If you can’t send or receive emails on your Mac

If you’re experiencing issues with sending or receiving email using the Mail app on your Mac, try these solutions. 

If your Mac is connected to the internet but suddenly stops sending or receiving emails, you should generally try again later and, if necessary, work with your email provider to resolve it. If you're using Apple's iCloud Mail, find out how to resolve issues with iCloud Mail.

Check for status messages

You may see a status icon, such as a lightning bolt  or warning symbol , next to your account's inbox in the Mail sidebar, or in the top right-hand corner of the Mail window. Click it to find out more.

iCloud account in Mail sidebar with lightning bolt icon shown

  • If the status is Network Offline, make sure your Mac is connected to the internet.
  • If the status is Login Failed, check with your email service provider (ESP) to make sure your account is set up correctly on your Mac.
  • If Mail asks for your password, but entering the password doesn't help, find out why your email provider is rejecting your password.
  • If your email service is experiencing a temporary outage, your email provider may have a status message on their website. For example, Apple's system status page shows the status of iCloud Mail. Status pages are also available for other email services, such as Gmail and Outlook. Some brief service outages may not appear on a system status page, so you may want to try again later.

Test using webmail

Many email providers offer webmail, which is a way to use email with a web browser, such as Safari, instead of with an email app, such as Mail. For example, if you're using an iCloud Mail account, you can use iCloud.com to send and receive emails.

Webmail is a good way to verify that your account is valid, but it doesn’t mean your account is set up correctly in Mail on your Mac. Your email provider can help you verify your email settings and check for other issues that affect sending or receiving emails.

Remove your email account, then add it back

If no other solutions have worked, follow these steps:

  1. Remove your email account in Mail.
  2. Add your email account in Mail again. When adding the account, make sure you choose the correct email service provider for your email address.
  3. Try to send and receive emails.

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