To set up Apple Mail on a Mac, open Mail, choose Mail > Add Account, enter your email address and follow the prompts. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account. Mail sets up iCloud, Gmail, Outlook.com, Exchange and Yahoo accounts automatically; for other providers you enter the server settings yourself.
The steps below were checked against Apple's guides for macOS 27 and iOS 27. After that you'll find the settings worth changing, quick fixes for setup problems, and answers to common questions.
How to set up Apple Mail on a Mac
To add an email account to Mail on a Mac:
- Open the Mail app.
- Choose Mail > Add Account.
- Enter your email address and click Continue. If you'd rather pick your provider, click choose from a list instead.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to sign in and finish adding the account.
Apple's full instructions are in Add and manage email accounts in Mail on Mac.
Use an account that's already on your Mac
If you already use an account on your Mac for Contacts, Calendar or Messages, you don't need to add it again. Choose Mail > Accounts to open Internet Accounts in System Settings, click the account, then make sure Mail is turned on.
Add iCloud Mail
iCloud Mail is set up in System Settings rather than in Mail. Open System Settings, click your name at the top of the sidebar, click iCloud, then under Saved to iCloud click Mail and turn on Sync this Mac. Our guide to the difference between Apple Mail and iCloud Mail explains how the app and the service fit together.
Pick the right provider for Outlook, Hotmail and other addresses
The provider isn't always obvious from your address. According to Apple's provider list:
- @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, @msn.com: choose Microsoft Exchange on a Mac, and Outlook.com on iPhone or iPad.
- Work or school Microsoft 365 accounts: choose Microsoft Exchange.
- @gmail.com: choose Google.
- @yahoo.com and several ISP addresses such as @att.net, @sbcglobal.net and @comcast.net: choose Yahoo.
- Anything else: choose Other and set the account up manually.
If you picked the wrong provider, remove the account and add it again. Otherwise Mail may tell you the account already exists.
Enter server settings manually (IMAP or POP)
When Mail can't find your settings, it asks for them. Get the exact values from your email provider, then enter:
- Account type: IMAP or POP. IMAP keeps your mail on the server, so it stays in sync across devices.
- Incoming mail server: host name, user name and password.
- Outgoing mail server (SMTP): host name, user name and password.
Mail manages ports and authentication automatically by default. To set them yourself later, choose Mail > Settings, click Accounts, select the account, click Server Settings, then deselect Automatically manage connection settings. Apple describes each field in Change Server Settings in Mail on Mac.
As an example, Apple publishes iCloud Mail's server settings for other apps: incoming imap.mail.me.com on port 993 with SSL, outgoing smtp.mail.me.com on port 587 with SSL or TLS, and an app-specific password. iCloud Mail doesn't support POP.
Turn off or remove an account on a Mac
- Pause an account: choose Mail > Settings, click Accounts, select the account and deselect Enable this account.
- Remove an account: in the same pane, select the account and click the Remove (−) button. If other apps use the account, Mail sends you to System Settings > Internet Accounts, where you turn Mail off for that account.
Removing an account deletes its messages from your Mac, but copies stay on the mail server. If you aren't sure everything you need is on the server, copy it to a mailbox under On My Mac first.
How to set up Mail on iPhone and iPad
When you first open Mail, it asks you to set up an account. To add another one:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps, then tap Mail.
- Tap Mail Accounts, then tap Add Account.
- Enter your email address and tap Next. To pick a provider such as iCloud, Microsoft Exchange or Google, tap choose from a list.
- Enter your password or sign in when asked, tap Next if you see it, then tap Save.
These steps match Apple's article Add an email account to your iPhone or iPad. On older versions (iOS 17 and earlier), Mail settings sit directly under Settings > Mail instead of Settings > Apps > Mail.
Apple Support's own video shows the same steps on iPhone:
Set up an account manually on iPhone
- Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts and tap Add Account.
- Enter your email address and tap Next.
