Managing Email Accounts and Favorites in the Mail App
Staying on top of email is much easier when the Mail app is set up to match how you work. Whether you use one email account or several, the built-in Mail app on the iPhone offers simple tools to help you manage accounts and quickly access the folders you use most. This guide shows how to add and adjust email accounts, control what’s synced, and customize your favorite mailboxes so your most-used folders are always just a tap away.
Adding Email Accounts to the Mail App
The Mail app allows you to manage multiple email accounts in one place. Start by opening the Settings app and tapping on “Mail.” Then tap “Accounts” to see all email accounts currently connected to your iPhone. To add a new one, choose “Add Account.” You’ll see a list of common providers like iCloud, Google, Yahoo, and Outlook. Select one, then follow the prompts to sign in.
Choosing What to Sync from Each Account
After you sign in, you’ll see a list of data that can be synced from that account. These may include Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, and others. You can turn off anything you don’t want to sync. If you only want to use the account for email, make sure just “Mail” is selected. Then tap “Save” in the upper-right corner.
Viewing and Managing Connected Accounts
Once accounts are added, you’ll see them listed in the Mail settings under “Accounts.” Tapping on one will show options to adjust what’s synced, update the account description, or delete the account entirely. If you ever need to remove an account, scroll to the bottom of the account’s settings and tap “Delete Account.” This will remove the account and its email from your iPhone.
Customizing Favorite Mailboxes
Favorites in the Mail app give you faster access to the folders you use most. By default, the Mail app may show folders like Inbox or Sent, but you can customize this list to include any folder—even custom mailboxes you’ve created yourself.
To manage Favorites, open the Mail app and go to the main Mailboxes screen—the one that lists all your accounts and folders. Scroll to the top and tap “Edit.” You’ll now see circles next to available mailboxes.
To add a custom folder, scroll down and tap “Add Mailbox.” Choose the account you want to create the folder under, then name the new mailbox (for example, “Receipts” or “Travel”). After creating it, return to the Mailboxes screen, tap “Edit,” and scroll through the list to find your new folder. Tap the circle next to it to mark it as a Favorite. You can also rearrange the order by dragging the three horizontal lines next to each folder. When finished, tap “Done.”
Your selected folders, including any custom ones, will now appear at the top of your Mailboxes list for quicker access.
A Simpler Way to Stay Organized
With just a few adjustments, the Mail app can become much more efficient. Adding your email accounts, controlling what each one syncs, and customizing your favorite mailboxes allows you to keep everything organized in a way that suits you. These small changes can make checking and managing email a smoother, more comfortable part of your day.
Manage Mail Accounts and Folders on Your iPhone with iOS 18
In the video above, I walk through how to manage your email accounts and customize your Mailboxes (also known as folders) in the Mail app on your iPhone. Whether you’re juggling multiple accounts or just want to stay better organized, these tools can help you make your email experience simpler and more personalized.
Why Email Account Management Matters
If you use your iPhone for both personal and professional communication, managing multiple email accounts in one place helps you stay organized and avoid missing important messages. Having all your accounts connected to the Mail app also makes it easier to search, reply, and stay on top of your inbox—without switching between different apps.
Adding Email Accounts in iOS 18
To get started, you’ll want to make sure all your email accounts are added to the Mail app:
- Open Settings, scroll down, and tap Apps.
- Tap on Mail, then select Mail Accounts.
- Tap Add Account to connect a new email service. Major providers like iCloud, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are supported.
- For custom or non-standard accounts, choose Other and enter your settings manually (you may need to contact your provider for details).
Why You Might Want to Turn Accounts On or Off
Sometimes you only need an account temporarily—like a work email while traveling or a seasonal project. Being able to deactivate or remove an account without deleting it entirely gives you flexibility without losing any messages.
Activating or Deactivating Email Accounts
- Go to the Mail Accounts list in Settings.
- Tap on an account and use the slider next to Mail to turn it on or off.
- To remove an account entirely from your iPhone, scroll down and tap Delete Account. This doesn’t delete the actual email account—just removes it from the device.
Why Use All Inboxes or Individual Accounts
The All Inboxes view is helpful when you want a unified inbox to see everything at once. But if you want to focus on just work, or just personal email, you can view individual accounts separately to reduce distraction.
Navigating Between Accounts in the Mail App
- Tap Mailboxes in the top-left corner until you see all your accounts.
- Choose All Inboxes to see messages from all your email accounts in one view.
- Or, tap an individual account (e.g., Gmail or iCloud) to see only messages from that account.
Why Custom Folders Are Useful
Creating folders helps keep things organized. You can set up folders for receipts, travel plans, work projects, or family messages—whatever works for how you use email.
Viewing and Creating Folders (Mailboxes)
- In the Mail app, go to Mailboxes and tap Edit.
- Tap New Mailbox, name the folder, and choose which account to add it to.
- You can also nest folders inside other folders by selecting an existing mailbox as the location.
Moving Emails Between Folders
This is useful when you want to keep your inbox clean and store emails in more permanent locations.
- Open the message, tap the folder icon, and choose the destination mailbox.
- If your destination account doesn’t show, tap Back to switch accounts and select the correct folder.
- You can also long-press on a message, select Move Message, and choose the folder.
Why Use Swipe Actions
Swipe actions save time by letting you quickly archive or delete without opening a message. If you use email a lot, even small time-savers like this add up.
Using Swipe Actions
- Swipe right to delete (trash) or set a reminder.
- Swipe left to archive, move, or access additional actions like Reply or Forward.
- You can customize these swipe options under Settings > Mail > Swipe Options.
Why Customize Mailboxes View with Favorites
Favorites help you jump straight to the folders you care about. For example, if you often check a “Travel” folder or an “Unread” filter, you can make those easy to find.
Customizing the Mailboxes View with Favorites
- Tap Edit on the Mailboxes screen.
- Uncheck any folders you don’t want to see, and tap Add Mailbox to include folders you’ve created (like “Personal”).
- You can also add special views like Unread or Today, and rearrange them by dragging.
A More Personalized Email Experience
With iOS 18, it’s easier than ever to make the Mail app work the way you want. From managing multiple accounts to organizing mail into folders and customizing your favorite views, these simple tools can go a long way in making email more manageable.
Watch the video above to follow along step-by-step.