Posted on 6 Apple

Gmail not working on iPhone or iPad? Here’s the real fix!

When Gmail stops working on your iPhone, you won’t be able to sign in to an app or service, change other website passwords, skip bank notifications, and more. In short, things can become chaotic. Fortunately, this problem can be successfully solved. In this article, I’ll explain why Gmail isn’t working on your iPhone or iPad and show you how to fix the problem.

Why is the Gmail app not working on my iPhone?

Before jumping into fixes, it’s important to understand why Gmail isn’t working on your iPhone or iPad. And the main reason for this is safety. If you’re in a different region (say, traveling to a different city or country), Google might stop Gmail from working to protect you because it might think someone else is trying to access your email.

On the contrary, sometimes the error may lie on your iPhone or in the mail application. There have even been situations where mobile data was turned off for the mail app, preventing new emails from being received!

Do not worry. I’ve covered fixes for all of these issues below. The first five decisions are related to the verification of things by Google. Otherwise, we will definitely fix the errors on the iPhone (iPad) side.

  1. Check the Google Status Bar
  2. View device activity
  3. Check the Gmail website for warnings
  4. Reset CAPTCHA
  5. Make sure IMAP is enabled
  6. Make sure you have internet connection and disabled VPN
  7. Force Close Mail App on iPhone
  8. Restart your iPhone
  9. Disable iPhone Restrictions
  10. Update the Mail app on iPhone
  11. Update your iPhone
  12. Uninstall and Reinstall Mail App on iPhone
  13. Delete your Gmail account and set it up again.
  14. Reset All iPhone Settings

1. Check the Google Status Bar

Visit the official Google Workspace Status Dashboard and make sure Gmail isn’t experiencing any service outages or outages.

2. View device activity

  1. Visit myaccount.google.com using your iPhone (or computer). Click “Go to Google Account”and sign in if necessary.
  2. Make sure you are on the “Security”tab.
  3. From here, view security events.
  4. Click on the action that matches your device name, location, and time you tried to sign in.
  5. On the next screen, click Yes, that was me.
  6. After that, most likely, the letter can start loading correctly.

3. Check the Gmail website for warnings.

When Google won’t let you sign in, it will send an email to the same email address (and/or recovery email address). If you can open this email on any other device or iPhone browser, please do so. Then in that email, click “Check your devices now”or something similar. Follow the instructions to tell Google that you were the one trying to sign in.

4. Reset the CAPTCHA

  1. Visit account.google.com/DisplayUnlockCaptcha using your iPhone browser (or computer).
  2. Sign in with your Google account.
  3. Click Continue.
  4. Now try signing in to Gmail on your iPhone and it should work without issue.

5. Make sure IMAP is enabled

This can be one of the important reasons why Gmail might not work on your iPhone or iPad. Here’s how to check it.

  1. Visit mail.google.com on Safari, Chrome, or another iPhone and sign in with your Gmail account.
  2. If you see a screen prompting you to use the Gmail app, click I’m not interested.
  3. Tap the hamburger icon (three lines) in the top left corner.
  4. Scroll down and click “Desktop”.
  5. Select I want to use HTML Gmail.
  6. Click “Settings”at the top.
  7. Click “Forward”and “POP/IMAP”.
  8. Enable IMAP and click Save Changes.
  9. Now try signing into Gmail in your iOS mail app of choice and it should work flawlessly.

Now let’s move on to the next part of the solutions that will ensure that everything is in order on the part of your iPhone.

You can access Gmail through the built-in iOS mail app, the official Gmail app, one of various third-party mail apps, or over the web. Follow the relevant patches where applicable.

6. Make sure you have an internet connection and disabled VPN

Open an iPhone app such as Safari and try to visit a website. If you can, that means you have a working internet connection. In case the Internet is down, please check the following guides.

  • 3G/4G not working on iPhone or iPad? How to fix it
  • 5G not working on iPhone 12? Here is the fix!
  • iPhone connected to Wi-Fi but no internet? How to fix it

Next, if you’re using a VPN (especially a free one), disable it. Several services are not available through VPN.

Advice. If you’re using mobile data, it’s very important to make sure your mail app is allowed to use it. To do this, open the Settings app and tap Cellular. Now scroll down and make sure the toggle for your email app (like Mail, Gmail, or whatever you use) is turned on.

7. Force Quit Mail App

Sometimes when an app is misbehaving, force close and reopen it. To force close the mail app, swipe up from the bottom of the iPhone screen and hold. If your iPhone has a front home button, quickly double-click it. Now drag the email application card all the way up to force close it. After a few seconds, restart your email app and let it update.

8. Restart your iPhone

Rebooting your device is a simple yet necessary solution to dozens of small problems. If Gmail can’t connect, turn off your iPhone and turn it back on after a minute.

9. Turn off iPhone restrictions

Have you (intentionally or mistakenly) restricted the Mail app? This could be another reason why Gmail is not working on your iPhone or iPad. Follow the quick steps to make sure this is not the case.

  1. Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time. (If it says “Enable Screen Time”, it means no restrictions are set. In this case, you can skip all of the steps below and go to the next solution.)
  2. Click Content and Privacy Restrictions.
  3. Click Allowed Apps.
  4. Make sure the Mail app switcher is green.

10. Update the Mail App on iPhone

Application updates fix bugs and improve overall compatibility. To fix your Gmail not working issue, be sure to update the app. To do this, press and hold the App Store icon and select Updates. Pull down this screen to refresh the page. Finally, click REFRESH next to Gmail (or whatever email app you’re using).

11. Update your iPhone

You can update third party mail apps (steps above). What about the built-in iOS mail app? Also, when apps and operating system are up to date, everything runs smoother. Thus, open the Settings app and tap on General. Then click “Software Update”to install the latest iOS on your iPhone.

12. Uninstall and reinstall the mail app on iPhone.

To remove an app, press and hold its icon on the home screen or in the app library. Then click “Uninstall Application”→ “Uninstall Application”→ “Uninstall”.

Note. If you’re on iOS 12 or later, you can even uninstall a few built-in apps, including the Mail app. After uninstalling the mail app, open the App Store and download it again.

13. Delete your Gmail account and set it up again.

If the solutions above are not successful, it’s time to get rid of the Google account from your iPhone and add it again. Here’s how.

  1. Open the Settings app and tap on Mail.
  2. Click “Accounts”.
  3. Tap Gmail.
  4. Then click Remove Account → Remove from My iPhone.
  5. Restart your iPhone (important).
  6. Now add your Google account again to use Gmail on the device.

14. Reset all iPhone settings

This will not delete personal data such as apps, music, photos, videos, etc. However, all settings will be deleted and restored to default. This includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN and more.

  1. Open the Settings app and tap on General.
  2. Tap Reset.
  3. Click Reset All Settings and continue.
  4. Once this process is complete, set up Gmail and it should work just fine.

I hope these solutions helped you fix Gmail issues on your iOS device. If you have additional questions, please ask them in the comments section.

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