Gmail is the top email service provider used on the web today, but as easy as it is to use, it also has its flaws. If you find Gmail not working on iPhone, it can be frustrating as it means you won’t be able to send or receive mail, or even connect to the server, so your account is as good as disabled.
We’ve rounded up some fixes to the problem so you can use your Gmail app on your iPhone again and access your account.
How to fix Gmail not working on iPhone
Re-enable your iPhone
- Go to Gmail website on your web browser
- Sign in to the problematic account (sign out of any others)
- Copy and paste this link to the address bar: https://accounts.google.com/b/0/displayunlockcaptcha and tap Continue
A page will come up saying “Account access enabled. Please try signing into your Google account again from your new device or application.” Try and open the iPhone Mail app to send or receive mail normally.
Check Device Activity
Google may send email alerts about unusual sign-in activity, and you may have to review your devices. This means you have to enable your iPhone again, or log into your Google account and check the device and activity dashboard.
To do this:
- Sign in to Gmail using iPhone by tapping Go to the mobile Gmail site
- Tap Vide Gmail in Desktop in Settings menu
- Click Google Account and click Device activity & security events
- Go to Recently used devices
- Click Review devices and click your iPhone to see the recent logins. If you see an Enable button, tap on it and try to sign in to your account from Mail app in iPhone
Enable IMAP
IMAP is a protocol that lets your Gmail account send information to and from your iPhone. It should work normally, but when switched off, you’ll find Gmail not working on iPhone.
To enable it, do this:
- Using your computer, sign in to your Gmail account
- Click Settings>Settings>Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab
- Go to IMAP access
- Click Enable IMAP if it isn’t on
If you don’t have a computer, you can use your iPhone to enable IMAP by doing this:
- Go to Gmail on your iPhone’s web browser and log in to your account
- Tap Go to the mobile Gmail site
- Now tap More
- Go to View Gmail in and tap Desktop
- Now tap Settings>Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab
- Go to IMAP Access>Enable IMAP
If none of these work, you can try and delete and restore your account, and set it up again, or restore your iPhone using a factory reset to get to a previous backup.
Elsier is an avid tech writer, who loves mobile apps, games, music, and cars. When she’s not catching up on the latest in tech, she’s binging on reruns of her favorite series.