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

What to do now

1. Check whether the provider is down.

   • For iCloud Mail, check Apple System Status.
   • For Gmail or Google Workspace, check the Google Workspace Status Dashboard.
   • For Microsoft 365, check Microsoft’s public service status page.
   • For Outlook.com, check Microsoft Support or try Outlook on the web.
   • If it is a work or school account, your organization may also need to check its admin service health page.
   • If there is an outage, stop changing settings and use webmail if it still works.

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

   • Try the same mailbox in a browser using webmail.
   • Try the same mailbox on another device if one is available.
   • If webmail works, focus on the app or device: network, VPN, expired sign-in, background sync, Fetch, or Push.
   • If webmail also fails, focus on account access: password, account lock, provider outage, or workplace security rules.

3. Do a low-risk connection reset.

   • Turn Airplane Mode on, wait a few seconds, then turn it off.
   • Switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data if both are available.
   • Temporarily turn off a VPN, private DNS, or security filtering app only if you can do that safely.
   • Restart the phone, tablet, or computer, then reopen the mail app.

4. Check the device settings that commonly stop mail from updating.

   • Make sure automatic date and time are on.
   • On iPhone or iPad, check that the Mail account is enabled and review Fetch or Push settings.
   • On Android, check that Gmail or the mail app is allowed to sync, and that battery saver or data saver is not blocking background activity.
   • In Gmail on Android, try a manual refresh by pulling down in the inbox.

5. Refresh sign-in safely if the app keeps asking for your password.

   • Sign in only through the app’s normal account screen or the provider’s official website or app.
   • If you use multi-factor authentication, complete the prompt directly through the provider’s normal sign-in flow.
   • If this is a work or school account, a new security rule may require device approval, a managed app, or help from your IT desk.
   • If you clicked a suspicious link or typed your password into a page you now distrust, stop troubleshooting and change the password through the provider’s official website or app.

6. Use a built-in refresh, re-sync, or reset option if the app has one.

   • Look for options such as refresh, sync now, reset account, re-sync, or clear sync state.
   • Use the built-in option once, then test before trying another fix.
   • Avoid clearing app data unless you understand what local drafts, downloaded messages, or settings may be removed from that device.

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

   • Before removing it, check webmail to confirm your messages are still available online.
   • Note any manual IMAP, SMTP, or Exchange server settings if you entered them yourself.
   • Remove only the affected account from the mail app or device.
   • Restart the device, then add the account back using the official sign-in flow.

8. Pause if a managed work or school account asks for new control over your device.

   • Stop and ask your IT or help desk before approving a device management profile, device-admin permission, security app, or unexpected certificate.
   • Do not approve a management prompt that arrived from an unexpected link, email, or pop-up.
   • Use your organization’s known help route, not a link in the error message.

9. If phishing or account takeover is possible, switch to containment.

   • Change the email password through the provider’s official website or app.
   • Review recent sign-ins or security activity if the provider offers that option.
   • Use the provider’s built-in report phishing or report spam feature if available.
   • In the U.S., report scams to the FTC and internet crime complaints to the FBI’s IC3.