Apple has relocated Mail settings in iPadOS 18. Here’s a guide on how to add, remove, and manage your Mail accounts.
Previously, iOS and iPadOS featured a dedicated Mail section in the Settings menu, allowing you to easily manage all your Mail accounts.
In iPadOS 18, however, those settings have been moved to the bottom of the Settings list under the Apps category.
To access Mail settings or modify your Mail accounts, navigate to Settings -> Apps -> Mail.
How to Add New Mail Accounts in iPadOS 18
To add a new Mail account, go to Settings -> Apps -> Mail -> Mail Accounts.
Note that in iPadOS 18.4.1, there is a glitch where the back button appears as “Wi-Fi” instead of “Mail”.
Select Apps -> Mail in Settings to add a new Mail account.
If you have not set up any third-party accounts yet, you’ll see options for iCloud or Add Account. If you’re already logged into your Apple Account and have enabled iCloud Mail, it will be available automatically.
To add a new non-iCloud account, tap Add Account, which opens a menu of account types:
Tap “Add Account” to begin.
Here, you can choose from various account types, including iCloud Mail, Microsoft Exchange, Outlook, and popular web-based services like Google, Yahoo!, or AOL. Refer to their documentation for specific configuration instructions.
If you’re using a privately hosted IMAP or POP server, select Other to add a generic email account linked to your ISP or internal mail server.
Select the type of new mail account you wish to add.
In the “Other” Add Account section, you can add a standard mail account, LDAP or CardDav contact, or a CalDAV shared calendar.
To add a new IMAP or POP email account, tap Add Mail Account:
Select “Add Mail Account” to proceed.
In the New Account form, fill in at least the first three fields:
- Name
- Password
The fourth field, Description, is optional. Once all required fields are completed, tap Next.
On the next screen, you can select either IMAP or POP. Most modern mail servers use IMAP, so unless you specifically need POP, it’s advisable to select IMAP.
IMAP allows for automatic message synchronization across multiple devices using the same account, with iPadOS selecting IMAP by default for you.
Next, provide the incoming and outgoing mail server details, including host names, user names, and passwords. Some ISPs have identical server names for incoming and outgoing mail, while others do not. Consult your ISP for the necessary server settings.
Many private ISPs offer a mapping of your purchased domain to the incoming mail server. For instance, if your domain is mywidgetcompany.com, your ISP might provide a server name mapping like mail.mywidgetcompany.com.
Your mail server user names and passwords will typically be provided by your ISP at the time of sign-up.
Once all the server information is entered, tap Next. iPadOS will attempt to verify the server and user details, and if successful, your new mail account will be added.
For IMAP accounts, a final screen will present two options: Mail (enabled by default) and Notes (disabled by default). You can enable Notes if your ISP supports that feature.
Finally, tap Save to complete the process.
You can later access the mail server settings to configure advanced options.
iPadOS will close the Add Account sheet, and you’ll return to the Mail Accounts pane. Repeat these steps for any additional accounts you wish to add.
When you launch the Mail app from your iPad’s home screen, it will automatically retrieve emails from the accounts you’ve added.
Removing and Configuring Mail Accounts in iPadOS 18
To remove a Mail account, navigate to the Mail Accounts pane, select the desired account, and then tap Delete Account at the bottom of the next screen.
On this screen, you can also change the display name for the Mail account and toggle the Mail and Notes switches. Additionally, you can tap Account Settings for more advanced configuration options, such as SMTP settings, SSL encryption, port numbers, and authentication methods.
Many ISPs utilize custom UNIX port numbers for secure mail communication. Your ISP should provide port information in your sign-up email if needed.
To configure port settings, navigate to Account Settings -> SMTP -> Primary Server -> Server Port or Account Settings -> Advanced -> Server Port for incoming settings.
On the Account Settings -> Advanced page, you can also enter S/MIME signing and certificate details under the Sign and Encrypt by Default sections. Typically, you won’t need to adjust the default S/MIME settings on iPadOS.
S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) enhances security using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for signing email data.
Overall, Apple has streamlined the process of adding Mail accounts in iPadOS, ensuring that account setup is both straightforward and secure through automatic verification with mail servers.