Solel//dev docs

Add an email account

Mail works with the email accounts you already have. Connect one, and Mail brings its mail in, keeps in step with your provider, and sends through your provider when you write.

Before you start

Most providers want an app password rather than your usual one: a password just for Mail, made in your account's security settings. Gmail and Outlook only make one once two-step verification is on, and iCloud calls it an app-specific password.

Gmail and Outlook accounts can sign in with Google or Microsoft instead, with no app password. See Sign in with Google or Microsoft.

Connect an account

  1. In Mail, press Connect an account. If you have an account already, open Settings in Mail and press Connect an account under Your accounts.
  2. Choose who your mail is with: Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Fastmail, Yahoo, Migadu or Something else.
  3. Type your Email address and password. For most providers this is the App password, and the link under it goes to where your provider makes one. For Gmail and Outlook, press Use an app password instead to see these.
  4. Under Bring in, choose The last year or All of it.
  5. Press Connect.

Mail checks the account, then brings its mail in, the Inbox first and newest first. Years of mail can take a few hours, and you can read what's arrived while the rest comes in.

Mail keeps your password locked on your server, and only ever sends it to your provider's own servers.

Something else

For any other provider, choose Something else and fill in its Servers: the Incoming (IMAP) server and the Outgoing (SMTP) server, each with its Port and Security (SSL/TLS or STARTTLS). Your provider's help pages list them. Mail starts with the usual ports, 993 and 465. Add a username too if it isn't your email address.

Your accounts in Mail

All your accounts' new mail comes together in Inbox. Each account is also listed under Accounts in the sidebar, to see just its mail, and with more than one, each has a colour of its own.

Mail checks for new mail every two minutes, and whenever you open it. In Mail's Settings, each account has a section where you can change its name and colour, the name on mail you send and its signatures, update its password, check it now, or remove it. When you remove an account, you choose whether to keep Mail's copy of its mail.

Moving from Gmail for good? You can bring in a Google Takeout of your mail as well. See Moving in from Google, Apple or Microsoft.