How to Change Your Email Address on iPhone

Where to change your email on iPhone

You change your email address on iPhone in the Settings app, not in Mail itself. The location depends on which email account you're changing: if it's your Apple ID (the account that controls your iPhone), you go to Settings > [Your Name] > Account. If it's a regular email account you use in the Mail app—like Gmail or Outlook—you go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, then select the account and edit it there.

The steps are different because Apple ID controls your device, backups, and purchases, while Mail accounts are just inboxes you read from. Changing your Apple ID email is more involved and takes longer to process. Changing a Mail account email is faster but requires your email provider to support the change on their end.

Key Takeaways

Apple ID email changes happen in Settings > [Your Name] > Account and require you to verify both the old and new email addresses.
Mail app account changes happen in Settings > Mail > Accounts, and you may need to re-enter your password after changing the email.
If you're changing your Apple ID email, Apple sends a verification code to both addresses, and the change takes effect after you confirm both codes.
For regular Mail accounts, check with your email provider first—some providers don't allow you to change the address from your phone and require you to do it on their website.
After any email change, test sending and receiving mail to make sure the account is still working correctly.

Changing your Apple ID email address

Your Apple ID email is the account you use to sign into your iPhone, buy apps, and back up your data. To change it, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Account. Scroll down and tap Edit next to your name and photo. Tap Change Email Address. Enter your new email, then tap Continue.

Apple will send a verification code to your current email address. Check that inbox, find the code, and enter it on your phone. Then Apple sends a second code to your new email address. Check that inbox and enter the second code. Once both codes are verified, your Apple ID email officially changes. This usually takes a few minutes, but can take up to 24 hours to fully sync across all your devices.

If you don't have access to your old email anymore, you'll need to recover your Apple ID first through iforgot.apple.com before you can change the email. If you can't verify the old email, Apple may ask you to answer security questions instead.

Changing a Mail app account email address

If you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or another email provider in the Mail app, the process is simpler but depends on what your email provider allows. Open Settings, tap Mail, then tap Accounts. Select the account you want to change. Tap the email address at the top, then tap Edit.

Some providers let you change the address directly from your phone. Others require you to change it on their website first, then update it in Mail. For example, Gmail requires you to change your sending address on gmail.com before Mail will recognize the new one. Check your email provider's support page if you're unsure whether you can change it from your phone.

After you change the email, Mail may ask you to re-enter your password. Do this even if you think you already saved it—the new email address needs to be paired with your password in Mail's records. If Mail keeps asking for your password after you enter it, your email provider may not have finished processing the change yet. Wait 10 to 15 minutes and try again.

What happens to your old email address

If you're changing your Apple ID email, your old email address becomes inactive for sign-in after 30 days. During those 30 days, you can still use it to sign in if you need to, but Apple recommends using the new one. After 30 days, only the new email works. Any recovery codes or two-factor authentication settings stay tied to your account, so you won't lose access.

If you're changing a Mail account email, your old email address stays in the Mail app as a separate account unless you delete it. You can keep both accounts in Mail if you want to monitor the old one, or remove the old account entirely. To remove it, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, select the old account, scroll down, and tap Delete Account. This only removes it from Mail—it doesn't delete the actual email account with your provider.

Testing your new email after the change

After you change your email address, send yourself a test message to make sure everything is working. Open Mail, compose a new message, and send it to your new email address. Check that it arrives within a minute or two. If it doesn't arrive, or if Mail shows an error, the change may not have finished processing yet.

If you changed an Apple ID email, also test signing out and back in. Go to Settings > [Your Name], scroll to the bottom, and tap Sign Out. Then sign back in with your new Apple ID email. This confirms that the new email is fully active for sign-in. If you can't sign back in, wait a few more minutes—Apple sometimes takes longer to sync the change across its servers.

Common problems and how to fix them

If Mail keeps asking for your password after you change the email, the account settings may not have updated. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, select the account, and tap Delete Account. Then add the account again by going to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account, selecting your email provider, and entering your new email and password. This forces Mail to re-sync with the provider's servers.

If you see an error saying the email is already in use, the new email address may already be tied to another Apple ID or Mail account. Check whether you've used that email anywhere else on this iPhone or on another device. If it's tied to a different Apple ID, you'll need to use a different email address, or remove it from the other Apple ID first.

If you changed your Apple ID email but still can't sign into your iPhone with the new email, restart your phone. Go to Settings > General > Shut Down, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button to turn it back on. Restarting often fixes sync delays. If that doesn't work, try signing out and back in again as described above.

Updating other services that use your old email

Changing your email on iPhone doesn't automatically update it everywhere else. If you use your email to sign into apps, websites, or services, you'll need to update those separately. For example, if you use your Apple ID email to sign into iCloud.com, that still works, but if you've given your email to banks, social media, or work accounts, those won't know about the change.

Make a list of the important places you've used your old email—your bank, email provider's website, work systems, and any subscription services. Go to each one and update the email address in your account settings. This prevents you from missing password reset codes or important notifications sent to the old address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my Apple ID email to an email I already use for another Apple ID?

No. Each Apple ID must have a unique email address. If you want to use that email for your main Apple ID, you'll need to delete the other Apple ID first, or change the other one to a different email. You can't have two Apple IDs with the same email.

What if I don't have access to my old email address anymore?

For Apple ID, go to iforgot.apple.com and choose "I don't have access to my recovery email." Apple will ask you to verify your identity using your phone number, security questions, or a recovery key. For Mail accounts, you'll need to recover access to the old email first, or delete the account from Mail and add it again with new credentials.

Does changing my email on iPhone change it on my Mac or iPad too?

If it's your Apple ID email, the change syncs to all your devices within a few minutes. If it's a Mail account, each device has its own copy of your Mail settings, so you'll need to change it on each device separately. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts on each device and repeat the steps.

How long does it take for the email change to take effect?

For Mail accounts, it usually takes a few minutes. For Apple ID, it can take up to 24 hours to fully sync across all Apple's servers, though sign-in usually works within a few minutes after you verify both codes. If you need to sign in right away, wait at least 5 minutes after verification before trying.

Can I change my email address back to the old one if I change my mind?

Yes. Follow the same steps to change it again. For Apple ID, you can change it back within 30 days without waiting. For Mail accounts, you can change it back anytime. Just make sure you have access to both the old and new email addresses to verify the change.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.