iPad email account not accepting new password

Hello need some help from you lovely people today I had to change my email password when I went on my ipad it pop up to put my new password which I did it keeps bouncing back stating username or password invalid so I called both apple and email provider apple told me to delete the account and add it back in which I tried and the ipad will not accept it any help would be appreciated ipad version is 10 generation



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Ipad email issues

Posted on Nov 7, 2025 10:07 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 9, 2025 2:05 AM

Belle4304 wrote:

Thanks I tried the above and still cannot add still says cannot get mail the user name or password is incorrect yet when I go on the desktop all works??



Deleting and re-adding your email account is often the easiest way to resolve a problem with a specific Mail account. After deleting the account, perform a forced restart before re-adding the email account* to your iPad.


  • Delete account:

Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Mail Account] > Delete Account


  • Force restart the iPad:

Force restart iPad - Apple Support


  • Add Mail Account:

Settings > Mail > Add Account


(*) For iOS/iPadOS 18.x/26.x the path to Mail settings is slightly different:

Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts >


Deleting and re-adding your email account is sometimes the easiest way to resolve a problem with a specific Mail account. After deleting the account, perform a forced restart before re-adding the email account to your iPad.



Be aware that some email providers now require the use of App Specific Passwords when accessing mail over IMAP or POP3. If this applies to your email account, you will need to generate a unique password for your iPad email account - that will differ from your normal Account Password. As examples - AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft all use App Specific Passwords when using anything other than their own email client Apps.


Google have, until recently, also used App Specific Passwords - but have now changed their authentication protocols to require the use of OAuth. Simply deleting and re-adding your Gmail account using the Account Wizard should apply the correct authentication method for your Gmail account.


If you need to generate an App Specific Password, you’ll need to log-in to your Mail Providers account management webpage - using a web browser - and generate the Password from the appropriate account security page.


More information about AOL’s App Specific Passwords can be found here:

https://help.aol.com/articles/allow-apps-that-use-less-secure-sign-in?guccounter=1


For Yahoo, more information can be found here:

https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN27791.html


Microsoft:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/using-app-passwords-with-apps-that-don-t-support-two-step-verification-5896ed9b-4263-e681-128a-a6f2979a7944


Gmail (deprecated):

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/185833?hl=en-GB


4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 9, 2025 2:05 AM in response to Belle4304

Belle4304 wrote:

Thanks I tried the above and still cannot add still says cannot get mail the user name or password is incorrect yet when I go on the desktop all works??



Deleting and re-adding your email account is often the easiest way to resolve a problem with a specific Mail account. After deleting the account, perform a forced restart before re-adding the email account* to your iPad.


  • Delete account:

Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Mail Account] > Delete Account


  • Force restart the iPad:

Force restart iPad - Apple Support


  • Add Mail Account:

Settings > Mail > Add Account


(*) For iOS/iPadOS 18.x/26.x the path to Mail settings is slightly different:

Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts >


Deleting and re-adding your email account is sometimes the easiest way to resolve a problem with a specific Mail account. After deleting the account, perform a forced restart before re-adding the email account to your iPad.



Be aware that some email providers now require the use of App Specific Passwords when accessing mail over IMAP or POP3. If this applies to your email account, you will need to generate a unique password for your iPad email account - that will differ from your normal Account Password. As examples - AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft all use App Specific Passwords when using anything other than their own email client Apps.


Google have, until recently, also used App Specific Passwords - but have now changed their authentication protocols to require the use of OAuth. Simply deleting and re-adding your Gmail account using the Account Wizard should apply the correct authentication method for your Gmail account.


If you need to generate an App Specific Password, you’ll need to log-in to your Mail Providers account management webpage - using a web browser - and generate the Password from the appropriate account security page.


More information about AOL’s App Specific Passwords can be found here:

https://help.aol.com/articles/allow-apps-that-use-less-secure-sign-in?guccounter=1


For Yahoo, more information can be found here:

https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN27791.html


Microsoft:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/using-app-passwords-with-apps-that-don-t-support-two-step-verification-5896ed9b-4263-e681-128a-a6f2979a7944


Gmail (deprecated):

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/185833?hl=en-GB


Nov 7, 2025 10:23 AM in response to Belle4304

When changing your email account Password, you must change the password on your Mail Providers Mail Server - and on your iPad in two locations. To be clear, this means updating the Password in three locations.


Your iPad will require the Password to be changed for receive (e.g., POP3 or IMAP) server - and the send SMTP server.


  • Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Mail Account] > Account > Password
  • Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Mail Account] > Account > SMTP > Password



If you have any difficulties, very often the easiest method to resolve this issue will require that your delete the related Mail account from the device upon which you have the problem - and then re-add the account. 


Assuming that you are using an IMAP mailbox, none of your email will be lost - as all mail is kept on your email provider’s mail server; your device keeps a copy of messages that are kept on the mail server.


To delete the associated mail account from your iPad:

Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Mail account] > Delete Account



Having deleted the account, a forced-restart of the iPad is recommended:


Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

  1. Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
  2. Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
  3. Press and hold the top button.
  4. When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.




Force restart iPad (models with the Home button)

Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.




After restarting, you can re-add the Mail account:

Add an email account to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support


After re-adding the email account, the associated IMAP mailbox folders will reload from the server as they are accessed.



iPad email account not accepting new password

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