How to add any email account to your iPhone

 Posted on June 30, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  778 words  |  Sherie Connelly
2019-04-09T14:49:00Z
  • You can add most email accounts to your iPhone with just a username and password.
  • Certain email accounts — like POP, IMAP, and Exchange — may require additional information, including server names and possibly server port numbers. Check with your email provider for this information.
  • Once configured, all of your email is available in a single integrated inbox on your iPhone. You can also install third-party email apps if you prefer, which have their own account-adding processes.
  • Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Adding email accounts to your iPhone is usually a quick and painless affair. And once done, you can read and respond to all of your email messages from a single integrated inbox.

To get started, round up all of your email usernames and passwords. This might be all you need, but if you have an IMAP account hosted by an email service or a corporate Exchange server, you might need additional information.

How to add a webmail account to your iPhone

1. Start the Settings app.

2. Tap "Passwords and Accounts."

You can add any kind of email account to your iPhone’s Mail app via Settings. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Tap "Add Account."

4. Choose the kind of email account you want to add. Popular webmail services like iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, and Outlook.com are fairly straightforward. When requested, enter your username or email address, and then add the password.

5. Depending on how much mail is in your inbox, it may take up to a few minutes for your Mail app to update and show all your mail.

Choose the kind of email account you want to add – but for POP and IMAP, tap “Other.” Dave Johnson/Business Insider

How to add an email account manually

Certain kinds of email accounts require more steps. If you have a POP or IMAP account, for example, you may need information like the host server name and password, and possibly server port numbers.  Your email provider almost certainly provides detailed step-by-step instructions, including the correct names and numbers – perform a Google search for "[name of email provider] email setup on iPhone."

Here are the general steps:

1. Start the Settings app.

2. Tap "Passwords and Accounts."

3. Tap "Add Account."

4. If you're setting up a POP or IMAP email account, tap "Other" and then tap "Add Mail Account." If you're adding a Microsoft Exchange account, tap "Exchange."

5. Complete the New Account form, entering all of the information that's requested. As you complete each page, tap Next. Your phone will attempt to validate your email information with each step along the way, so it'll try to advise you if you entered information incorrectly. If you can't complete the process because you don't have enough information, you might want to contact your email provider's technical support.

IMAP and POP accounts require additional information, which you can usually find on the email provider’s web site. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

Mail alternatives

After you add email accounts to your phone, they'll appear in the Mail app. But that's not your only option.

There are a number of third-party mail apps you can try instead, including Microsoft Outlook. If you prefer, you can install separate apps for each of your webmail services. Google offers a custom Gmail app, while Yahoo offers its own Yahoo Mail app.

Keep in mind that if you install any of these apps, they will have their own account setups; they won't use the information stored in "Passwords and Accounts."

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

spanDave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider./span Dave Johnson Freelance Writer Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider. Read more Read less

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