Common Reasons for Not Receiving Emails on iPhone
While you may run into problems with a particular mobile app for your email provider on iPhone or iPad, which we’ll cover later, there are some common reasons that can cause issues across the board.
📌 Poor internet connection: An unstable connection or no connection at all can delay sending and receiving emails on your mobile device.
📌 Full storage: Most email service providers place limits on the amount of storage you receive. When you reach your storage limit, you’re usually unable to send or receive messages.
📌 Service outages: There are times when outages occur for your email service provider. This can be due to routine maintenance or sudden repairs. For services like Outlook and iCloud Mail, you can visit the Microsoft Service Health and Apple System Status web pages. For other services, you can use a tool such as Downdetector.
📌 Incorrect email settings: When using your email provider’s official mobile app, you can normally just log in with your credentials. However, with third-party apps such as using Apple Mail to connect an Outlook account, you can run into misconfigured settings.
📌 Out-of-date app: It’s important to keep your mobile apps up to date to ensure they work properly. You can manually check for updates in the App Store on iPhone and iPad. Simply locate the app and look for the Update button near the app name.
If after checking the above, you’re still not receiving email on iPhone or iPad, you can look for app-specific issues. Below, you’ll find the most frequent problems experienced by users of Gmail, Outlook and Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, and iCloud Mail on iPhone.
How Clean Email Can Help
As you walk through the potential issues and fixes for each email service provider’s iPhone app, consider adding Clean Email to your mailbox management process.
This supplemental service can assist with inbox cleanup if you reach your storage limit and better control to maintain a healthy mailbox. Additionally, you can see if you’re successfully receiving messages in the Clean Email app.
Cleaning Suggestions: See recommendations for cleaning up your mailbox. You’ll see suggestions based on your previous actions allowing you to eliminate unwanted emails quickly.
Unsubscriber: Remove yourself from mailing lists to reduce inbox clutter and regain space. You can also unsubscribe in bulk.
Smart Folders: Review related emails automatically filtered into folders for you. You can then perform bulk actions to delete or trash those you no longer need.
Screener: Check messages from unknown senders before they arrive in your inbox. You can Allow those you want and Block others to keep the junk away.
Auto Clean: Create mailbox rules to manage emails based on custom conditions. You can automatically move, mark, archive, trash, or delete them for better inbox control.
Clean Email fully supports iPhone and iPad with seamless device syncing and works with all IMAP service providers. Plus, you can connect multiple accounts to manage mailboxes for various services in a single app.
💡 Clean Email is also available as a web app and on Mac desktop.
Gmail App
If you’re a Gmail user, consider the following when using the app on iPhone or iPad.
Receiving Limits
While the email limits for Gmail allow you to receive 86,400 messages per day, that number could be reached quickly if you’re the victim of a spam attack or email bomb.
Also keep in mind that the maximum number of emails you can have in your inbox depends on your available storage amount.
Storage
With a free Google account, you receive 15 GB of storage that is used across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. If you reach your limit, you may not be able to send or receive emails.
In the Gmail mobile app, tap your profile icon on the top right and you’ll see the percentage of storage used. Tap that percentage for a breakdown by service.
Sync Settings
If you can't find an email that you know you received, the issue can be due to your sync settings.
Open the left-hand menu and select Settings. Pick Data usage and open Sync settings. You can then see and adjust the number of days to sync your mail.
💡 Tip: Maybe it’s not “Why am I not receiving Gmail emails on my iPhone” but more of “Why is my Gmail app sluggish?” Learn reasons why Gmail may be so slow.
Outlook App
If it’s Outlook or Hotmail not receiving emails on iPhone, head to the Outlook app to check for these items.
Server-Side Rules
If you create server-side rules in the Outlook desktop or web app to automatically manage messages, you may have to look in specific spots for the emails. For instance, if you create a rule to move certain messages to a folder, access that folder in the Outlook mobile app menu.
📌 Note that you can’t currently create or edit rules in the Outlook app for iPhone, but server-side rules do apply when receiving emails on mobile.
