iPhone (iOS) · Accounts & Family
Add Non-iCloud Mail and Calendar Accounts
This Accounts list is where you add Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or other third-party accounts so their mail, contacts, and calendars sync into the built-in Mail, Contacts, and Calendar apps alongside iCloud.
How to open Mail, Contacts, Calendars Accounts
- Open Settings → Mail (or Contacts, or Calendar) → Accounts.
- Tap Add Account and choose your provider.
- Sign in with that account's credentials.
- Choose which data types (Mail, Contacts, Calendars) to sync for that account.
What you should know
- Add Account offers one-tap setup for iCloud, Google, Yahoo, Outlook, and other major providers.
- Each account can independently toggle syncing for Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, and Reminders.
- Fetch New Data settings control how often accounts check for new mail in the background.
- Accounts added here appear as separate inboxes and calendars inside their respective apps.
Removing an account here deletes its locally synced mail, contacts, and calendar data from the iPhone, though nothing is deleted from the original service.
Why it matters
Most people use more than one email or calendar service — a personal iCloud account and a work Gmail or Outlook account — and this screen is what lets both show up together in the same Mail and Calendar apps instead of juggling separate apps. Getting the sync toggles right also determines whether a missed meeting invite or new email actually shows up as a notification.
Best practices
- Turn off syncing for data types you don't need from a given account to avoid duplicate contacts or cluttered calendars.
- Use Fetch New Data settings to balance battery life against how quickly you want new mail to appear.
- Double-check which account is set as default for new emails and calendar events if you manage more than one.
Common problems and fixes
- A Gmail or Outlook account stops syncing new mail
- Remove and re-add the account, and make sure two-factor authentication or an app-specific password (if required by the provider) is current.
- Duplicate contacts appear after adding a second account
- This usually happens when the same person exists in both iCloud and the new account — merge duplicates in the Contacts app or turn off Contacts sync for one account.
Tips and tricks
- Set a non-iCloud account's Fetch setting to 'Manual' if you rarely check it, to save battery and background data.
Frequently asked questions
Does adding a Gmail account here also sync Google Photos or Drive?
No, this Accounts screen only handles Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, and Reminders — other Google services need their own dedicated apps.
Can I have more than one Gmail or Outlook account added at once?
Yes, you can add multiple accounts from the same or different providers, and each appears as its own separate inbox and calendar.
Related settings
- Apple ID & iCloudThe account panel at the top of Settings is where your Apple ID lives on iPhone — your name, phone numbers, email addresses, and every iCloud service (Photos, Backup, Drive, Mail, and more) that's currently syncing to your account.
- NotificationsNotification settings let you control exactly how each app alerts you — as a banner, a sound, a badge, or grouped into a scheduled summary — so your Lock Screen and Notification Center reflect what actually deserves your attention.
- iCloud BackupiCloud Backup automatically saves a copy of your photos, app data, device settings, and more, so you can restore everything on a new or reset device.
More Accounts & Family guides for iPhone (iOS)
- Screen Time & FamilyScreen Time shows how you (or your family) use your devices and lets you set app limits, downtime schedules, and content restrictions — especially useful when set up through Family Sharing for a child's device.
- Family SharingFamily Sharing lets up to six people share App Store and iTunes purchases, an Apple Music or Apple One subscription, iCloud+ storage, and a shared photo album — plus parental controls for kids' accounts.
- Sign-In & SecuritySign-In & Security is where you change your Apple ID password, view your two-factor authentication trusted phone numbers, and manage which devices are trusted to approve sign-ins.
- App Limits & DowntimeApp Limits and Downtime, part of Screen Time, let you cap daily time spent in app categories and schedule periods when only phone calls and allowed apps remain available.
- Apple Cash & Family PaymentsApple Cash Family lets an organizer set up Apple Cash for a family member under 18, issue a virtual or physical debit card, fund their balance, and monitor or limit their transactions.
- Ask to BuyAsk to Buy requires children in a Family Sharing group to send a purchase or download request that an organizer approves or declines from their own device before it completes.