Before you start: Removing an account from the phone doesn't delete your email — it lives with the provider and comes back when you re-add it.
Steps
- Check the obvious: is the phone on Wi-Fi or mobile data, and does a web page load?
- Open the mail app and pull down on the inbox to refresh. If it says a password is incorrect, tap it and enter the current password (if you changed it recently, this is why).
- iPhone: Settings → Apps → Mail → Mail Accounts (older iOS: Settings → Mail → Accounts). Tap the account → Delete Account. Then Add Account, choose the provider (Outlook.com/Hotmail, Google, or Other for Bigpond/Optus), sign in.
- Android (Gmail app): tap your picture → Manage accounts on this device → tap the account → Remove account. Then in Gmail: picture → Add another account.
- Give it a few minutes to download the recent mail. Old mail may take longer.
If that didn't work
- Bigpond, Optus and iPrimus accounts sometimes need specific server settings after a provider change — if Other won't accept the login, that's one for a visit or a call.
When to stop and call
The password is definitely right and it still won't add, or the same account is failing on the computer too (then it's the account, see the <a href="/fix-it-yourself/email-not-sending-receiving">email guide</a>).
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