The fastest way to change your email on iPhone
To change the email address on your iPhone, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap the account you want to change, then tap Account at the top of that screen. From there, you can edit the email address in the Email field. After you save the change, your iPhone will verify the new address with your email provider before it takes effect.
The exact steps depend on what kind of email account you have — Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or a work account — because each one stores your email differently. Some accounts let you change the address right on your phone. Others require you to change it through the provider's website first, then update it on your iPhone afterward. Knowing which type you have saves you time and prevents errors.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo accounts can be edited directly on your iPhone through Settings > Mail > Accounts, but the change must be confirmed by your email provider.
- Work or school email accounts often cannot be changed on your phone at all — you must contact your IT department or administrator first.
- If you want to add a new email address without removing the old one, you can add a second account in Mail instead of replacing the first.
- After you change your email address, check that Mail is still receiving messages and that your contacts have your new address.
Changing email for Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo accounts
Open Settings on your iPhone and scroll down to Mail. Tap Accounts, then select the account whose email you want to change. Tap Account at the top of the screen (not "Advanced" or other options). You will see a field labeled Email with your current address. Tap that field and type your new email address, then tap Done in the top right corner.
Your iPhone will send a verification message to the new address. Check the inbox of your new email account — you should receive a message from Apple or your email provider asking you to confirm the change. Click the link in that message or follow the instructions to verify. Until you do, your iPhone will not receive new mail at the new address, though old messages will still be there.
If you do not receive a verification message within a few minutes, check your spam or junk folder. If nothing appears after 10 minutes, go back to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap the account again, and make sure the new address was saved correctly. If the address keeps reverting to the old one, your email provider may not recognize the new address yet — wait a few hours and try again.
Changing email for work or school accounts
Work and school email accounts — often called Exchange, Office 365, or corporate accounts — usually cannot be changed on your iPhone at all. These accounts are managed by your organization's IT department, not by you. If you need to change the email address associated with your work account, contact your IT support team or help desk first. They will make the change in their system, and your iPhone will update automatically the next time it syncs.
Do not try to edit the email address directly on your phone for a work account. If you do, your iPhone may lose the connection to your organization's mail server, and you will stop receiving work email. If this happens, go back to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap the work account, and tap Delete Account. Then ask your IT department for the correct setup instructions and add the account again from scratch.
Adding a second email address instead of replacing the first
If you want to keep using your old email address but also add a new one, you do not have to replace anything. Open Settings > Mail > Accounts and tap Add Account at the bottom. Choose the type of account (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or other), then sign in with your new email address and password. Your iPhone will now check both addresses for new mail.
Having two email accounts on your iPhone is useful if you are switching providers gradually or if you use one address for personal mail and another for work or projects. You can set which account is the default for sending mail by going to Settings > Mail > Default Account. Mail will still receive messages for both accounts regardless of which one you choose as default.
What happens to your old messages when you change your email
Changing your email address on your iPhone does not delete any of your old messages. Mail stores your past emails on the provider's server, and they stay there even after you change the address associated with the account. When you verify your new email address, your iPhone reconnects to the same mailbox, so you will see all your old messages exactly where they were.
However, if you delete the account from your iPhone before changing the email address, those messages will be removed from your phone (though they remain on the provider's server). If you need to keep a copy of important emails, export them or take screenshots before you delete the account. After you have changed the address and verified it, you can add the account back to your iPhone and all the messages will reappear.
Fixing problems after you change your email
If Mail stops working after you change your email address, the most common cause is that the verification did not complete. Go back to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap the account, and look for a message that says "Verify Account" or "Verification Required." Tap that message and follow the steps to verify your new address again. If you still do not see a verification prompt, try signing out and signing back in: tap the account, scroll to the bottom, tap Delete Account, then add it again with your new email address.
If you changed your email address through your provider's website but your iPhone is still showing the old address, your phone may not have synced yet. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap the account, and tap Done without making any changes. This forces your iPhone to check for updates. If the old address still appears after a few minutes, try turning off Mail in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud (if it is an iCloud account) or signing out and back in for other account types.
Updating contacts and other services with your new email
Changing your email on your iPhone does not automatically tell your contacts or other services that you have a new address. After you change your email, send a message to your important contacts letting them know your new address. Update your email in any online accounts where it is listed — social media, banking, shopping sites, and work systems — so that password resets and notifications go to the right place.
If you use iCloud, your Apple ID email may be different from your Mail account email. Changing your Mail email does not change your Apple ID. If you want to change your Apple ID email as well, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security > Edit and follow the steps there. This is a separate process and requires additional verification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my email address on iPhone without losing my messages?
Yes. Your messages stay on your email provider's server regardless of what address is connected to the account. When you verify your new email address on your iPhone, you will see all your old messages in the same folders where they were before.
What if my email provider does not send a verification message?
Check your spam and junk folders first — verification messages sometimes end up there. If you still do not see it after 10 minutes, wait a few hours and try changing the address again. Some providers take time to process new addresses. If the problem continues, contact your email provider's support team directly.
Do I have to change my email on my computer too?
Not necessarily. If you use the same email account on multiple devices, changing it on your iPhone will not automatically change it on your computer. You will need to update it separately on each device. However, if you use iCloud Mail, the change will sync across all your Apple devices automatically.
What if I accidentally deleted my email account from iPhone?
Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account, choose your email provider, and sign in again with your email address and password. Your iPhone will reconnect to your mailbox and download your messages again. This does not delete anything permanently — your emails are still on the provider's server.
Can I use two different email addresses on the same iPhone?
Yes. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account and sign in with your second email address. Your iPhone will check both accounts for new mail. You can set which one is the default for sending by going to Settings > Mail > Default Account.