Mail App not working on iPhone and iPad? Try These Easy fixes
In spite of the fact that Apple gave users the option of changing their primary email app in iOS 14, most people continue to use this stock email app for emails due to its ease and features.
On your iPhone or iPad, the Mail app may occasionally stop working, just as it does with any other app!
What is wrong with my iPhone’s Mail App?
The Mail app may not be working on the iPhone for the following reasons:
- The internet connection is poor or nonexistent
- Glitches in the software
- An older version of iOS is being used
- Errors in the app
- A problem with an email account
- The app contains corrupted files
This guide is designed to help you fix Mail not working problems on your iPhone regardless of the reason.
The steps mentioned below can be followed on any iPhone, starting with the older iPhone 6s and ending with the latest iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, or 12 Pro Max.
With this guide, you can also fix any iPad, iPad Air, or iPad Pro model crashing too often, not downloading emails, or not working properly.
How to Fix Mail App Not Working on iPhone and iPad?
Do not panic if the app doesn’t load or emails can’t be sent or received! There are a few simple fixes you can do to make the Mail app work on your iPhone again.
1. Using Mobile Data:
For iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone SE, or other models that use mobile data, follow the steps mentioned to fix the non-working Mail app.
1. Make sure that the Mail app is enabled for cellular data
You may need to enable Cellular Data in the Mail app if the Mail app is not working on your iPhone with Mobile Data.
Using the Mail app with Mobile Data restricted will prevent you from sending or receiving emails. You can do this by going to Settings > Mobile Data, scrolling down until you find the Mail option. Ensure the slider for Mail is turned on.
2. Toggle Mobile Data
In case the Mail app on your iPhone is still not working after granting access to Mobile Data, toggle Mobile Data.
On your iPhone, turn it OFF and then turn it back on. That should fix any minor network glitches. In addition, you will be able to resolve data-related issues on your device.
To access Mobile Data, go to Control Center and tap on the icon. Press the icon again after waiting a few seconds.
Alternately, you can turn off Mobile Data in Settings > Mobile Data. Turn on the slider after waiting five seconds.
3. Check your Data Plan
In some cases, you can run out of data on your iPhone, which may prevent you from sending or receiving emails.
As a result, it is advisable, therefore, to use the official app of your mobile carrier or Safari to purchase a data plan. Your mobile data may have run out if you can’t load the carrier’s app or website.
Check your network for issues if you have a plan and enough data.
4. Network Issues
It is possible that your iPhone 11 may not work with the Mail app or that there are data/network issues if the Mail app does not work on iOS 13.
Check with a friend or family member on the same network whether they can use mobile data.
This may indicate a network problem. Depending on the situation, you may want to wait a few minutes or switch to a Wi-Fi network (if available).
2. Using Wi-Fi:
You might experience issues with the Wi-Fi network and not the Mail app if you can’t load or download emails on your iPhone while using Wi-Fi.
It is possible to verify your Wi-Fi network by twitching it on and off or forgetting it and reconnecting to it. Both are common solutions to Wi-Fi problems.
3. Check your Email Id and Password
A problem with the username and/or password for that email account could prevent you from sending or downloading emails.
In such cases, you will be prompted to enter your login credentials again. Should the pop-up not appear on your iPhone, you may have to remove that email account from it and set it up again.
In addition, make sure you enter the correct email address in the Mail app on your iPhone if you can’t send an email.
Your email address may have been entered incorrectly, and that is why you are unable to send the message. Sending an email to a new e-mail address is quite normal.
Check the entered email address again to be on the safe side.
4. Check your iPhone’s storage
You may run out of storage space on your iPhone if your storage is almost full.
You may feel that the Mail app isn’t working in these instances, which means you aren’t receiving new emails. It is, however, the storage that is causing you to have problems in such a case.
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much storage your iPhone has. It will show you how much space is available to you and how much is used. For optimum performance of apps on your iPhone, make sure you have enough free storage.
5. Check Content Restrictions
Your iPhone may occasionally not display the Mail app. Be sure to check whether your
iPhone has content restrictions. If you accidentally removed Mail from your iPhone’s app list, it’s possible you disabled it by mistake.
You may be unable to open the app or it may be completely hidden on your iPhone if you have done so. When you don’t need restrictions on your iPhone or iPad, you should disable this feature.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Select Screen Time in Settings.
