The error “Cannot Get Mail — The connection to the server failed” usually happens on iPhones / iPads (Apple Mail app) when the Mail app can’t communicate with the email server.
It can be caused by many things (network, settings, account, server side) but there are quite a few known fixes. Here are steps you can try to resolve it:
🔍 Common Causes
Here are frequent reasons why this error appears:
Unstable or no internet connection.
Incorrect email account settings (server name, port, security / SSL) or wrong password.
Server-side issues (the email provider’s server is down, or maintenance).
iOS / Mail app bugs — especially after iOS updates.
Certificate / encryption issues (e.g. using outdated or self‑signed SSL certs) can cause connection failures.
Restrictions or problems with background app refresh / sync, or mail days to sync settings.
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✅ Possible Fixes
Try the following, one by one, to see if your issue gets resolved:
Check your Internet Connection
Switch between Wi-Fi / Mobile Data.
If using Wi-Fi, try restarting the router.
Restart your device
A simple reboot often fixes transient issues.
Check Date & Time settings
Make sure Set Automatically is enabled for date & time in Settings → General → Date & Time. Incorrect date/time can interfere with SSL / server verification.
Re‑enter your email password / credentials
If you recently changed the password, make sure the Mail app is using the new one.
Delete the Mail account from your device and add it back
This refreshes configuration.
Check Mail server settings
Make sure incoming/outgoing server names, ports, SSL/TLS settings are correct. If your provider has documentation, compare settings.
Toggle SMTP server off and on (for outgoing)
Sometimes toggling the server in Settings → Mail → Accounts → your account → SMTP server helps.
Reset Network Settings
This clears out possibly corrupted network configs (Wi-Fi, DNS) but you’ll have to re‑enter Wi-Fi passwords.
Update iOS / Apple Mail app
If there’s a pending update, install it. Updates often fix known bugs.
⚠️ If It Still Doesn’t Work
If none of the above help:
Check if the email provider has an outage or server issue. You can try accessing your email via webmail or another device. If they fail too, it’s likely a server side problem.
If your account uses self‑signed SSL certificates or older encryption methods, these may be rejected by new iOS versions. Getting a valid CA‑signed cert or upgrading the server’s TLS support may be needed
Contact your email provider’s support, especially if it’s a domain / business / corporate account. They may have changed settings or need to enable support for newer security protocols.
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