Where to change your email on iPhone

Your iPhone stores email addresses in two separate places, and which one you need to change depends on what you're trying to do. If you want to change the email address you use to sign into your iPhone itself (your Apple ID), you go to Settings. If you want to change the email address in the Mail app where you read messages, you change it in the Mail settings instead. They're different processes, and changing one doesn't automatically change the other.

Most people need to change their Apple ID email when they get a new email address or want to use a different one for their account. Others need to change the email account they've added to the Mail app—for example, if you set up a Gmail account years ago and now want to use a different Gmail address. This guide covers both.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Apple ID email (the one you use to sign into your iPhone) and your Mail app email accounts are separate and require different steps to change.
  • To change your Apple ID email, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Account, then tap Edit and change the email under "Reachable At".
  • To change an email account in the Mail app, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, select the account, and edit the email address in the account settings.
  • After you change your Apple ID email, Apple sends a verification code to your new address—you must enter it to complete the change.
  • If you change a Mail account email, you may need to re-enter your password for that email provider so your iPhone can still receive messages.

Changing your Apple ID email address

Your Apple ID is the account you use to sign into your iPhone, read apps, and use iCloud. To change the email address attached to it, open Settings and tap your name at the top. Then tap Account, and look for the email address listed under "Reachable At"—this is the email Apple uses to contact you and the one you can use to sign in.

Tap Edit in the top right corner. You'll see a list of email addresses: your primary email (the one with an @ symbol next to it) and any secondary emails you've added. To change your primary email, tap the @ symbol next to it, then tap "Change Email Address". Type your new email, then tap Next. Apple will send a verification code to your new email address—check that inbox and enter the code on your iPhone to confirm the change. This usually takes a few minutes.

If you only want to add a secondary email address (one you can use to sign in but isn't your main contact address), tap the + symbol instead and enter the new address. You'll still need to verify it with a code. You can have multiple secondary emails, but only one primary email at a time.

Changing an email account in the Mail app

If you've added an email account to your iPhone's Mail app—like Gmail, Outlook, or your work email—and you want to change which email address that account uses, the process is different from changing your Apple ID. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Mail, then tap Accounts. You'll see a list of all the email accounts you've added to your iPhone.

Tap the account you want to change. On the next screen, tap Edit in the top right. Scroll down to find the email address field (it's usually labeled "Email" or "Username") and tap it to change the address. Type the new email address, then tap Done. Your iPhone will try to verify the new address with the email provider's server. If it asks for a password, enter the password for that email account—this is how your iPhone confirms it has permission to access the account.

After you save the change, your iPhone will start receiving mail at the new address. Any emails already downloaded to your iPhone from the old address will stay there, but new messages will come to the new address instead.

What happens after you change your email

When you change your Apple ID email, Apple sends a notification to both your old and new email addresses. The old address gets a message saying your Apple ID email has changed; the new address gets a confirmation. If you didn't make the change, you can go back to your Apple ID account online and undo it within a short window.

When you change an email account in the Mail app, your iPhone when ready stops checking the old address for new messages. If you still need to receive mail at the old address, don't delete it from your Mail accounts—instead, leave it there and add the new address as a separate account. That way you can check both.

If you can't verify your new email

When you change your Apple ID email, you must enter a verification code that Apple sends to the new address. If you don't see the code, check your spam or junk folder—sometimes email providers filter Apple's messages by mistake. If the code still doesn't arrive after a few minutes, go back to Settings > [Your Name] > Account and try the change again.

If you're changing an email account in Mail and your iPhone says the password is wrong, the issue is usually that the email provider requires a special password for apps. Gmail, for example, requires an "App Password" instead of your regular password if you have two-factor security turned on. Check your email provider's support page for instructions on creating an app-specific password, then enter that instead of your regular password.

Removing an email account entirely

If you don't want to change an email address but want to remove it from your iPhone completely, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap the account, then tap Delete Account at the bottom. This removes the account from Mail and stops your iPhone from syncing with it, but it doesn't delete the account itself—you can add it back later if you change your mind.

Removing an email account from Mail does not affect your Apple ID. If the email you're removing is your Apple ID email, you'll need to change your Apple ID to a different email first, then remove the old one from Mail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my Apple ID email to an email I've never used before?

Yes. Type any email address you own or have access to, and Apple will send a verification code to it. You must be able to receive that code to complete the change, so make sure you can access the inbox of the new email address before you start.

If I change my Apple ID email, do I have to change my Mail app email too?

No. Your Apple ID email and your Mail app email accounts are completely separate. You can change one without touching the other. Many people have an Apple ID email that's different from the email accounts they use in Mail.

What if I forget the verification code Apple sends?

The code expires after 15 minutes. If it expires, go back to Settings > [Your Name] > Account > Edit and try changing your email again. Apple will send a new code to your new email address.

Will changing my email address sign me out of my iPhone?

No. Changing your Apple ID email keeps you signed in. You'll still be able to use your iPhone normally, read apps, and access iCloud. The new email is just the address Apple uses to contact you and the one you can use to sign in next time.

Can I change my email address on my iPhone if I don't have internet?

You need internet to change your Apple ID email because Apple has to send you a verification code. You also need internet to change a Mail account email because your iPhone has to verify the new address with the email provider's server. Make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data before you start.