When a message is deleted in an IMAP email account, it is not immediately removed from the server. Instead, it is marked as “deleted” or “expunged” and moved to a special folder called “Trash” or “Deleted Items,” depending on the email client being used.
The message remains in the Trash folder until the user decides to permanently delete it or until the email client’s settings automatically remove it after a specified period.
IMAP also allows users to recover deleted messages by moving them back to the Inbox or another folder before they are permanently removed. This is because the server keeps a record of all updates and changes made to the mailbox, including deleted messages, which can be accessed by the user through their email client.
