Can't add Yahoo email account to iPhone

Was able to set my phone up by turning off my WiFi connection and using cellular data but sadly my new iPad is WiFi only and I may have to forgo set up on that device until I can get on someone else’s network.

No. The problem is that Yahoo has hundreds of mail servers. They quite often get out of sync with each other. You have no control over what server you happen to hit when you authenticate. Maybe you'll hit one that works, which happens most of the time, but you may hit one of the 'bad' servers, in which case it won't no matter what you do. Sometimes, trying from a different network will result in hitting a server that works. Continuing to try from the same network will repeatedly be directed to the bad one.

The Yahoo Mail app seems to always work, as does logging into Yahoo web mail from a browser. It's just mail clients that have problems. This is not limited to iOS, or Mac, it affects ALL mail clients. Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, MS Mail, you name it.

This has been a problem for years. The only solution is to wait it out. After a few days of not trying, you may be directed to one that works.

The permanent solution is to dump Yahoo mail and switch to an email provider that has a clue.

Outlook.com, gmail, iCloud, doesn't matter. Anything but Yahoo.

Oh, and this also affects all email hosted by AT&T, as they use Yahoo for mail services.

SOLVED: One of the things the Apple techs had me try was to reset the phones settings. SETTINGS/GENERAL/RESET/RESET ALL SETTINGS. This just resets the phone settings -- you will not lose your pictures, apps., songs, etc. It's just the phone settings. This did not solve my issue. It was worth a try though.

Tonight, I noticed my password feature (for the phone) was reset and turned off and my Face ID was reset. So I set them both up again.

When I looked at the apps that wanted to use Face ID, the Yahoo Mail app. had Face ID set to off. So I flipped it to On. I thought I would then try to add my Yahoo mail account to the Mail app. Then it worked!

So I am not sure if it was the fact that my phone password was reset or my Face ID was reset. Or both. But as soon as I turned them back on, I was able to add Yahoo mail back to Mail. This did not work 20 minutes ago when I tried it after reading pita's post above.

Look into your phone password, maybe turn it on or off. reset it. Then look into Face ID, and the apps that use Face ID.

Were you using Face ID at all? I was, for certain apps.

I think it was the Face ID reset that fixed mine. Maybe my issue occurred when the Yahoo password was reset and then Face ID couldn't process the new Yahoo password. I am not exactly sure. I just know it is now fixed with messing around with these settings...

Download the Yahoo mail app. that's the only sure way past the problems with Yahoo's servers.

This is purely a Yahoo problem, not a problem with your device.

Try deleting mail account; turn off WiFi; use cellular internet. Set up account as if new.

Hello mlsr403, 

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities! From your post I understand you're having some issues getting your Yahoo mail set up again on your iPhone 6. 

You've done a great job troubleshooting the issue up to this point. Have you tried using the iPhone on more than one network when you're setting up the email? If you haven't done so, that would be the next step I can provide. This will allow you to isolate the issue further. Verify that you've covered all the steps in this article: Add an email account to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. 

If you've tried more than one network, and you still can't set up your email account or save your email settings, contact your email provider for additional assistance. Here's the page for Yahoo technical support: Help for Technical Support.

All the best!

Same here. I did the exact same thing. Changed my Yahoo PW earlier today.

I can login to Yahoo mail on other non-Apple devices, browsers, etc. Different networks like work and at home. It's fine. It's just the Apple "Add Account" process isn't working. Whenever I enter my info, it does not tell me my user name or PW is wrong. It just loops back to the Apple "Add Account" screen where you choose mail providers like Yahoo, GMAIL, AOL, etc.

This leads me to think it's more of an Apple issue or link between Apple and Yahoo. I have been using iPhones for 10 years+ and I can do this stuff in my sleep. Something is definitely up. I guess I will try tomorrow. Maybe it will clear up overnight...

This seems to have been the case for me. I have been trying for about 5 days to re add my account back to the mail app. I’ve tried at home on my wireless network, not on a wireless network, while I’ve been out, on my work WiFi, etc, and it wouldn’t work. Just tried it again tonight and it finally re added the account. Looked like it was going to take me back to the same page where you pick which mail you’re trying to add and then it finally allowed me to sync it. Frustrating as all get out, but I’d tell anyone else having this problem to just keep trying at different periods.

Yahoo's servers are notoriously bad. they get out of sync with each other quite often.

Do yourself a favor and switch to another email provider. Preferably one who hasn't had over 3 Billion accounts compromised in the last few years.

Your not alone as I have the same issue today. Changed my password several times. Remapped Incoming and Outgoing servers. Updated my iOS to 12.4.3. I've been searching and searching and came across your post.

UPDATE: Another odd thing I just noticed: I also now can't login to the Yahoo Fantasy sports app. Same issue. Won't accept my user name and PW. I immediately went to my laptop and logged in just fine. I can also login on Safari on my phone. Just not Yahoo APPS or the phone's Add Mail Account section.

What is going on here??

I cleared all references to Yahoo from my phone's stored/saved credentials too.

This happened to me too yesterday. I changed my Yahoo password, my apple password, soft reset and hard reset. Nothing fixed it. No issues with desktop only ipad and iphone. Also, saw that Yahoo was not accpeting my ipad it kept coming up at like gecko when i looked in my yahoo security settings. So frusterating.

What makes you so sure? I can access Yahoo Mail everywhere, except on THIS DEVICE (iPhone X).

The lousy Yahoo Mail app. also works on this phone.

The only issue is the Apple Mail app. This is so frustrating. It's on a loop. It accepts my credentials (because it tells you in red if your user name or PW is wrong). It just then goes back to the Add Account page. So this is an Apple issue. Not a Yahoo issue. Or at minimum, it's both due to their connection between the two (their handshake).

Here's another thing I just tried... I tried to add my son's Yahoo mail (he's 12 and never uses it). It won't work with my son's account either. Same issue. So I know it's not a user account issue.

I also tried the solution above. Turned off wifi and used cell data only. Same issue...

Ugggghhhhhh........

I'm sure because I've had to deal with Yahoo's pathetic servers for decades. This is strictly a Yahoo problem.

You can believe it, or not, it doesn't matter to me.

Honestly, after having every single account breached in the last few years (the count has now exceeded 5 Billion accounts compromised), I don't see why anyone in their right mind would continue using Yahoo for anything at all.