Turn on notifications for the Mail app

Mail notifications on iPhone come from the Settings app, not from Mail itself. Open Settings, scroll down to find Mail, tap it, then tap Notifications. From there, you can turn on Allow Notifications to start receiving alerts when new messages arrive.

Once Allow Notifications is on, you'll see options for how Mail alerts you. The default is Banners, which appear at the top of your screen and disappear after a few seconds. You can also choose Badges (a red number on the Mail app icon showing unread messages) or Sounds (an audio alert when mail arrives).

If you want notifications to appear as a list you can scroll through, choose List instead of Banners. If you prefer them to stay on screen until you dismiss them, choose Persistent. Both options appear in the same Notifications settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Mail notifications are controlled in Settings > Mail > Notifications, not in the Mail app itself.
  • You can choose between Banners (temporary alerts at the top), Badges (red numbers on the app icon), or Sounds (audio alerts).
  • Different email accounts can have different notification settings if you manage multiple inboxes.
  • Turning off notifications for Mail does not delete your emails — it only stops the alerts.

Customize notifications for specific email accounts

If you have multiple email accounts set up on your iPhone, you can turn notifications on for some accounts and off for others. In Settings > Mail > Notifications, scroll down past the main notification options to find a list of your accounts. Tap each account name to adjust its individual settings.

For example, you might want notifications for your work email but not your personal account, or vice versa. Each account can have its own banner style, sound, and badge setting. This is useful if one account receives a lot of mail you don't need to see immediately.

Choose a notification sound or turn sound off

By default, Mail uses the system notification sound. To change it, go to Settings > Mail > Notifications and tap Sounds. You'll see a list of available alert tones. Tap any one to hear a preview, then tap it again to select it.

If you don't want any sound when mail arrives, scroll to the top of the sounds list and tap None. You can still see banners and badges without hearing an alert. This is helpful if you want to know about new mail without disturbing others around you.

Show or hide mail previews in notifications

By default, Mail notifications show a preview of the message — the sender's name and the first line or two of the email. If you prefer not to see message content in notifications (for privacy or to avoid spoilers), you can hide it. Go to Settings > Mail > Notifications and tap Show Previews.

Choose Always to see previews on your lock screen and in Notification Center, When Unlocked to see them only after you unlock your phone, or Never to hide all preview text. The sender's name will still appear, but the message body will not.

Fix notifications that aren't working

If you've turned on Mail notifications but aren't receiving alerts, first check that Allow Notifications is actually on in Settings > Mail > Notifications. It's easy to miss that the toggle is off.

Next, check your iPhone's Do Not Disturb settings. If Do Not Disturb is on, notifications may be silenced. Go to Settings > Focus and check whether Do Not Disturb is active. You can also set Mail to bypass Do Not Disturb by going to Settings > Mail > Notifications and turning on Allow Notifications When Do Not Disturb Is On (if that option appears).

If Mail notifications still aren't working, try closing the Mail app completely and reopening it. On newer iPhones, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, find Mail, and swipe it up to close it. Then open Mail again from your home screen.

Turn off notifications for Mail

To stop receiving Mail notifications entirely, go to Settings > Mail > Notifications and turn off Allow Notifications. This removes all banners, sounds, and badges for new mail. Your emails will still arrive and sync normally — you just won't be alerted when they do.

You can also turn off notifications for just one account by tapping that account's name in the Notifications list and toggling off Allow Notifications for that account only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I not getting notifications for one of my email accounts?

Check Settings > Mail > Notifications and scroll down to see your account list. Make sure Allow Notifications is on for that specific account. Also verify that the account is set up correctly in Settings > Mail > Accounts — if the account isn't syncing, it won't send notifications.

Can I get different notification sounds for different email accounts?

No. All Mail notifications use the same sound setting. If you need different alerts for different accounts, you would need to use separate email apps (like Gmail or Outlook) for some accounts, as those apps have their own notification settings.

Will turning off notifications delete my emails?

No. Turning off Mail notifications only stops the alerts. All your emails remain in your mailbox and will continue to sync to your iPhone. You can still read them by opening the Mail app.

How do I get notifications on my lock screen?

Lock screen notifications appear automatically if you have Mail notifications turned on. They show as banners or in your notification list depending on your settings. If you don't see them, check that Allow Notifications is on in Settings > Mail > Notifications.

Can I set different notification times for different accounts?

iOS Mail doesn't have a built-in scheduling feature for notifications. However, you can use Focus modes to silence notifications during certain times (like work hours or sleep). Set up a Focus in Settings > Focus, then choose which apps can notify you during that time.