2. Select Content & Privacy > Apps Allowed
3. Activate Screen Time by entering the passcode.
4. Make sure the Mail slider is turned on.
6. Mail app not receiving or getting delayed emails
Getting delayed emails on your iPhone or being unable to receive emails in the Mail app? Check your email settings.
You will be able to receive your email on your iPhone based on how you set these settings.
The settings can be changed to receive more or fewer emails.
1. Navigate to Settings > Mail > Accounts
2. Tap the ‘Get New Data’ button
3. Select the settings you prefer
Depending on whether you want Mail to fetch new data regularly (for instance, every 15 minutes), you can either set it to automatically, manually or schedule it.
If the slider for Push is enabled, new data will be pushed from the server to our iPhone as soon as it is available. Automatically is set by default in iOS 11 and later. Data will be fetched only when the iPhone is charging and connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Also, ensure that your Mail app’s Notification settings are set correctly.
1. Select Notifications from Settings
2. Locate and tap Mail by scrolling down
3. Select “Allow Notifications” from the drop-down menu
4. Adjust Banner, Sound, and Badge
7. Mail App crashing unexpectedly? Re-install the app
It is possible for the Mail app on your iPhone to experience software glitches or in-app errors. A file within the app could be damaged and not function correctly, or the app itself may be corrupted.
You may be overlooking some of the possible and easy to overlook reasons why your iPhone’s Mail app is not working, is failing to respond, or is cashing too frequently.
Reboot your iPhone and install your Mail app again if you are having such issues.
If you are using an iPhone 8 or above, follow these steps to delete the Mail app:
- Hold down the Mail app icon on your home screen.
- There will be a quick action menu.
- The Mail app can be uninstalled by tapping Delete App.
- Install the Mail app again from the App Store after you have deleted the app.
8. Restart your iPhone
Restart your iPhone if that doesn’t help?
Several tech problems can be solved using this old-school technique. Using this hack you can fix situations such as when you can’t open the Mail app or if it keeps crashing.
In addition, this hack will also be useful if AirDrop and the iPhone camera aren’t working. Restarting your iPhone will remove any minor software glitch that may be interfering with your device or apps.
Your iPhone’s internal memory will also be cleared during this process, providing a new start.
You might find that your iPhone’s screen has frozen or is unresponsive and the Mail application is unresponsive.
It may be necessary to force restart the device in such cases. How to Force Restart iPhone 8 or later models:
- The volume up button should be quickly pressed and released.
- To release the volume down button, press and release it quickly.
- To activate the power or side button, hold it for a few seconds.
- If you do not see the Apple logo, continue holding the button.
- The Apple logo can only be seen on iPhone 6s and earlier.
- Press and hold the volume down and power/side buttons on the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus until the Apple logo appears.
- You can check if your problem has been fixed in the Mail app after your iPhone has booted up.
9. Determine whether the Mail server is down
The Mail app cannot be used on iPhones, iPads, or Macs if an issue with the Mail server is present. This is not a common occurrence, but it does occur occasionally.
The services of an app are not available while it is being repaired or under maintenance. You can check the status of an app by visiting Apple’s System Status Page.
This page lists recent Apple outages and updates. A yellow flag will be displayed if there are any issues with Apple’s services. All available and functioning services will be indicated with a green blob.
If the Mail server is down, nothing can be done on your end. All you can do is wait for Apple to fix the problem.
Until then, you can use the web browser or dedicated app to open your email account.
10. Set up your Email account again after removing your account
Mail on the iPhone sometimes doesn’t work properly due to a problematic email account. If your iPhone starts crashing frequently or becomes unresponsive due to frequent system upgrades, you might be facing issues related to the Mail app.
To fix account bugs, removing the problematic email account and setting it up again is the best solution.
The account will not be deleted completely. However, you’ll have to log in again once you create a new account.
In addition to deleting an email account, you will also lose your iPhone’s calendars, notes, and contacts when you delete an email account.
For instructions on removing your email account from your iPhone, follow the steps below:
1. Click on Settings
2. Go to Mail by scrolling down
3. Accounts tapped
4. Go to the Mail app on your iPhone and tap the email account you linked to it
5. Click the “Delete Account” button
6. If you want to delete the file from your iPhone, tap “Delete.”
Then, restart your iPhone after deleting the problematic email account. Add the account again when the device is restarted.
