The iPhone Mail app doesn’t have a log out button. To sign out of an email account, go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts, tap the account, and tap Sign Out or Delete Account. To stop getting mail for a while without removing the account, turn off Mail for that account instead.
These steps come from Apple’s Add and remove email accounts on iPhone guide, and the grayed-out fix from Apple’s If you can’t sign out due to restrictions article.
How to Remove an Email Account From iPhone
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps, then tap Mail.
- Tap Mail Accounts.
- Tap the account you want to remove, such as Gmail or Outlook.
- Tap Sign Out or Delete Account.
Result: Apple says the account is removed from the Mail app and from all the apps that use it on your iPhone.
Apple notes that this doesn’t cancel the email account. It only removes it from your iPhone, so your email is still there when you sign in on the web or another device. To close the account completely, contact your email provider. If you change your mind, you can add the account back later.
What else gets removed
Deleting an account also removes it from other apps that use it, such as Contacts and Calendar. If you still want those, pause Mail instead (below).
How to Pause an Account Instead
- Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts.
- Tap the account.
- Turn off Mail. For an iCloud account, turn off Use on this iPhone.
Result: the account stops sending and receiving email in Mail. Apple says you can easily turn it back on at any time.
If you only want quiet time, Apple suggests using Focus filters to get notifications from specific email accounts only at the times you choose.
How to Sign Out of iCloud Mail
Turning off Use on this iPhone stops iCloud Mail without signing out of anything else. Fully signing out (Settings > your name > Sign Out) removes your whole Apple Account from the iPhone, including iCloud data and Find My, so only do that if you’re switching accounts or selling the phone.
How to Sign Out of the Gmail App
The separate Gmail app has its own sign-in. Tap your profile picture, tap Manage accounts on this device, then turn off the account or tap Remove from this device.
If You Can’t Remove the Account
If accounts are grayed out, Apple says Screen Time restrictions are a likely cause:
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Tap Allow Changes to Settings.
- Tap Accounts and set it to Allow. Enter your Screen Time passcode if asked.
On a child’s iPhone in Family Sharing, Apple says the parent or guardian has to make the change. Work Exchange accounts may be managed by your organization, so ask your IT team if you still can’t remove one. See also why email accounts are grayed out on iPhone.
Remove a Mail Account on Older iOS Versions
On iOS 17 and similar older layouts, use Settings > Mail > Accounts; some releases call this Passwords & Accounts or Accounts & Passwords. On the archived iOS 7 layout, open Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Select the intended account, including Yahoo when that is the account you want to remove, tap Delete Account, then confirm Delete Account or Delete from My iPhone when offered. Check the account name before confirming and preserve unsynced information first. Return to Mail to confirm that account is absent. This removes its setup and synced data from the phone; it does not close the Yahoo, Gmail, or other provider account. Use the current steps above for recent iOS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will removing the account delete my emails?
Apple says removing the account doesn’t cancel it; it just removes the account from your iPhone. Your email account and its messages stay with your email provider.
How do I add the account back?
Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account, enter your email address, tap Next, and enter your account information.
Related Guides
Sign Out of a Mail Account on iPad
On a current iPad, open Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts, select the intended account, then choose Sign Out or Delete Account and review any confirmation. Older versions use Settings > Mail > Accounts, Passwords & Accounts, or Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Check the account name and preserve any unsynced data before removal. Return to Mail to confirm the account is absent. Apple’s iPad account instructions explain these controls.
This removes the account from Mail and other iPad apps using it, such as Contacts or Calendar; it does not close the provider’s mailbox. To pause only email, use the same account screen and turn Mail off, or Use on this iPad for iCloud Mail. Turn it back on later to resume. Signing out of the whole Apple Account or a separate Gmail or Outlook app is a different task.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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