Where to change your email on an iPhone
The place you change your email depends on which email account you mean. If you use iCloud (the email that ends in @icloud.com), you change it through Apple's website, not on the phone itself. If you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or another provider, you change the address with that provider, then update it in the Mail app on your iPhone.
The Mail app itself does not let you change the actual email address — it only lets you remove an account and add a new one. So the first step is always to change the address where it lives: either at Apple's iCloud website or at your email provider's website.
Key Takeaways
- iCloud email addresses are changed at iCloud.com, not on your iPhone, and the change takes a few minutes to show up in the Mail app.
- Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and other provider accounts are changed at the provider's website, then you remove and re-add the account in Mail on your iPhone.
- Removing an account from Mail does not delete your emails — they stay on the provider's servers and you can add the account back anytime.
- After you change your email address, you may need to update your password in the Mail app if your provider requires it.
How to change an iCloud email address
Go to iCloud.com in a web browser on any computer or phone. Sign in with your Apple ID. Click your name or profile picture in the top right, then select Account Settings.
Look for the section labeled Account or Email and Phone Numbers. You will see your current iCloud email address listed. Click Edit next to it. You can add a new iCloud email address (Apple gives you one free address change per year) or change which address is your primary one if you have multiple.
After you make the change, it can take a few minutes to show up in the Mail app on your iPhone. You do not need to remove and re-add the account — just wait and refresh the Mail app.
How to change Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or other provider email addresses
First, change the address at the provider's website. For Gmail, go to myaccount.google.com, click Personal info, and look for the email section. For Outlook, go to account.microsoft.com and select Your info. For Yahoo, go to account.yahoo.com. Each provider has its own process, but all of them let you change your address from your account settings page.
After you change it at the provider's website, you need to update it on your iPhone. Open the Settings app, scroll down and tap Mail, then tap Accounts. Find the account you just changed and tap it. Tap Account at the top of the screen, then tap Email Address and enter your new address.
If your provider requires you to re-enter your password after changing your email, tap Password in that same screen and type it in. Then tap Done at the top right.
What happens to your old emails when you change your address
Your old emails stay where they are. They do not disappear and they do not move to a new folder. They remain on your email provider's servers under your account, and you can read them anytime by signing in with your new address.
If you remove an account from the Mail app on your iPhone and later add it back, all your old emails will be there. Removing an account from your phone only removes it from that device — it does not delete anything from the provider's servers.
If you need to remove an account from Mail first
Open Settings, scroll to Mail, then tap Accounts. Find the account you want to remove and tap it. Scroll to the bottom and tap Delete Account. A warning will appear asking if you want to delete the account from this iPhone only or from iCloud as well. Tap Delete from This iPhone unless you want to remove it everywhere.
After you remove it, you can add the account back with the new email address. Tap Accounts again, then tap Add Account at the bottom. Choose your provider (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, or Other), enter your new email address and password, and follow the prompts to finish.
Troubleshooting: Your new email address is not showing up
If you changed your iCloud email and it is not showing in Mail after a few minutes, try closing the Mail app completely and opening it again. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts and check that the new address is listed there.
If you changed a Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo address and the Mail app is not picking it up, remove the account and add it back. Open Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap the account, scroll down and tap Delete Account, then tap Add Account and sign in with your new address and password.
If the Mail app keeps asking for your password after you add the account back, your provider may require you to create an app-specific password instead of using your regular password. Check your email provider's security settings or help page for instructions on creating one.
When to contact your email provider or Apple
Contact your email provider if you cannot change your address on their website, if you forgot your password, or if you are locked out of your account. Most providers have a help or support page where you can reset your password or recover your account.
Contact Apple Support if you changed your iCloud email address but it is not showing up on your iPhone after 24 hours, or if you cannot access iCloud.com to make the change. You can reach Apple Support through the Support app on your iPhone or by visiting support.apple.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my email address affect my iCloud backups or photos?
No. Your iCloud backups, photos, and other data are tied to your Apple ID, not to your email address. Changing your email address does not affect any of that. Your backups and photos stay safe and you can still access them after the change.
Can I have two email addresses on my iPhone at the same time?
Yes. You can add multiple accounts to the Mail app. Open Settings > Mail > Accounts and tap Add Account to add a second or third email address. Each account will show up as a separate inbox in the Mail app.
What if I want to keep using my old email address too?
You can add both your old and new email addresses to the Mail app at the same time. Just add the old one as a separate account. You will see both inboxes in Mail and can check either one whenever you want.
Do I need to change my email on my computer too?
If you use Mail on a Mac or Outlook on a Windows computer, you will need to update the email address there as well. The process is similar: go to the account settings in that app and update the email address, or remove and re-add the account with the new address.
What if my email provider says my new address is already taken?
Try a different variation of the address. Most providers let you add numbers or periods to make it unique. If the address you want is truly unavailable, you may need to choose a different one or contact the provider to see if there are other options.