Email notifications on iPhone are off by default for most accounts
Your iPhone can alert you when new emails arrive, but you have to turn this on separately for each email account you use. Apple Mail (the built-in email app) does not notify you about incoming messages unless you specifically enable notifications in Settings. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and other third-party email apps have their own notification controls, separate from Apple Mail's settings.
The steps differ depending on whether you use Apple Mail or a third-party app, and whether you want notifications on your lock screen, in the notification center, or as badge numbers on the Mail icon. This guide covers both routes.
Key Takeaways
- Apple Mail notifications are controlled in Settings under Notifications, not inside the Mail app itself.
- You can choose how notifications appear: as banners, sounds, badges on the Mail icon, or combinations of all three.
- Third-party email apps like Gmail and Outlook have their own notification settings inside the app, separate from Apple Mail's controls.
- If you have multiple email accounts, you need to enable notifications for each one individually.
- Turning on notifications does not affect your email security or privacy — it only controls how and when you are alerted.
Enable notifications for Apple Mail in Settings
Open the Settings app on your iPhone and scroll down to find Notifications. Tap it, then scroll down the list of apps until you see Mail. Tap Mail to open its notification settings.
At the top, toggle Allow Notifications to the on position (it will turn green). This is the master switch — without it on, you will not get any alerts about incoming emails, no matter what other settings you choose below it.
Once Allow Notifications is on, you will see additional options appear. Lock Screen controls whether notifications show on your lock screen when your phone is locked. Notification Center controls whether they appear in your notification center (swipe down from the top of the screen to see this). Toggle both to on if you want to be notified in both places.
Scroll down further to find Sounds and Badges. Sounds will play an alert when an email arrives. Badges put a red number on the Mail app icon showing how many unread emails you have. Turn on whichever of these you want.
Set up notifications for individual email accounts
If you have multiple email accounts in Apple Mail (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, or your work email all in one app), you can control notifications separately for each account. Go back to Settings > Notifications > Mail and scroll down past the general options to find Mail Accounts or a list of your individual accounts.
Tap each account name to see its own notification settings. You can turn notifications on for your work email but off for a personal account, for example. This is useful if you only want to be alerted for certain accounts and not others.
If you do not see individual account settings, your version of iOS may not support per-account notifications. In that case, all accounts in Apple Mail will follow the general Mail notification settings you set above.
Turn on notifications in Gmail, Outlook, or other third-party email apps
If you use the Gmail app, Outlook app, or another third-party email service, notifications are controlled inside that app, not in Settings. Open the app and look for a menu icon (usually three horizontal lines or three dots) in the top left or top right corner. Tap it and look for Settings.
Inside Settings, find Notifications or Notification Settings. The exact name varies by app. You will usually see options to turn notifications on or off, choose notification sounds, and decide whether to show a badge number on the app icon.
Some third-party apps also let you control notifications by sender or by folder — for example, you might want alerts for emails from your boss but not from mailing lists. Look for options like Notify for all mail, Notify for important mail only, or Manage notifications by label.
After you change settings in a third-party app, you may also need to allow that app to send notifications in iPhone Settings. Go to Settings > Notifications, find the app name, and make sure Allow Notifications is toggled on.
Check that iOS allows the Mail app to send notifications
Even if you turn on notifications inside the Mail app or a third-party email app, iOS itself has a master permission that can block all notifications. Go to Settings > Notifications and scroll to find Mail (or Gmail, Outlook, or whichever app you use). If Allow Notifications is toggled off (gray), no notifications will come through, no matter what you set inside the app.
Make sure the toggle is on (green). If it was off and you just turned it on, you may need to wait a few seconds or send yourself a test email to see if notifications start working.
Troubleshoot if notifications are not showing up
If you have turned on notifications but are not seeing alerts, check these common issues. First, make sure your iPhone is not in Do Not Disturb mode. Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen (or up from the bottom on older iPhones) to open Control Center. If the moon icon is highlighted, Do Not Disturb is on — tap it to turn it off.
Second, check that the Mail app itself is not muted. In Settings > Notifications > Mail, scroll down to Sounds and make sure it is not set to None. If it is, tap Sounds and choose a notification sound from the list.
Third, force-close the Mail app and open it again. Sometimes the app needs to refresh its connection to your email server. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or down from the top right on newer iPhones) to see open apps, find Mail, and swipe it up to close it. Then tap the Mail icon to reopen it.
If notifications still do not work after these steps, try signing out of your email account in Settings and signing back in. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap your email account, and tap Delete Account. Then go back to Mail and add the account again by tapping Accounts and Add Account.
Customize notification style and timing
In Settings > Notifications > Mail, you can choose how notifications appear. Banner style shows a notification at the top of your screen that disappears after a few seconds. List style shows notifications only in your notification center (swipe down from the top). Choose whichever you prefer — banner is more noticeable, list is less intrusive.
You can also control when notifications arrive. Some iPhones have a Scheduled Summary option that bundles all your email notifications into one alert at a time you choose (for example, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.). This is useful if you do not want constant alerts throughout the day. To use it, toggle Scheduled Summary on and tap the times you want to receive summaries.
If you want to stop notifications from a specific sender or folder, some email apps let you mute conversations or create filters. In Apple Mail, you can swipe left on an email and tap Mute to stop notifications from that sender. In Gmail, you can use labels and notification rules to control which emails trigger alerts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I not getting notifications even though I turned them on?
The most common reason is Do Not Disturb mode. Check Control Center (swipe down from the top right) and make sure the moon icon is not highlighted. Also check that Allow Notifications is on in Settings > Notifications > Mail. If you use a third-party app, make sure notifications are on both inside the app and in iPhone Settings.
Can I get notifications for only certain email accounts?
Yes, if you use Apple Mail. Go to Settings > Notifications > Mail and scroll down to find your individual accounts listed. You can turn notifications on for some accounts and off for others. Third-party apps like Gmail may also have per-account or per-label notification controls inside the app.
How do I stop getting notification sounds but still see badges?
Go to Settings > Notifications > Mail and toggle Sounds off while leaving Badges on. You will see a red number on the Mail icon showing unread emails, but you will not hear an alert when new mail arrives.
Will turning on notifications drain my battery faster?
Notifications have a minimal impact on battery life. The bigger drain comes from the email app checking your server for new messages, which happens whether notifications are on or off. Turning on notifications does not change how often your phone checks for email.
Can I get notifications for emails from specific people only?
Apple Mail does not have a built-in filter for this, but third-party apps like Gmail do. In Gmail, you can use labels and notification settings to alert you only for important senders. Some email apps also let you mute specific conversations or senders to stop notifications from them.