Mail Not Working
Apple macOS
Severity: ModerateWhat Does This Error Mean?
When Apple Mail stops working, you might see messages like 'Cannot receive messages' or 'The connection to the server failed.' Common causes include incorrect account password, outdated Mail settings after an email provider change, or a corrupted Mail database. Most Mail problems are fixed by re-entering your password or removing and re-adding the email account.
Affected Models
- MacBook Air
- MacBook Pro
- iMac
- Mac Mini
- Mac Studio
Common Causes
- Your email password has changed and Mail is still using the old one
- The incoming or outgoing mail server settings have changed on your email provider's end
- The Mail app's local database has become corrupted
- A macOS update changed security settings that affect how Mail connects to email servers
- Two-factor authentication is enabled on your account and Mail needs an app-specific password
How to Fix It
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Re-enter your password. Open Mail > Settings > Accounts. Select the problem account. Click on the account settings and re-enter your password. Sometimes Mail gets into a loop asking for your password — re-entering it manually breaks the loop.
If you use Gmail or another provider with two-factor authentication, you need to create an 'app-specific password' in your Google account settings.
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Check Mail's connection status. In Mail, go to Window menu > Connection Doctor. This shows exactly what is failing — which server, what kind of connection error, and whether your password is being accepted.
Connection Doctor is built into Mail and is the fastest way to diagnose whether the problem is your password, the server, or your internet connection.
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Remove and re-add the account. Go to Mail > Settings > Accounts. Select the problem account and click the minus button. Then add it again with the plus button and re-enter all your settings.
This gives you a fresh account setup and fixes most configuration problems. Your emails are not deleted — they re-download from the server.
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Rebuild the Mail database. In Mail, select all your mailboxes (Inbox, Sent, etc.) in the left sidebar. Then go to Mailbox menu > Rebuild. This can take several minutes.
A corrupt mail database can cause emails to disappear or fail to send. Rebuilding recreates it from scratch using the copies on the server.
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Check your internet and firewall. Make sure other internet apps work. If you have a VPN or firewall, try disabling it temporarily — email uses specific ports (IMAP: 993, SMTP: 587) that some firewalls block.
If Mail works after disabling your firewall, you need to add an exception for those email ports.
When to Call a Professional
You should not need professional help for Mail problems. If none of these steps work, contact your email provider's support — they can verify your account settings and confirm you are using the correct server addresses and ports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mail keeps asking for my password over and over. How do I stop it?
This usually means the password you are entering is wrong, or your account has two-factor authentication enabled. For Gmail, go to your Google account settings and generate an app-specific password for Mail. For iCloud, go to appleid.apple.com and generate an app-specific password there.
Why did my emails disappear from Mail?
Emails usually disappear when Mail's local database gets out of sync with the server. Using Mailbox > Rebuild should restore them by re-downloading from the server. If emails are gone from the server too, check your email provider's website to see if they are in a different folder or the Trash.
Can I use Mail with Gmail?
Yes — Mail works with Gmail. You will need to enable IMAP in Gmail's settings (Gmail settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP > enable IMAP). If you have two-factor authentication on Gmail, you also need to create an app-specific password at myaccount.google.com > Security > App passwords.