PanicStation.org
UK USA
uk Technology & digital loss

What to do if…
your email app stops syncing or shows connection errors

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Check whether this is a provider outage or a device/account problem by testing webmail or another device and checking the provider’s official status page. Refresh sign-in safely before deleting apps, wiping devices, or changing lots of settings.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t keep re-typing your password if the app keeps rejecting it; repeated attempts can sometimes trigger security locks or make the problem harder to track.
  • Don’t delete the whole app or wipe your phone as a first move; you may lose settings, offline mail, or useful clues about what changed.
  • Don’t click “verify your account” links inside unexpected emails, texts, or pop-ups; phishing often imitates connection errors.
  • Don’t change lots of settings at once; change one thing, then test, so you can reverse it.
  • Don’t assume you have been hacked just because syncing stopped; outages, expired sign-ins, VPN changes, and background settings are common causes.

What to do now

  1. Check whether the email service is down.

    • iCloud Mail: check Apple’s System Status.
    • Gmail or Google Workspace: check the Google Workspace Status Dashboard.
    • Outlook.com or Microsoft 365: check Microsoft’s public service status page. For a work or school Microsoft 365 account, tenant-specific detail may only be visible to an admin or help desk in Microsoft 365 Service health.
    • If there is an outage, stop troubleshooting and use webmail in a browser if it works.

  2. Work out whether the problem is the app, the device, or the account.

    • Try signing in through webmail in a browser.
    • Check the same mailbox on another device if you have one.
    • If webmail works but the app does not, the cause is more likely to be the app, cached sign-in, device settings, VPN, or network.
    • If webmail also fails, the cause is more likely to be password, account lock, provider outage, or account security.

  3. Do a quick connection reset without deleting anything.

    • Turn flight mode or Airplane Mode on, wait a few seconds, then turn it off.
    • Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data.
    • Turn off VPN, private relay, workplace filtering, or security filtering temporarily, then test again.
    • Restart the device.

  4. Check sync settings and storage issues that commonly stop mail arriving.

    • Make sure automatic date and time is enabled.
    • Check whether your mailbox or cloud storage is full, especially for iCloud Mail or other accounts that share mail storage with cloud storage.
    • On iPhone or iPad, check that the mail account is enabled and that Fetch or Push settings are not paused.
    • On Android, check that account auto-sync is enabled and that battery saver or data saver is not restricting the email app.
    • In Gmail, check that Gmail sync is enabled for the affected account.
    • In Outlook, use the app’s reset or repair option for the affected account if it is available.

  5. Refresh sign-in safely.

    • Use the app’s official sign-in prompt only if it opens inside the app or provider sign-in page you recognise.
    • If you use two-step verification, complete the fresh sign-in prompt.
    • If the account is for work or school, you may need to re-approve device access or meet a new security requirement.
    • If a sign-in prompt looks unexpected, close it and sign in through the provider’s official website or app instead.

  6. If the app has a reset or re-sync option, use that before removing anything.

    • Look for options such as refresh, re-sync, reset account, repair account, or clear sync state.
    • Use the option only for the affected account.
    • Test whether new mail arrives before making another change.

  7. If it is still broken, remove and re-add only the affected account.

    • Before removing it, note any manual setup details such as IMAP, SMTP, Exchange server name, username, or security setting.
    • Remove the account from the mail app or device settings, not the whole app.
    • Restart the device.
    • Add the account back using the provider’s official sign-in flow.

  8. If it is a work or school account, involve IT before going further if any of these apply.

    • You are asked to install a profile, device management tool, certificate, or new security app you were not expecting.
    • Webmail works but the app keeps asking for credentials.
    • The issue started after a workplace security or access policy change.
    • You see messages about device compliance, conditional access, or administrator approval.

  9. If this started after a suspicious message or login prompt, treat it as possible phishing.

    • Do not click links or open attachments in the suspicious message.
    • Forward suspicious emails to [email protected], then delete them.
    • If you entered your password somewhere unusual, change it from the provider’s official website or app as soon as you can and review recent sign-in activity.
    • If money was lost, an account was taken over, or you think fraud or cybercrime has happened, use the official reporting route for where you live in the UK.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide today whether to switch email apps or move email providers.
  • You do not need to clean up old emails, reorganise folders, or delete large amounts of mail unless your provider clearly says storage is full.
  • You do not need to deep-diagnose IMAP, SMTP, or Exchange server settings unless you use a manual setup and the basic checks fail.
  • You do not need to reinstall the whole app until you have checked outage status, webmail, network, sync settings, storage, and account sign-in.

Important reassurance

Email sync failures are common and are often caused by an outage, expired sign-in, VPN or network change, background restriction, storage limit, or provider security check. Small, reversible steps are usually safer than trying to fix everything at once.

Scope note

These are first steps to restore syncing and avoid irreversible mistakes. Later decisions, especially for a managed work or school account or suspected account compromise, may need specialist IT or security help.

Important note

This is general information, not professional IT, security, legal, financial, therapeutic, medical, or other professional advice. If this is a managed device or account, follow your organisation’s policies.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

Support us