iCloud Mail is accessible on any device with internet access. This tutorial will show you how to check iCloud emails on Apple and non-Apple devices.
How to Set Up and Check iCloud Email on Apple Devices
Apple’s Mail app is exclusive to devices running iOS, macOS, and watchOS. It’s the most convenient app for managing iCloud emails on Apple devices.
Set Up and Check iCloud Email on iPhone or iPad
Turning on iCloud Mail synchronization makes iCloud emails available in the Mail app.
- Open the Settings app, and select your Apple ID name > iCloud.
- Tap iCloud Mail and turn on Use on this iPhone/iPad.
Your iCloud email inbox should appear in the Mail app immediately. You can link additional iCloud email addresses to the Mail app.
Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account > iCloud and enter your account credentials.
Set Up and Check iCloud Email on Your Mac
You must turn on iCloud Mail synchronization to access iCloud emails on your Mac.
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences), select your Apple ID name in the sidebar, and choose iCloud.
- Select iCloud Mail in the “Apps Using iCloud” section.
- Turn on Sync this Mac in the “iCloud Mail” section and select Done.
You should now be able to access your iCloud email in the Mail app. We recommend turning on Mail synchronization for iCloud Drive. That keeps your mail (settings) consistent and updated across your Apple devices.
- Return to the iCloud settings page (see step #1) and select iCloud Drive in the “Apps Using iCloud” section.
- Turn on Sync this Mac, then select Apps syncing to iCloud Drive.
- Toggle on Mail and select Back.
- Select Done to save the changes.
- You can add more iCloud email addresses to the Mail app. Open the Mail app, select Mail on the menu bar, and choose Add Account.
- Choose iCloud and select Continue.
- Provide your iCloud email address and password, then select Next to sign in.
Set Up and Check iCloud Email on Apple Watch
Your Apple Watch has the Mail app pre-installed, meaning you can check and manage your iCloud emails on your wrist. But first, ensure your iPhone and Apple Watch are paired and connected. Afterward, set up your iPhone to sync iCloud emails to your watch. Here’s how:
- Launch the Watch app on your iPhone, open the My Watch tab, then select Mail.
- Choose Mirror My iPhone, then select Include Mail in the “Mail Settings” section.
- If there’s a checkmark next to iCloud, your iCloud email is being synced to your Apple Watch. Otherwise, tap iCloud to sync your emails to your watch.
Although Apple syncs only your iCloud email inbox, you can also sync other folders like Archive, Trash, etc. To do so, tap iCloud in the “Accounts” section and choose additional iCloud email folders to sync to your watch.
- To check your iCloud email on your watch, open the Mail app, and choose iCloud on the “Mailboxes” screen.
Set Up and Check iCloud Email on Non-Apple Devices
You need a unique “app-specific password” to connect and use your iCloud email address on non-Apple devices or email applications. Follow the steps below to generate an app-specific password for your iCloud account.
- Visit appleid.apple.com on any web browser and sign in with your Apple ID or iCloud email credentials.
- Open the Sign-In and Security tab in the sidebar and select App-Specific Passwords.
Note: App-specific passwords are only available for accounts using two-factor authentication. If “App-Specific Passwords” is missing on your account security settings page, turn on two-factor authentication on your Apple devices. If you use an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Apple ID name] > Sign-In & Security > Turn On Two-Factor Authentication. On Mac, go to System Settings (or System Preferences) > [Apple ID name] > Sign-In & Security > Two-Factor Authentication > Turn On.
- Select Generate an app-specific password.
- Give the app-specific password a name and select Create. We recommend using the name of the email app (e.g., Gmail).
- Enter your Apple ID or iCloud email password and select Continue.
- Copy the 20-character password or save it somewhere secure. Select Done to close the password window.
Note: App-specific passwords have 20 case-sensitive characters—16 alphabets and four hyphens.
Now that you have an app-specific password, you can link your iCloud email to non-Apple devices and apps.
Set Up and Check iCloud Email on Mobile (Android)
Linking your iCloud email to any mobile email app requires your email address and app-specific password. It’s a straightforward process that takes about 2-5 minutes. We’ll use Gmail for this tutorial since it’s the native email app for Android.
- Open the Gmail app on your phone, tap your profile photo in the top-right corner, and select Add another account.
- Choose Other on the list of email providers.
- Enter your iCloud email address on the following page and tap Next.
- Next, enter the app-specific password you generated earlier and tap Next.
- Configure the account sync frequency and tap Next. Tap Next again on the success page; your iCloud email should now be accessible through the Gmail app.
Accessing your iCloud email inbox could take a few seconds or minutes. If nothing changes, close and reopen the Gmail app. To remove your iCloud email from the app, tap your profile image and select Manage accounts on this device. Afterward, choose your iCloud email and tap Remove account.
How to Set Up and Check iCloud Email on PC (New Outlook)
To link your iCloud email to Outlook, have your email address and app-specific password handy, then follow these steps.
- Launch Outlook, open the View tab and select View settings.
- Select Accounts > Email accounts.
- Select Add account.
- Enter your iCloud email address in the dialog box and select Continue.
- Select Continue on the “Sync your iCloud account” page.
- Next, select Continue to proceed to the password screen.
- Enter the app-specific password and select Continue.
- Outlook will verify your account credentials and display a success message if everything checks out. Select Done to close the account setup screen.
- To view your iCloud email, return to the Mail tab and select the Show navigation pane icon.
- Select your iCloud email on the list of accounts to view your inbox.
Want to unlink your iCloud email from the app? See our tutorial on removing/deleting an email account from Outlook.
How to Set Up and Check iCloud Email on PC (Classic Outlook)
- Open the classic Outlook app version and select File in the top menu.
- Select Add account.
- Enter your iCloud email address and select Connect.
- Enter your iCloud app-specific password and select Connect.
- Select Done on the success screen and wait a few seconds for Outlook to load your iCloud email inbox.
Sign Out iCloud Email By Revoking App-Specific Password
Deleting the app-specific password in your Apple ID account settings disconnects your iCloud email from third-party apps.
- Visit appleid.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID or iCloud email credentials.
- Go to Sign-In and Security > App-Specific Passwords. Next, tap the minus icon next to the app-specific generated for the email app.
- Select Revoke on the pop-up to continue. That’ll delete the password and unlink your iCloud email from Gmail or any email using the password.
Check Your iCloud Email on the Web
Follow the steps below to check and manage your iCloud email from a web browser on any device.
Note: iCloud.com supports Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera.
- Visit iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID or iCloud account details.
- Select Mail on the iCloud homepage to check your iCloud email inbox, send new messages, or manage your email.
If this is your first time accessing your iCloud email on a web browser, you’ll be prompted to turn on Mail Privacy Protection. This feature hides your IP address to prevent authorized tracking of your activity.
- Select Protect Mail activity and Continue to proceed to your inbox.
Note: Mail isn’t available on iCloud accounts with web-only access. You’ll get web-only features if you’ve never signed in to your iCloud or Apple ID account on an Apple device. Set up your account on any Apple device to unlock Mail and other features on iCloud.com.
Check iCloud Email on Any Device
Setting up and accessing iCloud on any device is as easy as pie. Restart your device if you have trouble accessing iCloud email or adding your account to third-party apps. We also recommend checking Apple’s System Status page to verify that the iCloud Mail service is up and running. Contact Apple Support if you still can’t check your email for other unknown reasons.