Email notifications on iPhone come through the Notifications Center, which you control in Settings
Your iPhone can alert you when new email arrives, but the feature is not always turned on by default — it depends on which email app you use and how you set it up. The most common email apps are Apple Mail (built into iOS), Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail, and each one has its own notification settings. You control whether you get alerts at all, what kind of alerts (sound, badge, banner), and how often they arrive.
The steps differ slightly depending on which app you use, but they all live in the same place: your iPhone's Settings app under Notifications. Once you turn notifications on, your phone will show you a badge (a red circle with a number) on the Mail app icon, send you a banner or alert when email arrives, and optionally play a sound.
Key Takeaways
- Open Settings, tap Notifications, find your email app, and toggle "Allow Notifications" on to receive alerts when new mail arrives.
- You can choose how alerts appear: as a banner at the top of the screen, a full-screen alert, or silently with only a badge on the app icon.
- Sound and vibration settings for email are separate from the alert style — you can have visual alerts without sound if you prefer.
- If you use multiple email accounts in one app, notifications apply to all of them together; you cannot turn notifications on for one account and off for another in the same app.
- Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail apps have their own notification settings inside the app itself, separate from iOS Settings, so check both places if alerts are not working.
Turn on notifications for Apple Mail
Apple Mail is the email app that comes built into every iPhone. To turn on notifications for it, open Settings on your home screen, scroll down and tap Notifications, then scroll down again until you see Mail. Tap Mail, and you will see a toggle next to "Allow Notifications" — make sure it is switched on (it will be green).
Once Allow Notifications is on, you can choose how you want to be alerted. Below that toggle, you will see options for "Notification Style" — tap it and choose between Banner (a notification slides down from the top and disappears after a few seconds), Full Screen (a larger alert that stays until you dismiss it), or None (no visual alert, only a badge on the app icon). Most people choose Banner because it does not interrupt what they are doing.
Scroll down further and you will see toggles for "Sounds" and "Badges". Sounds means your phone will play a noise when email arrives; Badges means a red circle with a number will appear on the Mail app icon showing how many unread emails you have. You can turn either or both of these on or off depending on your preference.
Turn on notifications for Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail apps
If you use the Gmail app, Microsoft Outlook app, or Yahoo Mail app instead of Apple Mail, you need to turn on notifications in two places: first in iOS Settings (the same way as Apple Mail), and then inside the app itself.
Start in Settings > Notifications and find the Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail app in the list. Toggle "Allow Notifications" on. Then open the app itself, go to its settings (usually a gear icon or menu button), look for Notifications or Email Notifications, and turn them on there as well. Each app has slightly different wording — Gmail calls it "Notifications", Outlook calls it "Notifications", and Yahoo Mail calls it "Notifications" — but they all do the same thing. If notifications are off in either place, you will not receive alerts.
These third-party apps also let you customize notifications more than Apple Mail does. For example, Gmail lets you choose whether to get notified for all incoming mail or only for important messages. Outlook lets you set quiet hours so you do not get alerts during certain times of day. Check inside each app's settings to see what options are available.
Choose your alert style and sound
After you turn on Allow Notifications, the next decision is how you want to be alerted. In Settings > Notifications > Mail (or your email app), tap "Notification Style" and you will see three choices: Banner, Full Screen, or None.
Banner is the default and most common choice. A notification slides down from the top of your screen, shows you the sender and subject line, and disappears after a few seconds if you do not tap it. You can keep using your phone while a banner is showing. Full Screen is more intrusive — the notification takes up the whole screen and you have to dismiss it before you can do anything else. None means no visual alert at all; you will only see a badge (red circle with a number) on the Mail app icon, and you have to open the app to see new messages.
Below Notification Style, you can toggle "Sounds" on or off. If Sounds is on, your phone will play a noise when email arrives. If you want a sound but do not want it to be loud, you can also control your phone's overall volume using the volume buttons on the side of your iPhone, or by going to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and adjusting the volume slider.
Set up notifications for multiple email accounts
If you have more than one email account set up in Apple Mail, notifications apply to all of them at once. You cannot turn notifications on for your work email and off for your personal email if they are both in the Mail app — the setting covers the entire app.
If you need different notification rules for different accounts, you have two options. First, you can use separate apps: keep your work email in Apple Mail with notifications on, and add your personal email to the Gmail app with notifications off (or vice versa). Second, you can turn off notifications for Mail entirely and instead check your email manually when you have time. This is a common choice for people who find constant notifications distracting.
If you use Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail, check inside each app's settings to see if it lets you customize notifications per account. Some do, some do not — it depends on the app version you have installed.
Troubleshoot notifications that are not working
If you have turned on notifications but are not receiving alerts, check these things in order. First, make sure Allow Notifications is actually on in Settings > Notifications > your email app. It is easy to think you turned it on and forget to save the change. Second, check that your phone is not in Do Not Disturb mode — swipe down from the top right corner of your screen and look for a crescent moon icon. If it is there, tap it to turn Do Not Disturb off.
Third, if you use Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail, open the app itself and check its notification settings. Notifications might be off inside the app even though they are on in iOS Settings. Fourth, try closing the app completely (swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, find the email app, and swipe it up) and then opening it again. Sometimes notifications stop working until you restart the app.
If none of that works, try turning Allow Notifications off, waiting a few seconds, and turning it back on. If the problem persists, you may need to sign out of your email account in the app and sign back in, but try the simpler steps first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I not getting email notifications even though I turned them on?
Check three things: first, make sure Allow Notifications is on in Settings > Notifications > your email app. Second, check that Do Not Disturb mode is off (look for a crescent moon icon at the top of your screen). Third, if you use Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail, open the app and check its internal notification settings — they are separate from iOS Settings.
Can I get notifications for one email account but not another?
Not if both accounts are in the same app. Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail all apply notification settings to the entire app, not individual accounts. To get different notifications for different accounts, use separate apps — for example, Apple Mail for work and Gmail app for personal.
What is the difference between Banner and Full Screen notifications?
Banner notifications slide down from the top of your screen and disappear after a few seconds; you can keep using your phone while they are showing. Full Screen notifications take up the entire screen and you have to dismiss them before you can do anything else. Banner is less disruptive and is the most common choice.
Will I get notifications if my iPhone is locked?
Yes. Notifications appear on your lock screen and in the Notification Center (swipe down from the top left) whether your phone is locked or unlocked. The notification will also play a sound and vibrate if you have those settings turned on, regardless of whether you are looking at your phone.
How do I turn off notifications for email without deleting the app?
Open Settings, tap Notifications, find your email app, and toggle "Allow Notifications" off. The app will stay on your phone, but you will not receive any alerts when new email arrives. You can turn notifications back on anytime by toggling it back on.