- Tap Add Other Account, then tap Mail Account.
- Enter your name, email address, password and a description, then tap Next.
- If Mail can't find your settings, choose IMAP or POP and enter the incoming and outgoing mail server details from your provider.
- Tap Save. If a setting is wrong, Mail asks you to edit it.
Turn off or remove an account on iPhone
Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts and tap the account. For iCloud, turn off Use on this iPhone; for other accounts, turn off Mail. To remove the account from your iPhone, tap Sign Out or Delete Account. This doesn't close the account itself. Apple covers these options in Add and remove email accounts on iPhone.
Apple Mail settings worth changing
On a Mac, all of these are in Mail > Settings. On iPhone and iPad, most are in Settings > Apps > Mail.
Default email app
- Mac: Mail > Settings > General > Default email reader.
- iPhone: Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Email.
Signatures
- Mac: choose Mail > Settings, click Signatures, select an account, then click the Add (+) button. You can format text, add links and drag in an image. If you use iCloud Drive with Mail selected in its options, your signatures appear on your other Macs. Our Mac Mail signature guide goes into more detail.
- iPhone: go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Signature. Tap Per Account for a different signature on each account. iPhone signatures are text only.
Notifications
- Mac: in Mail > Settings > General, choose which mailbox sends new message notifications (for example, VIPs only) and the new message sound. To change the style or turn them off, go to System Settings > Notifications > Mail.
- iPhone: go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Notifications, then tap Customize Notifications to set alerts and badges per account.
On both, a Focus filter can limit Mail to certain accounts, such as only your work account during work hours.
VIPs
Mail gives VIP senders their own VIPs mailbox. On a Mac, move the pointer next to the sender's name in a message header and click the star; you can have up to 100 VIPs. On iPhone, tap the sender's name in a message, then tap Add to VIP. Apple explains VIPs and flags in Mark emails to revisit later.
Smart Mailboxes (Mac)
A Smart Mailbox collects every email that matches rules you set, such as a sender or subject, wherever the messages are stored. Choose Mailbox > New Smart Mailbox, name it, set the conditions and click OK. Deleting a Smart Mailbox doesn't delete the emails in it. See our guide to Smart Mailboxes in Mac Mail for examples.
Undo Send
After you send an email, you have 10 seconds by default to pull it back. On a Mac, click Undo Send at the bottom of the sidebar or choose Edit > Undo. On iPhone, tap Undo Send at the top of the inbox.
- Mac: change the time in Mail > Settings > Composing > Undo send delay. The options are Off, 10, 20 or 30 seconds.
- iPhone: go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Undo Send Delay and choose a delay of up to 30 seconds.
Send Later
On a Mac, click the Send Later button in the message window and choose a time, such as 9:00 PM tonight or 8:00 AM tomorrow, or choose Send Later to set your own date and time. On iPhone, touch and hold the Send button, then choose when to send. Scheduled emails wait in the Send Later mailbox, where you can edit or cancel them. Apple's Send email messages page covers both Undo Send and Send Later on the Mac.
Remind Me and follow-up suggestions
To come back to an email later, Control-click it on a Mac (or swipe right with two fingers) and choose Remind Me: in 1 hour, tonight at 9 p.m., tomorrow at 8 a.m., or a custom time. On iPhone, open a Primary message, tap the Reply button, then tap Remind Me. The email moves back to the top of your inbox when the reminder goes off.
Follow-up suggestions bring a sent email back to the top of your inbox when nobody replies. On a Mac this happens after three days, and you can turn it off in Mail > Settings > General. On iPhone, the Follow Up Suggestions switch is under Messages in Settings > Apps > Mail.
Mail Privacy Protection
Mail Privacy Protection hides your IP address from senders and loads remote content privately in the background, so senders can't tell when or whether you opened their email. It doesn't cover links or attachments.
- Mac: choose Mail > Settings, click Privacy, then select Protect Mail Activity.
