If all you want is the mail in your Gmail inbox, synchronizing All Mail and your labels may not be needed. If your email program or mobile device does not allow you to unsubscribe IMAP folders, you can still hide these labels and views — and stop their mail from downloading.
Hide Folders and Labels in Gmail IMAP
To hide a Gmail folder or label from IMAP access:
- Follow the Settings link in Gmail.
- Go to Labs.
- Make sure Enable is selected under Advanced IMAP Controls.
- Click Save Changes.
- Follow the Settings link again.
- Go to Labels.
- Make sure Show in IMAP is not checked for any folder or label you want to hide from email programs and devices connecting to Gmail via IMAP.
- Hide All Mail, for example, to prevent your program from synchronizing GBs of mail. Do keep in mind, though, that moving a message to All Mail is a way of archiving when accessing Gmail via IMAP.
