How do I get my Outlook mail folders to sync on my iOS Mail App?

Question

How do I get my Outlook mail folders to sync on my iOS Mail App?

Linsey Lesly 0

I have connected my Exchange email on my iPhone to my iOS Mail app, but most of my user-created email folders are not syncing with my phone. I have tried to configure manually by entering the server name, but get an error message saying it is unsuccessful each time. How do I configure my Exchange account on my iPhone so all mail folders are accessible?

1 answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Hi @Linsey Lesly

Thank you for reaching out! I completely understand how inconvenient it can be when your Outlook mail folders aren't syncing properly with the iOS Mail app. Having reliable access to all your folders is essential, especially when you're on the go and I'm here to help you get this sorted out smoothly.

Here are the most effective steps to refresh the folder sync on your iPhone:

Remove and Re-add Your Account

This is often the most effective solution, as it creates a fresh connection and automatically configures your settings correctly.

Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts.
Select your Exchange account, then tap Delete Account.
Restart your iPhone.
Return to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account.
Choose Microsoft Exchange, enter your email address, and tap Sign In.

Using "Sign In" (instead of "Configure Manually") allows your iPhone to automatically detect the correct server settings, which tends to result in a smoother setup and more reliable folder syncing.

Adjust “Mail Days to Sync” Settings

This step ensures all your emails and folders, regardless of their age, are included in the sync.

Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts.
Select your Exchange account.
Look for the Mail Days to Sync option and set it to No Limit.

Check the Folders Within the Mail App

If your account has been successfully re-added but you still don't see your folders, they may be synced but not set to be visible.

Open the Mail app.
Tap Mailboxes > then tap Edit.
Look for your custom folders in the list and make sure they are selected (checked) to be visible.

Use the Microsoft Outlook App (Optional)

If the native Mail app continues to have trouble syncing, I highly recommend using the official Microsoft Outlook app for iOS. It's designed specifically for Exchange accounts and tends to sync all folders including custom ones more reliably than Apple's Mail app.

I hope these steps help get everything working as expected. If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know. I'd be happy to assist further!

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Jade-T 4,945 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-18T09:36:40.2833333+00:00

Hi @Linsey Lesly

Just checking in to see if the steps helped get your folders syncing properly on your iPhone. I hope everything is working smoothly now. If you encounter any issues or have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always happy to assist you.
Linsey Lesly 0 Reputation points

2025-08-18T17:35:20.1366667+00:00

I still couldn't get my folders to sync using the Apple Mail app, but they are showing up in my Outlook app. I guess I will just be stuck using that instead! Thank you.
Jade-T 4,945 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-19T09:05:43.3933333+00:00

Hi @Linsey Lesly

Thank you so much for giving those steps a try. I know it can be frustrating when the folders still aren’t syncing, and I really appreciate your patience.

Since they’re still not appearing in the iOS Mail app, it may just be due to how Apple Mail works with certain Exchange accounts, especially when there are custom or deeply nested folders.

If you’d like, there are a couple of final things you could try:

You can try to force a manual refresh. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data. Make sure Push is turned on, then briefly switch to Manual before changing back to Automatic. This can sometimes force the app to fully re-sync your account.

Sign in to Outlook Web or the desktop Outlook app and check how your folders are arranged. Occasionally, the iOS Mail app will only display folders that are directly within the main mailbox tree, which could explain why some are missing.

If the folders still don’t show after that, it might simply be how the Mail app works with certain accounts. Some users notice the Outlook app tends to display all folders more reliably, so it could be an option to try if you’d like full access.

I hope this helps get everything sorted out!

Share via

How do I get my Outlook mail folders to sync on my iOS Mail App?

1 answer

Your answer