If you’re finding your iPhone inbox overflowing, you might want to sign out of your email accounts. Your iPhone allows you to manage email accounts directly through the Settings app, and if you use the Gmail app, there’s a separate process for signing out there too. This guide will walk you through the steps to log out of email accounts on your iPhone.
How to sign out of email on an iPhone
Follow these steps to manage and sign out of your email accounts on your iPhone.
How to log out of the Mail app
- Open your iPhone’s Settings app. This is the grey gear icon on your Home screen. To permanently log out of Mail, you will need to delete the account from the app.
- Scroll down and tap Apps. On older iOS versions, you might skip this step.
- Tap Mail. You may need to scroll down to locate this option.
- Tap Mail Accounts. This option is located near the top of the page and displays a list of all email accounts currently added to your iPhone.
- Tap the account you want to log out from. A confirmation message will then appear.
- Tap Delete Account. In some iOS versions, this might appear as Sign Out instead.
- Tap Delete Account again. This action will sign you out of the Mail app and remove all associated data, including synced emails, contacts, and calendar events.
How to disable Mail temporarily
- Open your iPhone’s Settings app. This is the grey gear icon on your Home screen. This method will pause Mail syncing, stopping new messages until you re-enable it.
- Scroll down and tap Apps. This is located at the bottom of the Settings menu. You can skip this step if you are using an older iOS version.
- Tap Mail. You may need to scroll down to find this option.
- Tap Mail Accounts. This option is near the top of the page, listing all email accounts added to your iPhone.
- Tap the email account you want to temporarily disable. When an account is disabled, you won’t be able to send or receive email with it on your iPhone. You can re-enable it at any time.
- Toggle off “Mail”. If you are using an iCloud email account, this option will be labeled Use on this iPhone. If you wish to keep other features like Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders active for this account, ensure their corresponding toggle switches remain in the on position.
How to log out of Gmail
- Open the Gmail app on your iPhone. This app icon is a multi-colored ‘M’. Use this method if you want to sign out of Gmail specifically from the Gmail app, as it will not affect the Mail app.
- Tap your profile icon. This icon is located in the top-right corner of the app.
- Tap Manage accounts on this device. This option is found at the very bottom of the screen. You may need to scroll down if you have many accounts added.
- Tap Remove from device under your account. This action will delete the email from the Gmail app. If you prefer to temporarily remove the account, tap the switch next to it to move it to the off (grey) position. To re-enable it, tap the switch again to move it to the on (blue) position.
How to add a new email account to iPhone
- Open your iPhone’s Settings app. This is the grey gear icon on your Home screen. You can use this method to log back into Mail if you signed out earlier.
- Scroll down and tap Apps. You can skip this step if you are on an older version of iOS.
- Tap Mail. You may need to scroll down to find this option.
- Tap Mail Accounts. This option is near the top of the page and lists all email accounts added to your iPhone.
- Tap Add Account. If you have existing emails linked to the Mail app, they will be listed under the Accounts header.
- Tap the email provider. You can choose from options such as iCloud, Microsoft Exchange, Google, Yahoo, AOL, Outlook, or Other.
- Log into your email account. The login process will vary depending on the provider you selected. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in. Once signed in, you can select which features you want to sync, such as Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, and Notes.
How to add the Mail app to the Home screen
- Swipe to the App Library. This is located on the far right when swiping from your Home screen. Use this method if you accidentally removed the Mail app from your Home screen and wish to restore it.
- Find the Mail app. You can either browse for the app icon within the folders or type “mail” into the search bar at the top.
- Tap and hold the Mail app. A pop-up menu will open. If a menu does not open, simply tap and hold the app, then drag it directly to your Home screen.
- Tap Add to Home Screen. The Mail app will then be added to your Home screen. You can rearrange your apps on the Home screen as desired.
What to do next?
After managing your email accounts, consider optimizing your iPhone’s notification settings for the Mail app. You can customize how and when you receive alerts for new emails, reducing distractions and focusing on what matters most. Explore options like turning off badge icons, adjusting sound alerts, or setting up VIP notifications for important contacts.
Additionally, take some time to organize your email inbox. Many email providers offer features like smart folders, labels, and filters that can automatically sort incoming messages, making it easier to find what you need and keep your inbox tidy. A well-organized inbox can significantly improve your productivity and reduce stress.
