How to Set Up an Outlook.com Email Account on Your iPhone (2026)

You want your Outlook.com email (or a Hotmail, Live, or MSN address, which all run on the same service) arriving in the Mail app on your iPhone. The good news: you do not need to hunt down server names or ports. Microsoft now supports modern sign-in, so the iPhone asks for just your email address and password and configures everything else automatically.

There are a few ways to do this, and this guide covers all of them, ordered fastest first. Most people should use the built-in Mail app with the Outlook.com sign-in. If you prefer Microsoft's own app, or you need manual server settings for an older client, those paths are here too.

Before you start, have two things ready: your full email address with its current password, and a stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection. If your Microsoft account uses two-step verification, keep your second factor (such as the Microsoft Authenticator app) within reach, because sign-in will pause for you to approve the request.

Add Outlook.com to the Built-In Mail App (Recommended)

This is the quickest path and the one Microsoft steers iPhone users toward. It uses modern authentication, so no server settings are involved.

1. 1.Open Settings, scroll down and tap Apps, tap Mail, tap Mail Accounts, then tap Add Account.
2. 2.Select Outlook.com.
3. 3.Enter your email address and password, then select Sign in.
4. 4.If you have enabled two-step verification, approve the sign-in request on your second-factor method.
5. 5.Answer Yes when asked to allow permission or access.
6. 6.Toggle the data you want to sync (Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders) on or off, then tap Save.

That is it. Your inbox should begin populating within a moment. If the iOS version on your iPhone shows a slightly different provider list, use the Microsoft Exchange path below instead; it is another native sign-in route Microsoft documents for the same account.

Use the Microsoft Exchange Provider Tile Instead

Depending on your iOS version, the Add Account screen may present Microsoft Exchange rather than a dedicated Outlook.com tile. This is an equally valid native path that Microsoft documents, and it still uses OAuth sign-in (no manual servers).

1. 1.Open Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account.
2. 2.Choose Microsoft Exchange from the provider list.
3. 3.Enter your Outlook email address and a description of the account, tap Next, then select Sign In. (Tap Configure Manually only if you specifically need custom server settings.)
4. 4.Enter your password and tap Sign in or Next.
5. 5.When Mail requests permissions, tap Accept.
6. 6.Choose the services you want to sync (Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, and Notes as offered) and tap Save.

Set Up the Outlook for iOS App

If you would rather use Microsoft's own app (it brings Calendar and Contacts sync alongside email), install Outlook for iOS. One thing to keep in mind: once you begin enrollment, complete the whole process without pausing, since interrupting it mid-flow can cause problems.

1. 1.Install Outlook for iOS from the App Store.
2. 2.Open the app.
3. 3.Tap Add Account to add an existing email account (or Create New Account to make a new Microsoft account).
4. 4.Enter your email address. If Outlook auto-detects the account, tap Continue; tap Skip if you need to enter a different address.
5. 5.Enter your password and follow the prompts.
6. 6.If multi-factor authentication is enabled, verify the account (for example, approve the request in Microsoft Authenticator).

To add another mailbox to an Outlook app you have already set up: tap Inbox at the top, open Settings, select Account, then tap Add Account. Tap Email Account, enter the address, and follow the authentication prompts.

Approve Two-Step Verification During Sign-In

If two-step verification is turned on, the sign-in does not fail; it simply pauses so you can approve the request through your chosen second factor. Approve it and setup continues normally.

The exception is older mail clients that do not understand modern authentication. If such an app reports an "incorrect password" after you have enabled two-step verification, the password itself is not the problem; that app needs an app password, covered further below.

Enable IMAP or POP First (Manual Setup Only)

Skip this section entirely if you used any of the sign-in methods above. It applies only if you intend to configure Outlook.com manually with server settings, because POP and IMAP access is turned OFF by default on Outlook.com and must be enabled on the web first.

