macOS · Accounts & Family
Manage Mail, Contacts & Calendar Accounts
Internet Accounts is where you add non-Apple email, contacts, and calendar accounts — like Google, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo, or a standard IMAP account — so they sync into Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Notes. It's separate from your Apple ID and handles every other account you use on the Mac.
How to open Internet Accounts
- Open System Settings → Internet Accounts.
- Click 'Add Account' and choose the account type (Google, Exchange, Yahoo, or Other).
- Sign in and grant macOS permission to access the account.
- Toggle which apps (Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes) should sync with that account.
What you should know
- Add Google, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo, or generic IMAP/CardDAV/CalDAV accounts.
- Choose exactly which apps each account syncs to — Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, or Reminders.
- Temporarily disable an account without deleting it by turning off its toggle.
- Remove an account entirely, which also removes its synced data from this Mac.
Why it matters
This is the single control panel for every non-Apple account feeding your Mac's built-in apps, so a misconfigured or duplicated account here is the most common reason mail stops arriving or calendar events go missing. Keeping it tidy also limits what data third-party or work accounts can see on a personal Mac.
Best practices
- Turn off syncing for apps you don't use with a given account instead of leaving everything on by default.
- Remove accounts you no longer use rather than just disabling them, to avoid stale sync conflicts.
- For work or school accounts, only enable the specific data types your organization requires.
Common problems and fixes
- New mail or calendar invites from an account stop appearing.
- Open System Settings → Internet Accounts, select the account, and confirm Mail/Calendar is still toggled on; re-enter the password if it shows an error.
- Removing an account also deletes contacts or calendars you wanted to keep.
- Export contacts or calendars first, or keep the account added but turn off only the app syncing you don't want, rather than deleting the account outright.
Tips and tricks
- If a work Exchange account requires periodic re-authentication, re-enter it here rather than deleting and re-adding the whole account.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Apple ID's iCloud Mail managed here too?
No, iCloud is managed under System Settings → [your name] → iCloud; Internet Accounts is specifically for non-Apple accounts like Google or Exchange.
Can I add more than one Google or Exchange account?
Yes, you can add multiple accounts of the same type, and each shows up separately in Mail, Contacts, and Calendar.
Related settings
- Apple Account & iCloud SynciCloud settings control which of your apps and data — Photos, Mail, Contacts, Find My Mac, and more — stay in sync across all your Apple devices, plus your iCloud storage plan.
- General & Default AppsThe General settings pane covers system-wide basics like software update, storage, and login items, while default app settings let you choose which app opens web links, email, and specific file types instead of relying on Apple's built-in apps.
- Family SharingFamily Sharing links up to six Apple IDs into one group so everyone can share iCloud+ storage, App Store and iTunes purchases, and subscriptions like Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade — without sharing passwords. It also gives parents tools like Ask to Buy and Screen Time to manage what kids can access.
More Accounts & Family guides for macOS
- Users & GroupsUsers & Groups lets you create additional accounts for other people who use this Mac, decide whether each one is an administrator or a standard user, and organize accounts into groups for permission purposes. It's the foundation for keeping multiple people's files and settings separate on a shared Mac.
- Password & Sign-inThis settings area covers your Mac account password, Touch ID fingerprint enrollment, and AutoFill for passwords and passkeys saved in your keychain. It's where you change your login password and decide how quickly Touch ID or a password is required to unlock the Mac.
- Screen TimeScreen Time shows how much time you or a child spend in apps and on websites, and lets you set app limits, downtime schedules, and content restrictions that sync across signed-in Apple devices.
- iCloud KeychainiCloud Keychain securely stores and syncs passwords, passkeys, and payment information across your Apple devices using end-to-end encryption, and can autofill them in Safari and other apps.
- Game CenterGame Center settings control your public gaming profile, friends list, and social features like leaderboards and achievements that sync across Apple devices for supported games.
- Wallet & Apple PayWallet & Apple Pay settings let you add and manage credit, debit, and transit cards for use with Apple Pay on the web and in apps, and configure default cards and shipping information.