- iPhone: go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Privacy Protection and turn on Protect Mail Activity.
With iCloud+, you can also send from Hide My Email addresses so a recipient never sees your real address. Apple covers both in Protect email privacy in Mail on Mac.
Mail categories
Mail sorts incoming email into Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions (not in every country or region). Time-sensitive messages from the other categories also show in Primary. To move a sender, Control-click one of their messages on a Mac, or open it on iPhone, and choose Categorize Sender. To see everything in one list on iPhone, tap the More button at the top of the inbox and choose List View; on a Mac, click All Mail.
Apple Intelligence in Mail
On supported devices, Apple Intelligence adds email summaries, Smart Reply suggestions and Writing Tools to Mail. On iPhone it also shows Priority Messages, urgent emails such as a same-day invitation or a boarding pass, at the top of the inbox. Apple says these features need an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 or later, or a Mac that supports Apple Intelligence, with the device and Siri language set to a supported language. They aren't available in every region, and usage limits may apply. On a Mac, you can turn off summaries in Mail > Settings > Viewing by deselecting Summarize Message Previews. For more, see our overview of AI features in Apple Mail.
Syncing accounts across devices
Each device connects to your mail server on its own, so with IMAP, iCloud or Exchange accounts your messages and folders match everywhere. If iCloud Keychain is on, your account details stay up to date on all your devices that use it, so you don't have to add every account again on each one.
Troubleshooting Apple Mail setup
- Check the basics first. Make sure you're online, and sign in to your provider's webmail to confirm the account and password work.
- Look for the status icon. On a Mac, a warning symbol or lightning bolt next to the inbox in the sidebar means Mail has a problem with that account. Click it for details.
- Re-add the account. If you chose the wrong provider or the account keeps failing, remove it and add it again.
- Ask your provider. They can confirm your server settings and any limits on your account, such as storage or daily sending quotas.
Apple's checklist is in If you can't send or receive email on Mac. For specific problems, see our guides:
- Mac Mail not verifying your account
- Apple Mail not sending emails
- Mac Mail not updating the inbox
- Mac Mail search not working
FAQ
How do I add an email account to Apple Mail?
On a Mac, open Mail and choose Mail > Add Account, then enter your email address and follow the prompts. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account. Mail configures most providers automatically. For others, choose Other and enter your provider's server settings.
Where are Mail settings on iPhone?
In iOS 18 and later, open the Settings app, tap Apps, then tap Mail. Accounts are under Mail Accounts. In iOS 17 and earlier, Mail has its own entry in Settings.
Where are Mail settings on a Mac?
Open Mail and choose Mail > Settings. The panes are General, Accounts, Junk Mail, Fonts & Colors, Viewing, Composing, Signatures, Rules, Extensions and Privacy.
Can I use Apple Mail without iCloud?
Yes. Mail works with Gmail, Outlook.com, Exchange, Yahoo and any IMAP or POP account, with or without an iCloud Mail address.
Should I choose IMAP or POP?
Choose IMAP if your provider offers it. IMAP keeps messages on the server, so your Mac, iPhone and webmail all show the same mail. POP usually downloads messages to one device. If you're unsure, ask your provider.
Why does Mail say the account already exists?
The account is already on the device, usually because it was added earlier with the wrong provider. Remove it in Mail settings (or Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts on iPhone), then add it again with the right provider.
How long do I have to unsend an email?
10 seconds by default. On a Mac you can choose 20 or 30 seconds, or turn Undo Send off, in Mail > Settings > Composing. On iPhone, set Undo Send Delay to up to 30 seconds in Settings > Apps > Mail.
Are there alternatives to Apple Mail?
Yes. Outlook and Spark, for example, both have Mac and iPhone apps, and our list of Apple Mail alternatives compares them. Disclosure: we make Canary Mail, an email app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android with AI features and PGP encryption, used by more than 2 million people.