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Add or Remove Email Accounts in Mail for Mac

Updated · Standard formula, shown below

This guide shows you how to add a new email account (like Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, or a work account) to the Mail app on your Mac, and how to remove one you no longer need. You’ll manage these settings in System Settings, not inside Mail itself. No special tools are required—just your email address and password (or an app-specific password if you use two-factor authentication).

What You’ll Need

  • Your email address and password (or an app-specific password if you use two-factor authentication).
  • If your email provider requires it, the incoming and outgoing server details (often found on the provider’s help page).
  • Administrator access to your Mac if you’re removing an account that was set up by someone else.

Step-by-Step

Adding an Email Account

  1. Open System Settings (from the Apple menu > System Settings, or click the System Settings icon in the Dock).
  2. In the sidebar, click Internet Accounts.
  3. You’ll see a list of accounts already set up. To add a new one, click Add Account (a plus sign icon) near the bottom of the list.
  4. Choose your email provider from the list (e.g., iCloud, Google, Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft Exchange, or “Other Mail Account” for a generic IMAP/POP account). If you don’t see your provider, click Other Mail Account.
  5. Enter your name, email address, and password, then click Sign In or Continue.
  6. If your provider uses two-factor authentication, you may be asked to enter a verification code sent to your phone or generated by an authenticator app. Enter it and click Continue.
  7. If you chose “Other Mail Account,” you’ll need to enter the incoming and outgoing server details. Usually you can leave “Auto” selected, but if that fails, you’ll need to type them in manually (see Troubleshooting).
  8. After the account is verified, you’ll see a list of apps that can use it (Mail, Contacts, Calendars, etc.). Make sure Mail is checked, then click Done.
  9. Open the Mail app. Your new account’s mailboxes should appear in the sidebar. If not, go to Mail > Settings > Accounts and check that the account is enabled.

Removing an Email Account

  1. Open System Settings > Internet Accounts.
  2. In the list on the right, select the account you want to remove.
  3. Click Delete Account (a minus sign icon) at the bottom of the list.
  4. A confirmation dialog will appear. It will ask if you want to keep or delete the data on your Mac (like contacts and calendars). Choose accordingly. If you only want to stop using Mail with this account but keep the account on your Mac for other apps, you can instead uncheck Mail in the list of apps for that account—that’s a softer removal.
  5. Click Delete to confirm. The account is removed from Mail and other apps you chose.

Common Mistakes

  • Deleting the account instead of just disabling Mail: If you only want to stop using Mail but keep your contacts syncing, uncheck Mail rather than deleting the whole account.
  • Using the wrong password type: If you have two-factor authentication enabled, you may need an app-specific password instead of your normal password. Check your provider’s instructions.
  • Choosing the wrong account type: Some providers (like Gmail) work best as “Google” rather than “Other Mail Account.” If you choose “Other,” you may need to manually enter server settings.
  • Not checking the Mail checkbox: After adding an account, if Mail is not checked, the account won’t appear in the Mail app.

Tips

  • If you have multiple accounts, you can set a default account: In Mail, go to Mail > Settings > General and choose the default account for new messages.
  • To change the outgoing server (SMTP) for an account, go to Mail > Settings > Accounts, select the account, and click on the “Outgoing Mail Server” pop-up menu.
  • If you remove an account, your emails are not deleted from the server (unless you choose to delete them). They’ll still be available on other devices.
  • You can add the same account to multiple apps (e.g., Mail and Calendar) by toggling the checkboxes in the Internet Accounts pane.

Troubleshooting

Account won’t add or sign in fails

  • Double-check your password. If you have two-factor authentication, generate an app-specific password from your provider’s security settings.
  • If you chose “Other Mail Account” and it fails, try to find the correct incoming and outgoing server addresses. For example, for Gmail it’s imap.gmail.com and smtp.gmail.com (with SSL). You can usually find these on the provider’s help page.
  • Make sure your Mac’s date and time are set correctly—a wrong time can break SSL connections.

Mail app doesn’t show the account after adding

  • Go to Mail > Settings > Accounts and check that the account is listed and has a checkmark next to it.
  • If the account is there but no mail appears, try Mail > Mailbox > Synchronize Accounts.

Removing an account doesn’t work

  • If the Delete button is grayed out, you may need to unlock the padlock in System Settings (if you’re not an administrator).
  • If you want to remove the account from Mail only, uncheck Mail in the account’s settings instead of deleting the whole account.

After removal, emails still appear in Mail

  • This can happen if you chose to keep the data on your Mac. To remove the local copies, go to the Mail app, select the old account’s mailbox (if it still shows), and delete it. Or, restart Mail and see if it disappears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will removing an account from Mail delete my emails?
A: No, it only removes the account from your Mac. Your emails remain on the server and will still be accessible on other devices or through webmail.

Q: Can I add a work email (like Outlook/Exchange) to Mail?
A: Yes, choose “Microsoft Exchange” in the Add Account list. You’ll need your work email and password, and sometimes the server address (which your IT department can provide).

Q: What is an app-specific password and when do I need it?
A: If your email provider uses two-factor authentication, you may need to generate an app-specific password in your account’s security settings. This is a unique password for the Mail app. Use that instead of your regular password.

Q: How do I change the password for an existing account?
A: Go to System Settings > Internet Accounts, select the account, and click “Details.” You’ll see a field to update the password. Or, if the account is synced via the provider (like Google), you may need to update it in your provider’s account settings.

Q: Can I have multiple accounts of the same provider (e.g., two Gmail accounts)?
A: Yes, just repeat the add process for each account. They will appear as separate accounts in Mail’s sidebar.

Q: Why can’t I remove an account that was set up by my employer?
A: If the account is managed by a configuration profile (e.g., an MDM profile), you may not be able to delete it from System Settings. You’ll need to remove the profile first (System Settings > General > Device Management) or contact your IT administrator.

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