How To: Create A Folder in iPhone Mail
Q: How do I create a folder in the iPhone Mail app in iOS 1-4?
A: YOU CAN’T!
It’s another mystery of life. Why in the world can’t you create a folder in the iPhone Mail app!!?? You can move an eMail message, or a group of messages from one folder to another, but you can’t create a Mail folder on the iPhone. It’s just another of the glaring oddities of the iPhone.
I can understand not being able to do this with a POP account, because iPhone Mail doesn’t sync the mail messages themselves via iTunes. So it would follow, you couldn’t sync newly created folders with moved messages from the iPhone.
One would think though, it could be done with an IMAP eMail account. But it’s just not so.
It’s an enigma wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a burrito …
My only suggestion to all offended and incredulous iPhone user, is to make your voice heard with Apple. Go to the Apple Support Forum and suggest they add folder creation ability there. You can also contact Apple directly and give them iPhone Feedback. Be polite and to the point. Ranting might make you feel good, but anything past “WTF” might be ignored by readers. You can get more folders with honey … if that’s what you’re looking for. Leave a comment here if you care to.
I’ve seen Google send so many people to my blog looking for an answer to this question, I figured I owed it to those folks to give a quick and probably unsatisfying answer.
Even with its flaws, the iPhone is still my only phone. Don’t think I would want to use another.
8 Responses
Theres not much more to say. We can all wait for the rumored “Unified Inbox” that Steve wrote about in a recent eMail to a enquiring customer who wrote Steve directly. And also hope the fix this glaring omission … creating a folder/mailbox. But with Apple … you never know.
Actually, it is possible to create folders with imap accounts for the iPhone – I have done it myself… If you have access to your account server via webmail (which mostly will be the case), create the folder there and it will automatically appear on your iPhone next time it connects with the mail server.
Paul. Yes that’s a given. But creating a folder on the iPhone in iPhone Mail is still impossible. Thanks for the input.
I can understand not being able to do this with a POP account, because iPhone Mail doesn’t sync the mail messages themselves via iTunes.Keep it up G-d bless 
I found out how to make mail folders on your iPhone.
You can not make email folders directly from the iPhone.
First you have to login to yahoo for example and make the folders through their website. Once you have done this then all you have to do is go back to your mail app on the iPhone. On the main folder screen your iPhone should link with the mail server and update the iPhone. Poof! New email folders on your iPhone!
Tada!
@Jeremy I guess if you want to jump through all those hoops … yes you can create folders “on the iPhone” if you use Yahoo, Google, or other such third party mail systems via IMAP.
With that said … I guess you could long into your hosted IMAP mail account, navigate the interface to create a folder, if you absolutely HAD to. But honestly … that’s just way too much work.
I’ll just wait until I get home to file my mail. : )
Thanks for the idea though.
From Mailboxes & Under Accounts:
Click on the account where you want to create folder.
Click Edit at top right
Click New Mailbox at bottom left
On next screen (“Edit Mailbox”), Type in name of folder & make sure Mailbox location is correct.
Click Done at bottom right…or Save at top right and folder will then appear in your list.
I whole-heartedly agree with you.
If they offer a function let you sort messages into different folders, they’d better let you create folders to sort into.