How to add Gmail to your iPhone

You can add your Gmail account to the Mail app on your iPhone in about two minutes. The process differs slightly depending on whether you use a regular Gmail account or a Gmail account through Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), but both routes use the same basic steps in Settings.

The simplest method is to go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account, select Google, and sign in with your Gmail address and password. Your iPhone will then ask permission to access your Gmail, and once you grant it, your emails will start arriving in the Mail app.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, tap Mail, then Accounts, then Add Account, and choose Google to connect your Gmail in under two minutes.
  • You will need to sign in with your Gmail address and the password you use to log into Gmail on a computer.
  • When prompted, allow iPhone to access your Gmail account — this permission is required for emails to sync.
  • If you have two-factor authentication turned on for your Gmail account, you may need to use an app password instead of your regular password.
  • Once added, your Gmail will appear as a separate account in the Mail app and you can choose which account to send from when composing a message.

Step-by-step: Adding Gmail through Settings

Start by opening the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Mail. This opens the Mail settings menu where you manage all your email accounts.

Tap Accounts, then tap the button labeled Add Account in the upper right corner. A list of email providers appears. Tap Google from this list. Your iPhone will open a Google sign-in page.

Enter your full Gmail address (the one that ends in @gmail.com) and tap Next. Then enter the password you use to log into Gmail. Tap Next again. Google will ask you to allow iPhone to access your account — tap Allow. Your Gmail account is now added to your iPhone.

What to do if you have two-factor authentication enabled

If you turned on two-factor authentication for your Gmail account (a security feature that requires a second verification step when you sign in), you cannot use your regular Gmail password to add the account to iPhone. Instead, you need to create an app password — a special 16-character password that only works with apps like Mail on iPhone.

To create an app password, go to myaccount.google.com on a computer or phone browser. Sign in with your Gmail address. Click Security in the left menu. Scroll down to App passwords (you will only see this option if two-factor authentication is on). Select Mail and iPhone from the dropdown menus. Google will generate a 16-character password — copy this entire password.

Go back to your iPhone and follow the steps above, but when prompted for your password, paste the app password instead of your regular Gmail password. The account will then connect successfully.

Choosing which Gmail account to send from

Once your Gmail account is added, it appears as a separate account in your Mail app. When you compose a new message, you will see a From: field at the top. Tap this field to choose which account to send from — your Gmail account, any other email accounts you have added, or your iCloud email.

If you want Gmail to be your default sending account, open Settings > Mail > Default Account and select your Gmail account. New messages will then default to sending from Gmail unless you change it for a specific email.

Syncing options and what emails will read

After you add Gmail, your iPhone automatically syncs your emails. By default, it downloads the last 30 days of mail. If you want to change how far back your iPhone reaches into your Gmail archive, open Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap your Gmail account, then tap Mail Days to Sync. You can choose to sync mail from the last week, month, three months, or all mail.

Your iPhone will also sync your Gmail folders and labels. Any custom labels you created in Gmail appear as folders in the Mail app. This means if you organized your emails into labels like "Projects" or "Invoices" in Gmail, those same folders will show up on your iPhone.

Troubleshooting: Account won't connect

If you see an error message when trying to add your Gmail account, the most common cause is an incorrect password. Double-check that you are typing your password correctly — passwords are case-sensitive. If you have two-factor authentication on and you used your regular password instead of an app password, delete the account and try again with the app password.

If you still cannot connect, make sure you are using the correct Gmail address. Some people have multiple Gmail accounts and forget which one they are trying to add. Also confirm that your iPhone has an active internet connection — the account cannot connect without it. If the problem persists, try signing out of your Apple ID in Settings, then signing back in, which sometimes resolves sync issues.

Removing Gmail from your iPhone

If you want to remove your Gmail account from your iPhone later, open Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap your Gmail account, then tap Delete Account at the bottom. This removes the account from your iPhone but does not delete your Gmail account itself — your emails remain safe on Google's servers and you can add the account back anytime.

Removing an account from your iPhone does not affect your Gmail inbox, folders, or any emails. Everything stays exactly as it was on Google's servers. You can add the same Gmail account to a different device or back to this iPhone whenever you need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will adding Gmail to my iPhone delete my emails from Gmail?

No. Adding Gmail to your iPhone only reads your emails — it does not change or remove anything from your actual Gmail account. Your emails stay on Google's servers and remain accessible from any device.

Can I add multiple Gmail accounts to my iPhone?

Yes. Repeat the steps above for each Gmail account you want to add. Each account will appear separately in your Mail app, and you can switch between them or view all of them together by tapping the Mailboxes button.

Why does my Gmail say "No SSL" or show a connection error?

This usually means your iPhone cannot reach Google's servers, often because of a network issue or a firewall blocking the connection. Restart your iPhone and try again. If you are on a work or school network, that network may block Gmail — try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network to test.

Do I need to use my Gmail password, or can I use my Apple ID password?

You must use your Gmail password — the password you created for your Gmail account when you signed up. Your Apple ID password is separate and will not work. If you forgot your Gmail password, go to accounts.google.com and use the "Forgot password?" link to reset it.

Will my iPhone automatically send emails from Gmail, or do I have to choose each time?

By default, you choose which account to send from each time you compose a message. If you want Gmail to be your default, go to Settings > Mail > Default Account and select your Gmail account. After that, new messages will send from Gmail unless you manually change it.