Not able to access Comcast email since Nov 30 using MAIL button?

First, you failed to recommend they check the settings on their xfinity account under security to allow third party apps to access the server. However, given this is checked, I am still having the same issue since their security change. I occasionally can download email, but typically the phone fails to connect to their server. This occurred since the last update to the OS. Please at least acknowledge this is an OS problem and not simply pass the issue to the mail provider.

Hi William,

It sounds like you've had an issue with your Comcast email with the Apple Mail app. We've got your back!

It start, we'd make sure you've followed: If you can’t send email on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Should you continue to have issues with the email, then you'd want to contact your email provider to confirm the settings and any issues on their end.

Wishing you the best, take care!

I have two comcast imap email addresses set up on my phone. Both stop working, or randomly work. Just now they both updated. I sent an email from one to the other and it worked. I know it will soon stop when it is not convenient. Is there any other email program we could use instead of Mail. The xfinity app is buggy, asks for an email address, but then refuses it because you can't enter a comcast.net address in their app, so I deleted it.

Has there been anything further on this. I am having the same problem with Comcast email on new iPhone 12 mini. It works only sporadically, and I've double-checked all settings, passwords, ports, etc. Comcast recommends I not use the iPhone Mail app, and switch to Xfinity Connect. But I'd rather find the problem.

I solved the issue temporarily by turning off my Norton VPN on my iphone. I did get xfinity app to work finally, but its a pain. If I leave the VPN off the mail app will work, not secure, but it does now work.

wkstrider wrote:

Thanks. But I didn't have Norton VPN turned on yet, so there must be something else going on.

The first step to troubleshooting an email account on an iPhone is to delete the account and add it back. This will ensure you have the newest settings and it's far faster than trying to look at the settings and edit them (which doesn't work half the time anyway).

I have never experienced a problem with my Comcast mail. If you are using the IMAP mail, then use the following settings:

Incoming Mail Server

Host Name: imap.comcast.net

User Name: the first part of your email address before the "at"

Password: you should know that

Outgoing Mail Server:

SMTP: smtp.comcast.net. Tap on this to get to those settings>on this page it should be the Primary Server, tap on smtp.comcast.net again.

The Host Name is the same, smtp.comcast.net

User Name: same as the incoming

Password: same as incoming

Use SSL: turn this switch on

Authentication: Password

Server Port 587

Go back to the first page with the Incoming Mail Server

Tap on Advanced:

Mailbox Behaviors

Move Discarded Messages Into

Deleted Messages

Set all of these to your desired setting

Use SSL: turn on

Authentication: Password

IMAP Patch Prefix /

Server Port 993

This should get it to work. But first, delete the account from Mail, then power the iPhone off, then back on again. Go back to Settings and go to Mail, and Add Account. Add the information requested. After the account verifies, you can go into it and check all these settings and modify if necessary.

Thanks all. I seem to have narrowed the problem down to an interaction with Norton VPN. I turned it on, then off again, and the mail reception problem went away. If I turn VPN on again, the problem returns. So I'll leave it off and try to follow up with Norton.

Do you need the VPN to connect to your work servers from your employer? If not, it is really as waste of resources, and if you have the entire Norton suite, it is a waste of space and money. You do not need an anti-virus on the iPhone, and you really only need a VPN if you are connecting to your employer's work servers for protection.

Nicholas_B2, that was the exact problem I was having from some secondary accounts that wouldn't work with the iPhone mail app, I had to login to my email account online and modify the security settings to allow third party applications and now the secondary accounts work fine. I spent most of the day trying to figure that out. Wish I would have seen your post earlier in the day. -thanks!

Are you kidding me? I spent I don’t know how many hours over a weeks time trying to figure out why my Comcast email would not work on my iPad. Then I came to your fix, I turned off my VPN and it works. Thank you!

Hi. I don't have a VPN so that isn't my problem. I receive Comcast emails fine on the mail app but it won't let me send. I read over your instructions and haven't changed on thing on my end recently. However, I've noticed one discrepancy between what you suggest to do and what is in my preferences. In my Incoming Mail Server, my host name is "mail.comcast.net" but you suggest it should be "imap.comcast.net". Other than that everything in my preferences is the same. More importantly t's not incoming that's the problem, it's the out-going. If I go to Xfinity on the web, it's all fine, but I want to be able to access all my emails from the Mail app on my Macbook and my new iPhone 12. In Advanced settings, the TSL is set to None and the Allow insecure authentication is unchecked. But, for the Outgoing it says the account is Offline -- I never shut it off. Any other ideas? I really appreciate any guidance you can provide.

The difference between mail.comcast.net and imap.comcast.net is the difference between POP and IMAP. However, that is the incoming server, which has nothing to do with your sending. Sending is handled by the SMTP or outgoing server. If you can receive your mail fine, you need to check the settings in your SMTP, that is what handles sending. For you to send mail, you are going to have to makes sure that your outgoing mail server host is smtp.comcast.net, the username and password, and Use SSL has to be one, with the Authentication is Password. As I read this a little more, are you referring to the settings on the MacBook, or the ones on the phone? What I've provided is for the phone and I do not see a setting called Allow insecure authentication anywhere on the phone. The thing that made me wonder if you were referring to the MacBook is because I did find a setting in the Apple menu in the Mail app on my MacBook Air under Mailbox and I find a setting called Online Status. These settings differ from the iPhone.

i was having the same problem and turned off vpn for Norton web security at home which was redundant to my home firewall and my mail comes in fine now. If I am connected outside my home VPN is activated so I should be fine. Thanks all.

Thanks. But I didn't have Norton VPN turned on yet, so there must be something else going on.