How to Set Up Email on an iPhone (Any Provider)

Apple's Mail app on iPhone supports Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and most other email providers. For well-known services, setup is almost entirely automatic. For business or custom domain email, you may need a few server details from your provider.

Automatic Setup for Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and iCloud

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Mail, then tap Accounts.
3. Tap Add Account.
4. Choose your provider from the list (Google, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, etc.).
5. Sign in with your email address and password. If your account uses two-factor authentication, you will be prompted for a verification code.
6. Choose what you want to sync (Mail, Contacts, Calendars) and tap Save.

Your inbox should appear in the Mail app within a minute or two.

Manual Setup for Custom or Business Email

If your provider is not listed, tap Other on the Add Account screen, then Add Mail Account. You will need:

• Your name — shown to recipients
• Email address and password
• Incoming mail server (e.g., mail.yourdomain.com, port 993 for IMAP with SSL)
• Outgoing mail server (SMTP) (e.g., mail.yourdomain.com, port 587 with STARTTLS)

Your hosting provider or IT department should be able to supply these details. Many web hosts also publish them in their help center.

After Setup: Check That Mail Is Arriving

Open the Mail app and pull down on the inbox to refresh. If you have multiple accounts, tap Mailboxes at the top left to see an All Inboxes view.

Troubleshooting

If the account fails to verify, double-check the server addresses and ports. For Gmail specifically, make sure you are using an App Password if two-factor authentication is on — Google does not allow your regular password for third-party apps. You can generate an App Password at myaccount.google.com > Security > App Passwords.

Still stuck? Ask us with your email provider name and the error message you see.