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How to Fix “The Connection to the Outgoing Server Failed” on iPhone

The outgoing-server error does not point to one certain cause. Check your connection and provider, retry the message in Outbox, verify account security and settings, and protect downloaded mail before removing an account.
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If your iPhone Mail app says “The Connection to the Outgoing Server Failed,” it could not connect to the server configured to send your email. The message does not identify one definite cause: your internet connection, an email-provider outage, account settings, a sign-in or security requirement, or—in some cases—a network restriction may be involved. Work through the checks below before changing or removing your account.

1. Check your iPhone’s internet connection

First, confirm that the iPhone can access the internet. Apple’s initial advice for email that will not send is: “Make sure your device is connected to the internet.” Try loading a webpage or using another internet-dependent app. If those fail too, restore the connection and try sending again.

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Apple’s broader instructions for email that will not send are in its guide to sending email on iPhone or iPad.

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2. Check whether your email provider is having an outage

Find out which company hosts the email address you are sending from, then check that provider’s service-status information or contact its support team. An error shown in Apple Mail does not, by itself, mean Apple’s services are down: the outgoing server belongs to the email provider configured for the account.

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3. Look for the message in Outbox and retry it

  1. Open Mail and go to the mailbox list.
  2. Tap Outbox. If you do not see it, Apple says the email was sent.
  3. Open the unsent message and check that the recipient’s address is correct.
  4. Tap Send to try again.

If the message remains in Outbox, continue with the account and connection checks rather than repeatedly retrying it.

4. Verify your sign-in and account security

Sign in to your email provider’s website using the account address and password you expect Mail to use. This helps establish whether the credentials work outside the iPhone. If Mail reports a username or password problem after that, Apple advises contacting the email provider or system administrator.

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Some accounts have additional security requirements. Apple notes that two-step verification may require a special password or authorization for an app such as Mail. Ask your provider whether your account needs an app-specific password or another approval step; do not assume that the password used on the provider’s website is necessarily sufficient for Mail.

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5. Confirm the outgoing-server settings with your provider

Ask the email provider—or your organization’s system administrator—for the correct outgoing mail settings for this specific account and whether the account has special authentication or security requirements. Server names, ports, and security modes depend on the provider and account, so there is no single SMTP setting that is correct for every iPhone user. Apple’s instructions for account settings explain where to find and review settings on an iPhone.

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6. Consider whether the network blocks outgoing mail

If the problem happens only on a particular Wi-Fi or internet connection, ask the network administrator or internet service provider whether that network restricts connections to external outgoing mail servers. This is a possibility to investigate, not a diagnosis from the error alone.

Apple specifically notes that an ISP may block SMTP traffic over its network in the context of iCloud Mail connection issues. Ask the ISP or network administrator whether the restriction applies and whether there is an approved way to resolve it. That iCloud-specific guidance should not be treated as proof that the same restriction is affecting every email account.

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7. Remove and add the account again only as a later step

If connectivity, provider availability, credentials, security requirements, and settings check out but Mail still cannot send, removing and adding the account again may be a next step. Before changing or deleting account settings, sign in to the provider’s website and confirm your messages are stored there, or save important messages elsewhere. Apple warns that previously downloaded email may be removed from the iPhone when account settings are deleted or changed.

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To manage the account, open Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts, select the account, and use the available removal option. Then return to Mail Accounts and choose Add Account to set it up again. The precise sign-in flow depends on the provider; use its current instructions if prompted for settings or authorization.

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8. Contact your email provider if the error persists

If the checks above do not restore sending, contact the email service provider or your organization’s system administrator. Tell them the exact error, the account type, whether you can sign in on the provider’s website, and whether sending fails on one network or more than one. They can confirm account-specific server settings, security requirements, service problems, and any network restrictions that apply.

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