Apple mail delete instead of archive

By default, when you press the "Delete" key in Apple Mail, it moves the selected messages to the "Trash" folder instead of permanently deleting them. This is because Apple Mail is designed to be a safe and recoverable email client, allowing you to easily retrieve deleted messages if needed.

However, if you want to permanently delete messages instead of archiving them, you can do so by following these steps:

  1. Select the messages you want to delete by checking the boxes next to them.
  2. Right-click (or control-click) on the selected messages and choose "Mark" > "Delete" from the context menu.
  3. Alternatively, you can also use the keyboard shortcut "⌘ + Delete" (Command + Delete) to delete the selected messages.

Note that when you delete a message, it will be moved to the "Trash" folder, where it will remain for 30 days before being permanently deleted. If you want to permanently delete a message immediately, you can do so by selecting the message and pressing "⌘ + Shift + Delete" (Command + Shift + Delete).

It's also worth noting that you can change the default behavior of the "Delete" key in Apple Mail to permanently delete messages instead of moving them to the "Trash" folder. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Apple Mail's preferences by clicking on "Mail" in the menu bar and selecting "Preferences".
  2. Click on the "General" tab.
  3. Uncheck the box next to "Move deleted messages to the Trash folder".
  4. Click "OK" to save your changes.

After making this change, the "Delete" key will permanently delete messages instead of moving them to the "Trash" folder.