Storage
With a free account, you receive 15 GB of Outlook storage and 5 GB of Microsoft cloud storage which holds Outlook attachments. If you reach either limit, you may not be able to send or receive emails.
In the Outlook mobile app, open the left-hand menu and select Settings (gear icon). Pick Accounts, choose the account, and open Storage. You’ll then see the amounts of used storage along a breakdown per service.
Sync Settings
Like Gmail, you can adjust the number of days to sync messages in the Outlook app which can impact the messages you see.
Open the left-hand menu and select Settings. Pick Accounts, choose the account, and open Sync Settings. You’ll then see and can adjust Days of Email to Sync.
💡 Tip: For additional problems that can prevent you from receiving messages, look at our guide to fixing the Outlook not receiving emails issue.
Yahoo Mail App
Because you receive 1 TB of storage with Yahoo Mail for free, space normally isn’t the issue. Instead, the following items can cause problems receiving emails on iPhone.
Filters
When you create filters in Yahoo Mail, these filters carry over to the iPhone app. For example, if you set up a filter to automatically send particular emails to a folder or even the Trash, you’ll need to check the corresponding location in the mobile app.
📌 Note that you can’t currently create or edit filters in the Yahoo Mail app for iOS, like you can on Android devices.
Spam
While Yahoo Mail does a decent job of identifying spam, mistakes do happen. If you can’t find emails you’re expecting, head to the Spam folder to see if they landed there.
To mark an email as not spam in the Yahoo Mail app, open the Spam folder, long-press the message, and pick Not spam.
iCloud Mail
As an Apple device user, you probably have an iCloud Mail account and should consider the following when not getting your messages.
iCloud Mail Setting
When you create an iCloud Mail account, you can use it in the Mail app on iPhone and iPad once you enable it on your device.
To confirm the setting is enabled, go to Settings → [your name] → iCloud. Select Mail and verify that the Use on this iPhone toggle is turned on.
Low Data Mode
Low Data Mode conserves cellular data by reducing background usage which is handy if you have a limited data plan or want to preserve battery life. But this feature can also affect the sending and receiving of emails.
To turn off Low Data Mode, go to Settings → Cellular (or Mobile Data) → Cellular Data Options. Select Data Mode to see if a checkmark is next to Low Data Mode indicating it’s turned on. Then, choose a different data mode.
Push, Fetch, or Manual
You can set your iCloud Mail account to Push (instantly pushes new messages to your inbox), Fetch (checks for new emails at regular intervals), or Manual (displays new messages when you use Mail). If you’re not receiving emails on iPhone as expected, your account could be set to Fetch or Manual.
To confirm or change the setting, go to Settings → Apps → Mail → Mail Accounts.
Select Fetch New Data and choose your iCloud account. You’ll see the current setting with a checkmark next to it and can pick Push to change it if necessary.
Additional Troubleshooting Tips
For other things that can cause emails to disappear from your inbox or simply stop rolling in on iPhone and iPad, consider these additional possibilities and how to address them.
Fix app glitches: To repair temporary glitches in your email app, you can close and reopen it. Just access the App Switcher and drag the email app upward and off the screen. Then, use the app icon to reopen it. You can also sign out and back in or try reinstalling the email app.
Update the device: To avoid interference from outdated software, ensure you’re running the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Open the Settings and go to General → Software Update. You’ll then see if you’re using the newest version or if there’s an update.
Remove and re-add the account: If it’s a particular email account you’re having trouble with and you’re using the Apple Mail app, you can remove and re-add it. Go to Settings → Apps → Mail → Mail Accounts. You can then delete the account and add it back.
Manually refresh email: While third-party email apps along with Apple Mail should automatically push or fetch emails, you can also manually refresh your mail app on iPhone. Open the app, slide your finger down from the top of the screen, and release. You’ll see the refresh icon at the top and any new emails should appear.
Use Clean Email: As mentioned earlier, Clean Email offers a full-featured mobile app for iPhone that can help you reduce or eliminate issues with your IMAP email receiving issues. And, if you’re successfully receiving messages in Clean Email as opposed to your dedicated email app, maybe it’s time for a change!
