Gmail not working on iPhone? Fixes for the Mail app and Gmail app

Why does Gmail break on an iPhone?

Gmail on an iPhone can work through two different paths, and each fails for different reasons. The Mail app made by Apple connects to Google using an IMAP login saved on your phone. The Gmail app made by Google signs in on its own and has its own sync. When you change your Google password, turn on a new security setting or fill your storage, one path can fail while the other keeps working. That is why the first step is to find out which app is broken and whether the same email shows up at gmail.com.

Signs of the most common problems

• Cannot Get Mail or Account Disabled: usually a password or sign-in problem. Remove and re-add the account.
• Emails arrive late: Mail is set to Fetch, not Push. Use the Gmail app for instant alerts.
• Sent mail stays in the outbox: check your connection, then the outgoing server and storage.
• The Gmail app shows a spinner or empty inbox: update the app, sign out and in, or free up phone storage.
• You get a security alert from Google: review it, since Google may have blocked a sign-in.

Re-add your Google account the right way

Go to Settings › Apps › Mail › Mail Accounts. On iOS versions before iOS 18 the path is Settings › Mail › Accounts. Tap your Gmail account, then Delete Account. Restart the iPhone and tap Add Account › Google. Sign in in the Google window, approve any two-step verification prompt and leave Mail, Contacts, Calendars and Notes switched on as you wish. Do not type the account in manually as Other, because Gmail works best with the Google sign-in. If your account uses two-step verification and you see an incorrect password message, that is normal for the old method, and the Google sign-in window solves it.

Switch Gmail from Mail to the Gmail app

Apple Mail cannot get instant Gmail alerts, and some Gmail features such as labels and Undo Send work better in Google's own app. If the Mail app keeps failing, install Gmail from the App Store, sign in and turn notifications on under Settings › Notifications › Gmail. You can keep both apps and still use Mail for other accounts. If notifications still do not show, see fixing app notifications for the iPhone checks that apply to every app.

Check Google storage, security and sign-in blocks

Gmail shares 15 GB with Google Drive and Google Photos. When it is full, you cannot receive new email and sending may fail. Check at one.google.com/storage, and read Gmail not receiving emails if mail does not arrive at all. Also open myaccount.google.com › Security and look at Recent security activity. If Google blocked a sign-in from your iPhone, approve it and try again. Make sure IMAP is enabled in Gmail on a computer under Settings › See all settings › Forwarding and POP/IMAP.

Check iPhone storage, Low Data Mode and VPNs

• A nearly full iPhone cannot download new mail. Free space in Settings › General › iPhone Storage.
• Low Data Mode limits background fetches. Turn it off under Settings › Cellular › Cellular Data Options, or in Wi-Fi settings for your network.
• A VPN or content filter can block Google's servers. Turn them off for a test.
• Low Power Mode pauses mail fetch. See what Low Power Mode does.
• Background App Refresh must be on for the Gmail app in Settings › General › Background App Refresh.

Reset and restore as a last step

If every fix fails, reset network settings in Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset Network Settings. It does not delete mail, because your mail lives on Google's servers. Back up first, using our iPhone backup guide. If the Gmail account itself shows a problem on a computer too, contact Google through the Gmail Help Center. For repeated sign-outs, read Gmail signing you out.

Gmail works on Wi-Fi but not on cellular data

If Gmail loads at home but fails away from Wi-Fi, check that cellular data is allowed for the app. Go to Settings › Cellular and scroll down to Gmail or Mail. The switch must be on. Check that you have not hit a data cap on your plan and that your carrier has no outage. If your phone shows SOS or No Service, see phone says SOS.

Large attachments and sending problems

Gmail limits attachments to 25 MB. A bigger file bounces, and Gmail suggests a Google Drive link instead. If an email sits in the Outbox, open it, check the address, and tap Send again. In the Mail app, go to Settings › Apps › Mail › Mail Accounts › Gmail › Account › SMTP and make sure smtp.gmail.com is on. The password is your Google sign-in, not a separate password. If you use Gmail with a work or school account, your admin may limit sending or require a company app.

Update iOS, and check for a bad update

Gmail and Mail sometimes break right after an iOS update, because the update resets mail settings or needs a new sign-in. Check problems after an iPhone update for the usual fixes, and install point updates, which often repair these bugs within weeks.

A quick decision guide

• Gmail works at gmail.com but not in Mail: re-add the account in Mail.
• Gmail does not work at gmail.com either: check your password, Google storage and the status page.
• Only the Gmail app fails: update it, sign out and back in, and check phone storage.
• Both apps fail on cellular data only: check Cellular settings and your plan.

Work through one path at a time and test after each change. Changing three things at once makes it hard to tell what fixed the problem.

Keep your Gmail secure while you fix it

Never type your Google password into a page you reached from an email or a text. Fake Gmail sign-in pages are a common scam. Open the Gmail app or go to mail.google.com yourself. Turn on 2-Step Verification in your Google Account so a stolen password alone cannot open your mail, and review the devices listed under Security › Your devices.