How to Add Email to iPhone

Where the menu is on iOS 18 and earlier

Apple moved the Mail settings in iOS 18. If you can't find them where an old tutorial says they are, that is why.

Labels shift a little between updates, so treat the names above as a guide. If Apps is missing, scroll the main Settings list and use the search field at the top; typing Mail Accounts usually gets you there in one tap.

Add a Gmail account to iPhone Mail

This is the most common request, and the easiest.

1. Open Add Account as described above and tap Google.
2. Enter your Gmail address and tap Next.
3. Enter your password. If you use two-step verification, approve the sign-in on your other device or enter the code.
4. Choose what to sync: Mail, Contacts, Calendars and Notes.
5. Tap Save.

Your inbox appears in the Mail app within a minute or so. The sign-in runs through a Google page, so Apple never needs your password stored in a settings field. If you have a work Google account, your administrator may restrict which apps can sign in, and the sign-in will fail with a policy message. That is an admin setting, not a phone problem.

Add an Outlook, Hotmail or Microsoft 365 account

For personal Outlook.com and Hotmail addresses, tap Outlook.com on the Add Account screen. For a work or school address, tap Microsoft Exchange instead.

1. Enter your full email address.
2. Tap Sign In and enter your password on the Microsoft page.
3. Approve any two-step prompt.
4. Tap Yes if asked to let iPhone access your account, then choose what to sync and tap Save.

Exchange accounts at a company often add a profile or ask you to set a passcode. Say yes; the company's policy requires it. If the automatic setup can't find the server, your IT team can give you the server address to type in manually.

Add an iCloud account

You are probably already signed in with an Apple Account, and Mail for that address is a switch, not a setup. Go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, and turn on Mail. If you want a second iCloud address, the Add Account screen lets you sign in with another Apple Account.

Some people expect to see iCloud Mail after signing in and find nothing. Check that the Mail switch under your name is on, then open the Mail app and look under Mailboxes.

Add an other email account (IMAP)

Use this for a work domain, a small business host, Yahoo or any provider that isn't listed. Tap Other, then Add Mail Account.

1. Enter your name, email address, password and a short description such as Work.
2. Tap Next. iPhone tries to find the settings itself.
3. If it can't, choose IMAP and fill in the incoming and outgoing mail server names, your username and your password. Your provider's help page lists these.
4. Tap Next, then Save.

Choose IMAP over POP when you have the option. IMAP keeps your mail on the server, so the iPhone, a laptop and a tablet all show the same inbox. One small thing while typing the address: most providers ignore capital letters, though the question of whether are email addresses case sensitive has a longer answer in its own guide.

When the account won't add or won't sync

Most failures come from a short list of causes. Work down it in order.

• Check for a typo in the address. It is the single most common cause.
• Confirm you have Wi-Fi or cellular data; the setup needs to reach the server.
• If Gmail, Yahoo or similar says the password is wrong and you know it isn't, your account may need an app-specific password, which you create in the provider's security settings.
• Make sure the provider has IMAP access turned on. Some older accounts have it off by default.
• Restart the phone and try again.
• Remove the account under Mail Accounts and add it fresh.

If mail arrives late rather than not at all, open the account in Mail Accounts and look at Fetch New Data. Push is fastest; Fetch on a schedule saves some battery. Attachments that bounce back are a separate matter; if you need to send a large video through email, a share link usually works better than an attachment.

Writing the emails once the inbox works

FlyMail is not an email client and can't read your inbox, so you keep using Apple Mail, Gmail or Outlook for receiving. What FlyMail does is write. In the Write tab you describe the email in a sentence, such as tell a client the delivery is late, and tap Write Email. In the Reply tab you paste a message you received and pick an intent like Interested or Considering.

Copy, Share or Send the draft into the mail app you just set up. Read it before you send, because a vague request gives a generic draft and AI can invent a date or a name. For a fuller look at the category, see our page on the AI email writer for iPhone.

A sample request to type or speak:

Write a short, friendly email to [Name] confirming our meeting on [date] at [time] and asking if they need anything beforehand.

Choosing a default account and removing one

With several accounts, the one used for new messages is set under Settings, Apps, Mail, Default Account (Settings, Mail on older iOS). Pick the address you want pre-filled in the From line.

To remove an account, open Mail Accounts, tap the account, then tap Delete Account. This removes the copy on your phone. Your mail stays with the provider and will show up again if you add the account back later.