Adding an email account takes about five minutes and requires your email address and password

The Mail app on your phone or computer stores login information for one or more email accounts so you can read and send messages without opening a web browser. To add an account, you open the Mail app's settings, choose to add a new account, and enter your email address and password. The app then connects to your email provider's servers and downloads your messages. The exact steps differ slightly depending on whether you use an iPhone, Android phone, Windows computer, or Mac.

Before you start, have your email address and password ready. If you use two-factor authentication on your email account — a security feature that requires a second verification step when you log in — you may need to create an app-specific password instead of using your regular password. Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo all support this. Your email provider's help page will tell you whether you need one.

Key Takeaways

  • You need your full email address and password to add an account to Mail; if your email uses two-factor authentication, you may need to generate an app-specific password first.
  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account; on Android, open Gmail or your email app and tap your profile picture, then Add Another Account.
  • On Windows, open Mail > Settings > Accounts > Add Account; on Mac, open Mail > Preferences > Accounts > Add Account.
  • After you enter your credentials, the app automatically detects your email provider and configures the connection — you do not need to know server addresses or port numbers.
  • If the app cannot connect, check that your password is correct and that your email provider allows third-party apps to access your account.

Adding an account on iPhone

Open the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Mail. Tap Accounts, then tap Add Account. A list of common email providers appears: iCloud, Exchange, Google, Yahoo, and AOL. If your email is with one of these, tap it and enter your email address and password, then tap Next. If your email is with a different provider, tap Other and enter your email address and password.

The Mail app will now contact your email provider's servers to verify your credentials and read your account settings. This usually takes 10 to 30 seconds. Once it succeeds, you will see a list of data types — Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Reminders — with toggles next to each. Turn on Mail (it is on by default) and turn on any other data types you want to sync. Tap Save. Your account is now added and Mail will begin downloading your messages.

Adding an account on Android

If you use Gmail, open the Gmail app. Tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then tap Add Another Account. Tap Google and sign in with your email address and password. Follow the on-screen prompts to grant Gmail permission to access your account. If you use a different email provider, open the email app that came with your phone or read the provider's official app from the Google Play Store.

In most third-party email apps, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left, then tap Settings or Accounts. Tap Add Account or the plus icon. Enter your email address and password. The app will verify your credentials and configure the connection. If the app asks for server settings, check your email provider's support page — most providers list this information online, though the app usually detects it automatically.

Adding an account on Windows

Open the Mail app. Click the gear icon in the bottom left corner to open Settings. Click Accounts in the left sidebar, then click Add Account. A window will appear asking you to choose your email provider. Select your provider from the list — Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, iCloud, or Other. Enter your email address and password, then click Next.

Windows Mail will contact your email provider to verify your information. Once it succeeds, you will see options for what data to sync: Mail, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks. Check the boxes for the data types you want, then click Done. Your account is now added and Mail will begin downloading your messages and calendar events.

Adding an account on Mac

Open the Mail app from your Applications folder or Launchpad. Click Mail in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then click Preferences. Click the Accounts tab. Click the plus icon in the bottom left corner to add a new account. Enter your full name, email address, and password, then click Create.

Mail will attempt to automatically detect your email provider's settings. If it succeeds, your account is added and Mail will begin downloading messages. If it cannot detect your settings, you will see a message asking you to enter server information manually. Check your email provider's support page for the incoming mail server address, outgoing mail server address, and port numbers. Enter these details and click Create.

What to do if the app cannot connect

The most common reason the Mail app cannot connect is an incorrect password. Double-check that you typed your password correctly, paying attention to uppercase and lowercase letters. If your password is correct, your email provider may require an app-specific password instead of your regular password. This is common with Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo when two-factor authentication is turned on.

To create an app-specific password, log into your email account on the provider's website, go to your security or account settings, and look for an option to generate an app password. Copy the password the provider gives you and paste it into the Mail app instead of your regular password. If you still cannot connect, check whether your email provider blocks third-party apps by default. Some corporate email systems do this for security reasons. Contact your email provider's support team for help.

Managing multiple accounts in Mail

Once you have added one account, you can add more by repeating the steps above. Mail will display all your accounts in the sidebar or account list. When you compose a new message, you can choose which account to send from by clicking or tapping the From field and selecting the account you want to use.

If you want to remove an account, go back to the settings where you added it — Settings > Mail > Accounts on iPhone, Settings > Accounts on Windows, or Preferences > Accounts on Mac — find the account in the list, and tap or click the delete or remove option. Removing an account from Mail does not delete your email or close your email account; it only stops Mail from downloading messages from that account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know my email server address to add an account?

No. The Mail app automatically detects your email provider's server settings once you enter your email address and password. You only need to enter server information manually if the app cannot detect it automatically, which is rare with major providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.

What is an app-specific password and when do I need one?

An app-specific password is a separate password your email provider generates for use with third-party apps like Mail. You need one if your email account has two-factor authentication turned on. Create it in your email provider's security settings, then paste it into Mail instead of your regular password.

Can I add the same email account to Mail on multiple devices?

Yes. You can add the same email account to Mail on your phone, tablet, and computer. Each device will read and store its own copy of your messages. Changes you make on one device — like deleting a message — may not appear on the others when ready, depending on your email provider's settings.

Will adding an account to Mail delete my emails from the web?

No. Adding an account to Mail only downloads a copy of your messages to that device. Your emails remain on your email provider's servers and in any other apps or devices where you have added the account. Deleting a message in Mail may delete it from the server depending on your settings, but adding the account itself does not affect your emails.

What should I do if Mail keeps asking for my password?

Mail may repeatedly ask for your password if your credentials are incorrect, if your email provider has blocked the connection, or if you need an app-specific password. Check that your password is typed correctly, verify that your email provider allows third-party apps, and create an app-specific password if your account uses two-factor authentication.