Add the account
- Open Settings, find Apps and Mail, then choose Mail Accounts and Add Account. Labels vary slightly by iOS version.
- Select Microsoft Exchange, Google or another listed provider when applicable. For standard hosting email, choose Other and Add Mail Account.
- Enter your name, full email address, password and a useful description.
- Choose IMAP for synchronisation across devices. Enter the incoming and outgoing hostnames supplied by the provider.
- Use the full email address as the username unless instructed otherwise. Save and test sending and receiving.
Secure port guidance
IMAP commonly uses port 993 with SSL/TLS. Authenticated SMTP commonly uses port 465 with SSL/TLS or 587 with STARTTLS. Your provider’s documentation is authoritative. Avoid old mobile-network SMTP servers and do not accept an untrusted certificate.
If the account will not verify
Check the hostname, username, password and encryption settings. Multi-factor authentication may require a provider sign-in flow or app password. Confirm that the mailbox is active and not over quota.
IMAP versus POP3
IMAP is recommended for most users because mail stays synchronised between the iPhone, computer and webmail. Use POP3 only when you understand its download-and-storage behaviour.