How to Add or Remove VIP Senders in iOS Mail

VIP emails are prioritized. Here's how to manage VIP senders

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by Heinz Tschabitscher
An independent writer who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
Updated October 14, 2019

Organize your important email messages with VIP Senders in the Mail app for iPhone and iPad. When you add an email address to the VIP senders list, messages from that email address are collected in a separate folder. In addition, notifications for these messages are handled separately from your other emails. You can add a VIP sender or remove a VIP sender at any time.

Instructions in this article apply only to iPhone and iPad devices with iOS 6 or newer. There are separate directions to make VIP senders in macOS.

How to Add VIP Senders in Mail

To add an email address to the VIP senders list from an email message:

  1. Open a message from the sender you want to add to the VIP list.

  2. In the From field, tap the sender's name.

  3. Select Add to VIP.

    Inbox, mail sender, and Add to VIP buttons in Mail app

Make an Existing Contact a VIP in Mail

If the email address is in your contacts list, add the contact to the VIP list.

  1. Open Mail and go to the Mailboxes screen. If the list of emails displays, tap Mailboxes at the top.

  2. In the list of email folders, tap VIP, or choose the (i) button if one or more VIP senders is set up.

  3. Choose Add VIP.

    Mailboxes, VIP, and Add VIP buttons in iOS

  4. Search for and select a contact.

    The contact must have an email address. If the contact only has a phone number, they can't be added to the VIP list.

  5. The new VIP contact appears in the list.

    Search, contact, and VIP List on iOS

How to Remove VIP Senders in Mail

To delete a VIP sender from the VIP list:

  1. Open Mail and tap Mailboxes.

  2. Select (i) next to VIP.

  3. Swipe left on the sender's name, then tap Delete to remove VIP status.

    Mailboxes, Info button, Delete button on iOS

Another way to remove a VIP sender is to open an email from them, tap the sender's name located at the top of the message, then choose Remove from VIP.