Like many other apps, the Mail app on your iPhone or iPad can refuse to show or won’t download emails. Instead, it displays the first line of the email message, and then says that “this message has not been downloaded from the server”.
When your iPhone won’t download emails, you could be seeing this error message, and it typically means the Mail message was interrupted as it downloaded from the mail server. There are some causes for the problem like an erratic internet connection or problems with the Mail settings.
We’ve rounded up some of the possible causes and their related fixes so you can try them and see what works for you.
What to do when iPhone won’t download emails
No connection
If your iPhone isn’t downloading emails, one of the most common causes is lack of a good internet connection. Non-responsive email could be brought about by an erratic WiFi or cellular connection that could be as a result of activating Airplane/flight mode. To disable airplane mode, open Settings>tap Airplane mode to turn it off.
To reset the connection, tap Airplane mode on and then off again, and see if you have a better signal. If not, move to a location where the signal is stronger or connect to WiFi from cellular data.
Exit Mail app
You can quit Mail app by doing this:
- Open the app
- Double-tap the Home button if your iPhone model has one. If not, swipe up from the bottom of the screen on your iPad or iPhone X-series until you see a carousel of apps you opened recently
- Slide Mail window up from the top of the screen
- Press the Home button and then tap Mail app icon to open it again.
Reset and Update your iPhone
To reset your iPhone, do this:
- Hold down the home button until the slide to power off message appears. Slide the power icon to the right to switch off the phone
- Press the Sleep/wake button to power it on again
To update the iPhone, check that you’re on the latest ios version by tapping Settings>General>Software Update and update if one is available.
Delete and reinstall your Mail account
If your iPhone won’t download emails after trying the steps above, you can delete your Mail account and reinstall it. The problem could be in the Mail settings. To do this:
- Open Settings>Passwords & Accounts
- Tap the account you’re having issues with and then tap Delete Account>Delete
- Now tap Add account and select your account from the list
- Enter your details and set up the Mail account with its new settings
Elsie is a tech writer with 8+ years professional experience. For Tech News Watch, she brings rich experience contributing to topics such as Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS among others. In her spare time, she loves checking out the latest tech trends, gadgets, and news, listening to music and cars.