Comments on: Remove old email addresses from Mail’s auto-complete database

By: Mike Mitchell

Mike Mitchell — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:20:50 +0000

My version of Mail does not have the “Remove from Previous Recipients List” option. When I send an email, my old address shows up in my recipients’ “From” box rather than my new one.

By: mike c

mike c — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:57:30 +0000

I can find the option to delete previous recipients from the window tab on the task bar, however some other people seem to have an option to remove the email address by clicking on the little white arrow in the address field and selecting remove address.

I don;t have this option despite running up to date Lion

Anyone have any suggestions ?

By: Leo Eddy

Leo Eddy — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:32:42 +0000

Man, I’ve been trying this for years. Every time I up date the Mac OS I think this time it will clear the email away. Now even after Lion those old email addresses from friends who have changed to another address keep coming back from the dead. I do the “Remove from Previous Recipients.” And everything is AOK until I restart Mail then back from the dead the email address.

By: Francie Gibbons

Francie Gibbons — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:46:20 +0000

do you have any other suggestions?

By: Francie Gibbons

Francie Gibbons — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:33:28 +0000

No, they are not in my address book. (The brown book with the @ sign on the cover….) They disappear using the methods you describe but if I quit and restart mail they are back! I have a PowerBookG4, running Mac OS X, version 10.5.8. I use a gmail account, but read and send mail through Mail Version 3.6 (936). I have run system updates but nothing seems to make a difference. Can you help? I mentioned one sister’s address, but I have a bunch of old/incorrect email address I would like to get rid of. Thanks a million!

By: Ant

Ant — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:34:41 +0000

Francie,
Make sure the old email address isn’t in your Address Book app. It could still be in there even though you’ve removed it from Mail.

By: Francie Gibbons

Francie Gibbons — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:48:53 +0000

I have tried to remove previous recipients countless times, using both methods you describe. They seem to disappear, but they come back!! My sister changed her email address a year ago, and it keeps putting her old one first! Not a huge deal, but it bugs the heck out of me. What can I do to delete them forever??

By: M Barton

M Barton — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:28:37 +0000

how does one do this on the new iPhone?
(if possible, could someone email the answer to me? – thx)

By: Gammaman 42

Gammaman 42 — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:20:06 +0000

After I successfully edit the Previous Recipients list (or delete all recipients), they are removed. HOWEVER, if I quit then relaunch MacMail, all the old, deleted addresses return. It’s like the file without the edits, regenerates itself. What do you suggest?

By: Ant

Ant — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:25:44 +0000

KM,
There is no way to remove email addresses from an iPhone’s auto-complete database. The only thing that would do it would be to reset the phone to factory settings, which is obviously not a good solution. Hopefully Apple includes this capability in the 3.0 software update.

By: KM

KM — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:55:18 +0000

How do you do this for the iphone?

By: Ant

Ant — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:34:28 +0000

Joanne,

Yes, this article only applies to Mac users who use OS X’s Mail application. Sorry, no information for Windows or other mail programs.

By: joanne

joanne — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:08:28 +0000

is this info about removing previous recipient email addresses just for Mac users???? i can’t find the ‘window>previous recipient’ tab…help please, if you can