Mail not working after update iOS 18.1.1

After updating iOS to 18.1.1, the mail app is not working. It is totally malfunction and can’t receive nor send email. Start the mail app, it just pops up a white screen. I have tried to offload the app and reinstall it. It’s the same. When I hard reset the phone, it can pop up the mail account list but freezes. How do I fix it?

iPhone 14 Pro Max, iOS 18

Posted on Nov 22, 2024 1:02 AM

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Posted on Nov 26, 2024 10:23 AM

I am having the exact same issue. Everything else is working for sound, like text, alert, reminders etc. All of my email settings are set up correctly for incoming but no sound. It’s very frustrating. Sometimes wonder why they put out an update and make us go thru this!


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Nov 27, 2024 11:11 PM in response to MächtigeKatze

Whenever I try to manage messages, the sheet menu will not stay visible.


if I open a mailbox and select a couple of messages, then I tap "Move" to move those emails to a subfolder, or even trying to delete multiple emails...


the sheet menu opens and closes immediately. Before I can select an action.


This 18.1.1 update has caused major problems with organizing emails in just a few days.

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Dec 3, 2024 4:05 PM in response to MächtigeKatze

Apple this update IOS 18.1.1 is destroying my sanity! Emails are not coming in on my husbands iPad! One account comes in, his personal one doesn’t work at all. I deleted the account changed the password, reinstalled it and it still doesn’t load the emails! You need to fix this problem! You can see from this thread that it has been happening to multiple people! Please fix it! (It works on phone but not on IPad)

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Dec 2, 2024 10:13 AM in response to MächtigeKatze

I had a similar problem. I kept getting a Network Error on my iPhone (which downloaded 18.1.1 recently) and my email accounts--all of them--refused to update with new messages. I thought it might be my university putting a firewall up for some reason, but on my MacBook everything runs fine.


Eventually the email did start syncing again, but it's unreliable. I'm also noticing problems with Instagram and other apps not fully loading content or going very slowly. The new update also drains my battery (it went from 90% to 35% in about 3 hours, most of which was spent in my pocket with the screen off). I feel very frustrated by this update.

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Dec 13, 2024 8:22 AM in response to sgifford2

I posted this earlier with the link but Apple removed it.


I think the only solution is to contact your third party email provider with this information below and demand they fix the issue at their end. I’m not sure why some users are having a problem with iCloud.com accounts since that’s an Apple product.


A lot of users have pointed out that the problem seems to stem from how Apple Mail handles connections with IMAP servers after the iOS 18 update. 


The heart of the issue? It looks like iOS 18 has become a bit pickier with security certificates — especially if you’re using a self-signed certificate.


Essentially, the system may no longer trust these certificates, even though they worked just fine in iOS 17.

The strange part is that it’s not only the self-signed certificates causing trouble. Even users with legitimate SSL certificates (the kind you expect to work without issues) are facing the same syncing errors. 


The Mail app seems to have difficulty “talking” to the IMAP servers, and in some cases, it’s flat-out refusing to fetch new messages.


Possible Culprits


While Apple hasn’t officially commented on the situation, there are a few things that could be contributing to this glitch:


Stricter Security Requirements: iOS 18 may have tightened its policies on how it handles email server connections, particularly with certificates. 


This could explain why previously accepted certificates are now getting rejected.


TLS Version Issues: Some users have speculated that the issue might relate to TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocols. If your email server is using an older TLS version, it might be incompatible with iOS 18’s updated standards.


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Dec 2, 2024 7:10 PM in response to Sugarjph

*SOLUTION* This issue seems to be limited to accounts that were configured to use the IMAP protocol when they were created on the iPhone. Accounts using POP3 are not affected. Unfortunately there is no way to change an existing mail account from IMAP to POP3 so the only option is to create a new mail account on your iPhone using POP3. Way to go Apple! You become more and more like Microsoft every day!

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Dec 6, 2024 1:01 PM in response to HeisenbergSayMyName

My iPad was affected and main email account useless, whereas iPhone worked fine. Looking at what you said iPad was imap and iPhone pop. I ended up creating a new account (same details as originally and still an imap set up) and all emails suddenly appeared. Stupid updates - taken me hrs to try and sort this!

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Dec 11, 2024 8:40 AM in response to MächtigeKatze

Due to this bug/defect by Apple, my battery usage for the Mail app has been between 50% - 55% on a regular basis, forcing me to to have to recharge my phone now ever few hours even though my battery health is at 92%.

Anyone else experiencing that same thing due to this issue?

Apple, please help us!

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Dec 11, 2024 5:42 PM in response to ghostrider2112

I have no idea what my token is but my settings indicate my account is using IMAP with a password.


I've mentioned in another post that Apple has upgraded their IMAP security protocols. If you're having a problem accessing your email they expect the service you're receiving the email from to update the protocols at their end so the information can be swapped. This is why Apple has not released a statement about the email problem, which I believe was first reported on September 18th, possibly by beta testers.

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Mail not working after update iOS 18.1.1

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