How to add your email to iPhone or iPad

If you have created an email account in cPanel, you can add it to the built-in Mail app on your iPhone or iPad. Once configured, you can send and receive email directly from your device using secure IMAP and SMTP connections.

Add your email account in the Mail app

The Mail app on iOS and iPadOS supports manual account setup, which lets you specify your own incoming and outgoing server details. The steps below apply to iPhone and iPad.

1. Open the Settings app.
   Tap Settings on your home screen.
2. Navigate to mail accounts.
   Scroll down and tap Mail, then tap Accounts, then tap Add Account.
3. Select Other.
   Tap Other at the bottom of the provider list, then tap Add Mail Account.
4. Enter your account details.
   Fill in the following fields:
   Name – the name recipients will see when you send email.
   Email – your full email address, for example you@yourdomain.co.uk.
   Password – the password you set for this mailbox in cPanel.
   Description – a label for this account as it appears in the Mail app.
   Tap Next.

5. Select IMAP and enter server details.
   At the top of the next screen, select IMAP. Then fill in the server fields:
   Under Incoming Mail Server:
   Host Name – mail.yourdomain.co.uk or your server hostname.
   User Name – your full email address.
   Password – your mailbox password.
   Under Outgoing Mail Server:
   Host Name – the same hostname as above.
   User Name – your full email address.
   Password – your mailbox password.
   Tap Next.
6. Save the account.
   Leave Mail toggled on. Tap Save. The account will now appear in your accounts list.

Confirm your SSL and port settings

After saving the account, you should verify that SSL is active and the correct ports are set. Without SSL, your email credentials and messages are transmitted without encryption.

1. Open the account settings.
   In Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap the account you just added, then tap the email address under IMAP.
2. Check outgoing mail settings.
   Tap SMTP, then tap the entry under Primary Server. Confirm the following:
   Server – On
   Use SSL – On
   Authentication – Password
   Server Port – 587 or 465
   Tap Done, then tap Account in the top left to go back.
3. Check incoming mail settings.
   Tap Advanced. Scroll to the bottom and confirm the following:
   Use SSL – On
   Authentication – Password
   IMAP Path Prefix – INBOX
   Server Port – 993
   Tap Account in the top left, then tap Done in the top right.

Your account is now fully configured. Open the Mail app and your inbox should begin loading messages.

Configure sent item storage

By default, iPhone Mail stores sent items locally on your device only. This means emails you send from your iPhone do not appear in your sent folder when you check email on other devices or through webmail. You can change this behaviour to store sent items on the server.

1. Open your account settings.
   Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts and tap the email account you just added.
2. Access advanced settings.
   Tap the email address under IMAP or POP, then scroll down and tap Advanced.
3. Change the sent mailbox location.
   Under Mailbox Behaviors, tap Sent Mailbox. You will see two sections: On My iPhone and On the Server.
4. Select the server location.
   In the On the Server section, tap Sent or Sent Items. This tells iPhone Mail to store copies of sent emails on your mail server.
5. Save your changes.
   Tap the back arrow in the top left until you return to the Accounts screen. Your changes save automatically. Sent items now synchronise across all your devices.

Troubleshooting

Mail cannot connect to the server

This usually means the hostname, username or password was entered incorrectly, or the required ports are blocked on your network.

• Double-check that the hostname matches exactly what is shown in your cPanel email settings.
• Confirm your username is the full email address, not just the local part before the @ symbol.
• Try connecting on a different network to rule out port blocking by your ISP or router.
• Verify that an SSL certificate is active on your domain if you are using mail.yourdomain.co.uk as the hostname.

Emails send but do not arrive

If outgoing mail appears to send but recipients do not receive it, your domain’s sending records may need attention.

• Check that your domain has a valid SPF record. See our guide on adding or editing SPF records.
• Review your DMARC record configuration. See our guide on setting up a DMARC record in cPanel.
• Check whether your sending IP has been flagged. See our guide on what to do if your email is blocked for spam.

Wrapping up

You have added your cPanel email account to the Mail app on your iPhone or iPad. Your device is now configured to send and receive mail over encrypted IMAP and SMTP connections using the correct ports and SSL settings.

If you use other devices or clients, see our guides on setting up email in Outlook, adding email on Android and adding your email to iCloud. You can also access your mailbox from any browser using our guide on logging in to webmail.

All of our hosting plans include email hosting as standard. Visit our cPanel hosting page to find a plan that suits your needs.