1. 1.In Outlook.com on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Forwarding and IMAP.
2. 2.Under POP and IMAP, toggle Let devices and apps use IMAP (or Let devices and apps use POP) to ON.
3. 3.Save your changes.

One quirk to watch: the toggle can fail to persist if you refresh the page or switch browsers too quickly after flipping it. Save, close the panel, and give it a moment before checking. Note also that on work or school accounts, an administrator can block IMAP, POP, and forwarding, so the toggle may not save even though it works fine on a personal Outlook.com account.

Configure Outlook.com Manually With Server Settings

Use this only if you are not signing in with modern authentication. Enable IMAP or POP on the web first (see above), then on the iPhone go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account, choose Other, then Add Mail Account. Enter your name, full email address, password, and a description, tap Next, and choose IMAP (or POP) if it is not detected automatically.

For an IMAP connection, use these values:

• Incoming Mail Server (IMAP): server name outlook.office365.com, port 993, encryption SSL/TLS.
• Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): server name smtp-mail.outlook.com, port 587, encryption STARTTLS.

If you prefer POP, the only change is the incoming server: server name outlook.office365.com, port 995, encryption SSL/TLS; the outgoing SMTP settings stay the same. For either type, the username is your full email address, and the password is your Microsoft account password (or an app password if two-step verification is on and the app does not support modern authentication). Tap Save when done.

Create an App Password for Older Mail Clients

An app password is a long, randomly generated password you provide once in place of your regular password, intended only for apps or devices that do not support two-step verification. The modern iOS Mail sign-in and the Outlook for iOS app use modern authentication and generally do not need one.

1. 1.Go to the Advanced security options of your Microsoft account dashboard.
2. 2.Scroll to the App passwords section.
3. 3.Select the button to generate a new app password.
4. 4.Enter that generated password wherever you would normally type your Microsoft account password in the mail app or device.

Add It Through Apple's Generic Account Flow

Apple's own instructions cover the same ground and auto-configure Microsoft Exchange accounts for you. Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account, enter your email address, select your provider if prompted, enter your credentials, and tap Next or Save.

If you instead need the manual route, choose Add Other Account, then Mail Account, and complete your name, email, password, and description. If automatic detection fails, choose IMAP or POP and enter the incoming and outgoing server details. Per Apple, if you still cannot set up the account or save the settings, contact your email provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need server names and ports to add Outlook.com to my iPhone?
No. The recommended sign-in methods (the Outlook.com tile, the Microsoft Exchange tile, and the Outlook for iOS app) use modern authentication and only ask for your email address and password. Manual server settings are needed solely if you deliberately choose a manual IMAP or POP setup.

Why won't my manual IMAP or POP setup connect?
POP and IMAP are disabled by default on Outlook.com. You must enable the relevant toggle first at Settings > Mail > Forwarding and IMAP on the Outlook.com web, then save. Until then, a manual client cannot connect.

The IMAP toggle won't stay on. What's wrong?
The setting can fail to persist if you refresh or switch browsers too quickly after flipping it; save, close the panel, and allow time before retrying. On work or school accounts, an administrator may have blocked IMAP, POP, and forwarding entirely, so the toggle will not save no matter what.

My app says my password is wrong after I turned on two-step verification.
That app likely does not support modern authentication. Create an app password from your Microsoft account's Advanced security options > App passwords and use it in place of your regular password in that app.

Will my contacts and calendar sync too?
With the sign-in methods, you can toggle Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders during setup. In the Outlook for iOS app, Calendar and Contacts sync through Exchange-type connections, while IMAP or POP style accounts sync email only.

My older iPhone stopped syncing Outlook.com. Why?
Microsoft states that starting March 1, 2026, devices running Exchange ActiveSync versions lower than 16.1 can no longer connect to its services. If an older device connected via legacy ActiveSync, switch to the Outlook.com provider sign-in (modern authentication) or the Outlook for iOS app instead.