# How to configure Email on iOS devices? Email configuration for iOS devices enables organizations to remotely set up corporate email accounts on the native Mail app. Using Hexnode UEM, administrators can deploy IMAP or POP account settings to supervised and unsupervised devices, ensuring users are ready to work immediately upon enrollment. For deployments involving a large fleet of devices, the [wildcards](https://www.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/how-to-pass-device-and-user-information-using-the-wildcards-supported-by-hexnode-mdm/) feature is an essential automation tool that allows administrators to auto-populate unique user credentials—such as usernames and email addresses—across all target devices simultaneously. 1. Configuration Workflow ------------------------- To configure an email account: 1. Log in to the **Hexnode UEM portal**. 2. Navigate to **Policies > New Policy > Create a fully custom policy > iOS > Accounts > Email** and click **Configure**. [![Sample Email Configuration for iOS devices](https://cdn.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Sample-Email-configuration-profile-for-iOS-devices.png "Sample Email configuration profile for iOS devices")](https://cdn.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Sample-Email-configuration-profile-for-iOS-devices.png) 2. General Email Settings ------------------------- These settings define the identity of the account and how data is synchronized. **Setting****Description****Account Description**Display name for the email account used to distinguish between accounts in the Mail and Settings applications.**Account Type****POP (default):** Emails are stored locally; messages are usually deleted from the server once stored on the device. **IMAP:** Syncs with the server; every email is stored on the server and viewable across devices.**Path Prefix**(IMAP only) Specifies the location to find mail. Usually **“INBOX”** (use all caps).**User Display Name**The name displayed to recipients. Supports [wildcard](https://www.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/how-to-pass-device-and-user-information-using-the-wildcards-supported-by-hexnode-mdm/) **%name%.****Email Address**The full email address for the account. Supports [wildcard](https://www.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/how-to-pass-device-and-user-information-using-the-wildcards-supported-by-hexnode-mdm/) **%email%.****Prevent moving emails to other mail accounts (iOS 5.0+)**If enabled, prevents users from moving emails to other accounts. It also prevents forwarding or replying to emails from different accounts configured on the same device.3. Incoming Mail Settings ------------------------- Configures how the device receives mail from the server. [![configure iOS Incoming Email server Settings](https://cdn.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Configure-Incoming-email-server-settings-for-iOS-device-.png "Configure Incoming email server settings for iOS device")](https://cdn.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Configure-Incoming-email-server-settings-for-iOS-device-.png) **Setting****Description****Incoming Mail Server**The server address for incoming mail.**Incoming Server Port**The port number for the incoming server. Default is **143**.**User Name**Username used to connect. Supports [wildcard](https://www.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/how-to-pass-device-and-user-information-using-the-wildcards-supported-by-hexnode-mdm/) **%username%.****Authentication Type**Select from: **None, Password (default), MD5 Challenge-response, NTLM, HTTP MD5 Digest.****Password**Account password for authentication. Note: If MFA is enabled and unsupported by the native app, use an App Password instead. **Use SSL**Establishes an encrypted connection. Enabled by default.4. Outgoing Mail Settings ------------------------- Configures how the device sends mail (SMTP). [![configure iOS Outgoing Email server Settings](https://cdn.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/configure-Outgoing-email-server-settings-for-iOS-device-.png "configure Outgoing email server settings for iOS device")](https://cdn.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/configure-Outgoing-email-server-settings-for-iOS-device-.png) **Setting****Description****Outgoing Mail Server**The server address for outgoing mail.**Outgoing Server Port**The port number for the outgoing server. Default is **587**.**User Name**Username for outgoing authentication. Supports [wildcard](https://www.hexnode.com/mobile-device-management/help/how-to-pass-device-and-user-information-using-the-wildcards-supported-by-hexnode-mdm/) **%username%**.**Authentication Type**Select from: None, Password (default), MD5 Challenge-response, NTLM, HTTP MD5 Digest.**Outgoing Password Same As Incoming**Determines whether the same password is used for both incoming and outgoing mail server authentication. (Enabled by default.)**Password**(If above option is disabled) The SMTP password. Use an **App Password** if the account has MFA enabled.**Allow Recent Address Syncing (iOS 6.0+)**Syncs recently used addresses with the user’s iCloud account. Disabled by default.**Use Only in Mail (iOS 5.0+)** Restricts viewing and sending emails exclusively to the Apple Mail app. Disabled by default.**Use SSL**Establishes an encrypted connection for outgoing mail. Enabled by default.**Use S/MIME**Enables asymmetric cryptography to sign, encrypt, or decrypt emails. Disabled by default.**Mail Drop (iOS 9.2+)**Allows the account to use Apple’s Mail Drop for large attachments. Disabled by default.5. S/MIME Security Settings --------------------------- These settings appear when **Use S/MIME** is enabled. **Setting****Description****Signing Certificate**Certificate used to digitally sign outgoing mail. Select from certificates uploaded via **iOS > Security > Certificates**.**Encryption Certificate**Certificate used to encrypt all messages. Select from uploaded certificates.**Users can toggle S/MIME signing on/off**If disabled, forces the use of the configured signing certificate and prevents user changes in Settings.**Users can select the signing identity**Allows the user to select the identity used for signing.**Enable S/MIME encryption by default (iOS 12.0+)**Encrypts all emails as the default behavior.**Users can override default encryption settings (iOS 12.0+)**If disabled, forces the configured encryption settings and prevents user toggling.**Users can select the S/MIME encryption identity (iOS 12.0+)**Allows the user to select the identity used for encryption.**Enable encryption per message (iOS 12.0+)**Displays an encryption option for the user while composing individual emails.6. Deployment: Associate Policy with Target Devices --------------------------------------------------- ### If the policy has not been saved: 1. Navigate to **Policy Targets > +Add Devices.** 2. Choose target devices and click **Ok,** then click **Save.** 3. You can also associate via **Devices, Device Groups, Users, User Groups,** or **Domains/OUs** from the left pane. ### If the policy has already been saved: 1. Go to **Policies** and select the desired policy. 2. Click the Manage drop-down and select **Associate Targets.** 3. Choose the target entities and click **Associate.** 7. What happens on the device end? ---------------------------------- Once the policy with valid configurations is successfully deployed, the email account is automatically added to the **Mail** app on the device. The configured account will appear under **Settings > Mail > Accounts**. The account details can also be viewed under **Settings > General > Device Management > Hexnode UEM > Accounts**. 8. Troubleshooting & FAQs ----------------------------- ### Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. **Are passwords required for both incoming and outgoing servers?**By default, the “Outgoing Password Same As Incoming” option is checked, so the password only needs to be entered once. If the SMTP server requires different credentials, uncheck this option. 2. **What happens if the policy is removed from the device?**Removing or disassociating the policy will automatically remove the email account and all associated local data from the iOS device. 3. **Can users move emails to their personal iCloud account?**Not if the “Prevent moving emails to other mail accounts” option is enabled. This setting restricts emails to the managed corporate account. ### Troubleshooting - **Authentication Failures:** Ensure the User Name and Password are correct. If the account uses Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), confirm that an App Password is being used. - **Port Connection Issues:** Verify that the Incoming/Outgoing Server Ports match your mail provider’s requirements (e.g., IMAP usually requires 993 for SSL). - **Certificate Errors:** For S/MIME, ensure the necessary certificates were uploaded in the **Security > Certificates** section of the policy before association.