Gmail forwarding can retain a copy at the source, so seeing mail in both accounts may be expected. Review the source-copy setting before deleting anything. The forwarded destination copy and the original are separate records that can be affected by different rules.
Inspect the selected source-copy behavior
Open the source Gmail account’s forwarding settings. Confirm the active destination and the option controlling Gmail’s own copy. Google’s guidance recommends keeping the source copy in Inbox; other displayed choices can change its read state or location.
Use the choices actually offered in your account. Do not infer a universal deletion option from an old screenshot or another client’s POP settings.
Compare an individual new message
- Send one harmless test to the source account.
- Check whether the original is in Inbox, All Mail, or another location.
- Inspect its read state and labels.
- Search the destination for the forwarded copy and compare its time.
A source message that became read or archived has not necessarily been deleted. Conversation view can also group new replies with older messages that had different locations.
Check other rules before changing retention
Filters, connected clients, and another provider’s routing can alter the source independently of the general forwarding setting. Review those components if the observed behavior does not match the selected option.
If you want only selected messages forwarded, disable all-mail forwarding and use a deliberately tested filter. Overlapping routes can create unnecessary destination copies and make the source behavior harder to interpret.
Do not remove the original merely because a forwarded copy appears once. Verify destination access, capacity, attachment availability, and any required retention before changing the preservation policy.
Stopping forwarding does not recall earlier copies, and deleting a message at one account does not necessarily delete a separate copy at the other. Keep each account’s role clear. For organizational mail, use the approved retention and disclosure rules rather than treating the destination Inbox as an automatically sufficient backup of the source.
Browse Gmail & Google Account help
References
Reviewed against the linked product guidance, standards, and identified vendor or public-authority guidance on October 29, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.