Compose a New Email With iPhone Email

iPhone & iPod

Updated July 10, 2019

The iPhone is preconfigured with settings for email services, including iCloud, Exchange, Google, Yahoo, AOL, and Outlook. As a result, you can easily set up the Mail app to access the email from all your accounts in one place. After you add your email accounts to your iPhone Mail app, you'll want to do more than just read messages — you'll want to send them, too. Here's what you need to know.

Instructions in the article apply to iPhones running iOS 6 through iOS 12.

How to Send a New Email on iPhone

To send a new email message from the Mail app:

Tap the Mail app on the iPhone Home screen.
In the lower-right corner of the screen, tap the Compose icon, which is a square with a pencil in it. This opens a new blank email message.
Enter the email address of the person you're writing to in the To field in one of three ways:
- Begin typing the recipient's name or address. If the person is in your address book, options appear. Tap on the name and address you want to use.
- Tap the + icon at the end of the To field. In the Contacts list, select the person.
- For recipients who are not in your Contacts list, type the full email address.
Tap the Subject line and enter a subject for the email.
Tap the body of the email and write the message.
When you're ready to send the message, tap Send.

Email providers that aren't preconfigured on the iPhone can be added to the Mail app manually. However, you must provide information from the provider, including the hostname and incoming and outgoing mail settings.

Use CC and BCC in iPhone Mail

Just as with desktop email programs, you can CC or BCC people on emails sent from your iPhone. To use either of these options, tap the Cc/Bcc, From line in a new email to expand it to three fields.

Add a recipient to the CC or BCC fields in the same way that you add the original recipient in the To line.

If you have more than one email address configured on your phone, choose which one to send email from. Tap the From line to display a list of your email accounts. Tap the one you want to send the email from.

Use Siri to Send Email on iPhone

In addition to writing an email with the onscreen keyboard, you can use Siri to dictate an email. To use Siri, open a blank email, position the cursor in the message area, tap the microphone icon, and begin speaking. When you're done with the message, tap the recording screen. Siri converts what you said to text. You may need to edit it, depending on the accuracy of Siri's conversion.

How to Send Attachments in iPhone Mail

You can send attachments — documents, photos, and other items — from the iPhone, just like from a desktop email program. iPhones running iOS 6 or higher send email with photo or video attachments that are selected directly in the Mail app.

Open a new email and type the message.
Tap and hold the message area of the email.
When the magnifying glass appears, let go.
In the pop-up menu, tap the arrow at the right edge to reveal additional choices.
Tap Insert Photo or Video to open the Photos app. (Later versions of iOS include Add attachment and Insert drawing, which work in the same way.)
Select the photo or video you want to attach.
Tap Choose to attach the photo or video to the email message.
Tap Send.

Use Email Provider Apps

If you aren't interested in accessing your email with the Mail app, download apps developed by the email providers and use those instead. Popular email provider apps in the App Store include: