Are you not receiving emails because your iPhone 13 Email app isn’t updating? You are not alone. In this article, I’ll explain why your iPhone 13 Mail app is not updating and show you how to fix the problem.
If your iPhone 13 email is not updating, you can miss out on important emails, which can be costly if you don’t resolve the problem quickly. Luckily, we’ll show you ways to fix when your email doesn’t update on your iPhone 13.
Ways to Fix iPhone 13 Email Not Updating
There’s no direct way to troubleshoot why your email is not updating on your iPhone 13. So, you may have to try one, two, or all of these fixes before getting to the root of the problem.
Note: Information in this article applies to iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
1. Do a Manual Refresh
Try to refresh your Mail app before attempting anything more complicated manually. Open the app’s inbox, drag your finger down the screen until you see a spinning wheel, then release it. This should prompt the app to (re)connect to the email servers.
2. Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off
A connectivity issue can cause your iPhone 13 email to quit updating. To refresh your connection, open your iPhone’s Settings app and turn on the switch next to Airplane Mode. You could also tap Airplane Mode on and off from your Control Center.
After that, wait 10 seconds, turn off Airplane Mode, then check your Mail app. If nothing has changed, try the manual refresh in #1 above.
3. Reset Network Settings
You can fix any underlying connectivity issues by resetting your network settings.
To do so, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and any VPN/APN settings you’ve used before. After completing the network settings reset, you must manually reconnect to any Wi-Fi networks. You should then force-quit and reopen the Mail app to see if the problem persists.
4. Check Mail Settings
If the problem is still not resolved, it may be an in-app issue. Typically, you’d get email updates and notifications if you have the Push button turned on for the app. Instead of trying to ‘fetch’ your emails, Push instructs the email servers to ‘push’ them to your iPhone 13.
So when your iPhone 13 email stops updating, take a quick trip to double-check your email update settings. Start by heading over to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data, then toggle on the Push button.
If you only have trouble with a specific mailbox, tap it from the Accounts list and select Push from the menu on the next page. For accounts that do not offer a Push option (such as Gmail accounts), select Fetch. Next, select an update frequency from the Fetch Schedule below the Accounts menu. You want to set it to the quickest update interval possible—Every 15 Minutes. If you wish to update your email even quicker, manually refresh the Mail app.
5. Delete and Reinstall Mail App
A sure method to reset any possible in-app issues is to delete and reinstall the app itself. This will restore any settings you may have tampered with to default and possibly fix the problem of your iPhone 13 email not updating.
Although Mail is part of the iPhone’s stock app portfolio, you can reinstall it just like any other app. That should give you a clean slate to start setting up your email accounts from scratch, avoiding any issues with the current setup.
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Mail and tap Delete App to remove the Mail app. Then, reinstall the Mail app from the Apple App Store. Launch it and sign in with your email address. You can add any additional accounts in Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Accounts.
6. Remove and Re-Add Account
Remove and re-add any problematic accounts that refuse to update. This should help you fix problems caused by a faulty or corrupted configuration.
To do so, head over to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Delete Account. When that’s done, return to the Accounts page and tap Add Account to re-add the account. Once you’re signed in and can see your emails, do a manual refresh to load new emails.
7. Check Notification Settings
If the problem is that you’re not getting notifications for email updates, you should check your Notifications settings. Open the Settings app and go to Notifications > Mail. Then, ensure that the notification settings (Alerts, Sounds, and Badges) are set up to alert you when a new email drops in your inbox. You can customize other notifications settings in this section as well.
Also important, tap Customize Notifications to check the notifications settings for individual accounts to ensure they’re set to your liking.
8. Enable Background App Refresh
Another possible fix is to enable background app refresh. This feature allows apps to update with new content even when you’re not actively using them. Background App Refresh is also a useful feature for reducing your mobile data usage, so that’s a win.
To enable Background app refresh, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and select your preferred conditions for its use—Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and Mobile Data.
9. Check Cellular Data Settings
Some people restrict certain apps from using cellular data to conserve data usage. If you notice that your Mail app does not update when you’re on cellular data, chances are you’ve blocked it from using your iPhone’s mobile bandwidth.
To disable the setting, open the Settings app and select Cellular/Mobile Data from the menu. Then, scroll down the apps list until you find the Mail app, and turn on the switch beside it.
10. Disable Low Data Mode
iOS has a Low Data Mode that conserves Wi-Fi and cellular networks bandwidth. If you enabled the feature previously, it could be the reason for your iPhone 13 Mail not updating, as it could be restricting internet activity on the app.
To allow the Mail app full internet access, you have to check that you haven’t enabled Low Data Mode for both Wi-Fi and Cellular Data. To disable Low Data Mode on Wi-Fi, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the Info icon next to the active Wi-Fi connection. Next, turn off the switch next to Low Data Mode.
To disable Low Data Mode on cellular data, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and turn off the switch next to Low Data Mode.
11. Disable Low Power Mode
Another feature that could restrict internet activity on the Mail app is the Low Power Mode, which tends to limit various background activities, so you can conserve your iPhone battery. To do so, go to Settings > Battery and turn off the Low Power Mode switch.
12. Restart the iPhone
Another option for resolving app-specific issues is to turn your iPhone off and restart it.
Hold down your side button and the volume up button simultaneously. Then drag the slider to the right to power off.
After your iPhone shuts down completely, hold down the Side button to reboot it.
13. Update Your iPhone
If all else fails, try updating your iPhone 13. The Mail app may be unable to update your email due to bugs and glitches in the iPhone’s system software. Update to the latest iOS version by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
Fix iPhone 13 Email Not Updating
If the Mail app continues to fail to update your mailboxes, it’s likely due to an issue beyond your control. All that’s left to do is to contact your email service provider for help.
See also: Fix “This message has not been downloaded from server” in Mail on iPhone 13 Pro
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