Follow these steps:
1. In Settings, select Mail > Accounts
2. Select your email provider and tap “Add Account”.
3. Type your e-mail address and password
4. Wait for your account to be verified by the Mail.
5. Browse your email account for information such as contacts and calendars
6. Tap the Save button
Using the Mail app, restart your iPhone after you’ve added your email account. Using your iPhone’s Mail app, check if you’re able to send or receive emails.
11. Update iOS
It’s time to update iOS if the Mail app isn’t sending or receiving emails after you reinstall it.
If the Mail app on your iPhone XR or iPhone 12 is not responding or crashes too often, you must update iOS. Your iPhone might experience some performance-related issues if you are using the older iOS version.
Consequently, it’s important to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS. Navigate to Settings and click on General. Click on the Software Update button. Check for any updates.
12. Reset Network Settings
If you can’t send or receive emails in the Mail app of your iPhone or the Mail app is just not working for you, it can be due to some network errors.
There can be instances when your iPhone has run into connection issues after you’ve updated iOS. The recent iOS update might have overridden your current network settings, which in turn, could have resulted in some network issues.
To fix such problems, you can reset network settings on your iPhone.
Please note that when you reset network settings on your iPhone, it will clear your saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords. These should automatically restore themselves if you’ve synchronized your Keychain with iCloud.
If not, make sure to note down the information somewhere, as you would have to enter that again. Also, the VPN information will also be reset during this process.
So, it’s important to note down the information somewhere.
Here’s how to reset network settings on your iPhone:
1. Head to Settings > General
2. Scroll down and tap Reset
3. Now, tap Reset Network Settings
4. When prompted, enter the passcode for your iPhone
5. Confirm your decision by tapping Reset Network Settings.
The phone will restart automatically after the process is completed and load the default network settings.
If you are using an iPhone 11, 12, or any other model, check if this hack fixed the Mail app not working.
13. Reset All Settings on your iPhone
You may need to reset all settings on your iOS device if the Mail app throws errors or does not work properly after updating iOS. You may experience some conflicts with the Mail app on your iPhone if your iOS software updates override your settings automatically.
You can clear all settings on your iPhone if you encounter performance or battery-related issues after updating iOS or if a specific app such as WhatsApp won’t work.
Resetting your wallpaper, wiping out your Wi-Fi passwords, and restoring other settings will make everything work again.
Your iPhone will not be deleted if you use this method. The data and settings related to websites, Wi-Fi networks, and Bluetooth connections will be wiped.
Therefore, there is no need to back up any data. Note down the Wi-Fi password since you’ll need that again.
You can reset all iPhone settings by following the steps below:
1. Click on Settings > General
2. Tap Reset at the bottom of the page
3. Press Reset All Settings
4. Tap the passcode on your iPhone
5. Reset all your iPhone’s settings once you have decided to do so
14. Factory Reset your iPhone
You can perform a factory reset if the Mail app on your iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 keeps crashing randomly or not working.
This is not a recommended method.
You can try all the other methods on the list and, if none of them work, you can resort to this step.
The iPhone will be restored to its default settings when you factory reset it. Your iPhone’s RAM will be reset to its original state.
Factory resetting your iPhone will permanently remove all the data on it, including apps and passwords.
Before you begin, you should make sure you backup your iPhone data. Our guide on how to back up any iPhone will help you if you’re a beginner and need help backing up your iPhone data.
Factory resetting your iPhone is as simple as following the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and select General
2. Tap the Reset option at the bottom of the screen.
3. Choose the option to erase all content and settings.
4. You’ll be asked whether you want to backup your data or delete it now.
5. Decide what you want to do. A menu will appear with the option to Erase iPhone.
6. Your iPhone will now be reset to factory settings. It should only take a few minutes for this to happen.
Once the process is complete, check that the Mail app on your iPhone works properly.
15. Contact Apple Support
You still haven’t succeeded? You must contact Apple support if you’ve tried everything but the Mail app still won’t work on your iPhone or if you’re simply not able to send or receive emails through the Mail app.
The iPhone’s built-in email system may have some major problems. The Apple store is the best place to get help from a professional.
Making an appointment at Apple’s Genis Bar is the best way to avoid having to wait.
Final Thoughts
We have given you all we know about what to do if the Mail app won’t work on your iPhone. Your Mail app should be working properly now that you followed this troubleshooting guide.
Did any of these tricks work for you? If so, please share in the comments below.
