Posted by mekitron

[IMAPSize showed the unsubscribed folders and Foxmail worked fine after subscribing the folders. Before working with IMAPSize, I used thunderbird to get unsubscribed folders and Foxmail just followed Thunderbird to get the unsubscribed folders but why Foxmail doesn't have this problem with gmail and Zoho? Moreover, Foxmail is setup with port 993 with other two mailing services and they do not show any folder as a sub-folder of the Inbox.

Fastmail is far from the only email service based on Cyrus IMAP, and the convention of having Inbox be the root of the account's folder hierarchy is normal with Cyrus. Clients with full IMAP support allow Inbox, or any folder lower in the hierarchy, to be specified as the root folder on the client. For power users, this can be useful. Unfortunately, much useful IMAP functionality is not available in Foxmail.

I do understand your point that Foxmail has support for Gmail's (quirky and widely criticized) non standard IMAP built in, and that Zoho both treats all folders as subscribed by default and does not keep folders in a hierarchy under Inbox. Maybe, there should be, at least, an option in Fastmail to subscribe folders by default. However, Fastmail is a very strong mail server, notwithstanding its unwillingness to compensate for the shortcomings of some mail clients.

[Adrian Bell]

Thanks BritTim. I never knew that. It does explain why a while ago when I subscribed to a folder using my main PC, my netbook also picked up the same subscription. It did have me baffled at the time.

[mekitron]

Using Thunderbird, Fastmail still shows all folders as a sub-folders of the Inbox (on port 993). Also, it doesn't sync Spam folders properly but creates its own Junk and Junk Mail folders which are later synced as new folders on server.

[mekitron]

I just deleted standard Spam folder in thunderbird client, not so happy. This happened because Thunderbird creates its own Junk and Sent Items folders. It doesn't sync FastMail (standard) folders.

[BritTim]

Originally Posted by mekitron

Using Thunderbird, Fastmail still shows all folders as a sub-folders of the Inbox (on port 993). Also, it doesn't sync Spam folders properly but creates its own Junk and Junk Mail folders which are later synced as new folders on server.

To fix that, you need to use manual settings to specify the IMAP root folder as INBOX. Alternatively, override the IMAP port from 993 to 992.