Add Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook to iPhone Mail
iPhone's built-in Mail app can show all your email accounts in one place. Here's how to add Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Outlook in a few easy steps.
3 min read · 5 steps · Checked April 2026
Step 1. Open iPhone Settings and Tap "Mail"
Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap "Mail." Tap "Accounts." You see a list of any accounts already added. Tap "Add Account" at the bottom of the list.
Step 2. Choose Your Email Provider
A list of popular providers appears: Google (Gmail), Yahoo, Hotmail/Outlook, AOL, and iCloud. Tap your provider. If yours is not listed, tap "Other" at the bottom.
Step 3. Sign In to Your Email Account
For Gmail: tap "Continue" and a Google sign-in page appears. Enter your Gmail address and password. Google may ask you to verify with two-factor authentication. Tap "Allow" to grant iOS access to your Gmail.
For Yahoo or Outlook: enter your email address and password on the sign-in screen.
Quick Tip
If your Gmail account has two-factor authentication, you may receive a verification code via text or an Authenticator app. Have your phone ready to receive this code.
Step 4. Choose What to Sync
After signing in, iOS asks what you want to sync: Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Notes. Toggle on what you want — at minimum, keep "Mail" toggled on. Tap "Save." The account is added.
Step 5. View Your Email in the Mail App
Open the Mail app. Tap the "Mailboxes" button (top left) to see all your accounts. Tap "All Inboxes" to see messages from all accounts together, or tap a specific account to view only that inbox. Compose a new email and tap the "From" field to choose which account to send from.
Quick Tip
To set a default "From" account for new emails, go to SettingsMailDefault Account and select your preferred sending account.
iPhone's built-in Mail app can display all your email accounts — Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Outlook/Hotmail, iCloud, and more — in one unified inbox. Instead of opening separate apps for each email address, you see all your messages together in one place, or view each account separately.
This is especially useful if you have an older email account (like a Hotmail or Yahoo address used for years) alongside a newer Gmail address. Adding both to the Mail app means you never miss a message from either account.
Adding an email account to iPhone Mail takes about two minutes. You go into the iOS Settings app — not the Mail app itself — and choose your email provider from a list of popular options. For Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, and iCloud, iOS knows the server settings automatically and handles setup for you.
Once added, the Mail app shows all accounts in a combined inbox or lets you view each account separately. You can reply to messages using any of your linked email addresses by selecting the "From" field when composing a new email.
Mail also syncs your contacts and calendar events if you choose. When adding a Gmail account, iOS may ask if you want to import Gmail contacts to your iPhone's Contacts app and Gmail calendar events to your Calendar app — this is optional but convenient.
If you prefer using a dedicated app (like the Gmail app), you do not need to add your Gmail to the built-in Mail app — both approaches work. And it is a matter of personal preference.
Official sources
- Apple Support — support.apple.com
- iPhone User Guide — support.apple.com
- AppleCare contact options — support.apple.com
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