Email not sending on iPhone

I’m having similar problem on both iPad and iPhone after updating to iOS 16. When I send an email reply, I hear the swoosh but the email never gets sent. It just disappears. Sometimes it shows in my sent inbox, but the original email I’m replying to doesn’t show the arrow on it indicating that I have replied to this email.

I am having the same issue, oddly with both AppleMail, Gmail AND Outlook. I feel like I am going crazy as I reply to an email, hit send, hear the swoosh and assume the mail was sent. Days later, when I never hear from the person, I go to sent mail and there is not even a trace... and it's not in drafts either... just completely gone and never sent. I feel like I am going crazy, as I know I replied and hit send. It's infuriating and has caused a number of issues with my work (outlook account).

I’m having the same issue. Some emails go through without a problem, others just disappear like I never sent them. My customers are getting angry. It looks like I’m not getting back to them. Hopefully this gets fixed fast!!

It's not about being able to send emails or not, it's about emails that have been sent but once you leave the app and return to the app the email does not exist anymore, it is not in the sent folder, and the recipients have not received it. It is as if the email was never tight, sent or existed .

Every time I speak to Apple Support about this, it comes as a totally new issue for them as if they've never heard of it before, yet there are so many people complaining about the same thing.

Support for this issue does not exist and Apple/iOS is getting worse by the day

Turn off Undo Send Delay in the mail app settings, or don’t close the mail app immediately after sending an email. It appears that if the app is closed during the undo send window, the email will disappear. This fixed the issue for me.

Hi Metro287,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you've done a great job trying to resolve this issue on you own. The remaining steps in the following resource can help with sending emails: If you can’t send email on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

If the issue persists, let us know if this also occurs when sending emails from your email provider's website. Be sure to include specific error messages and any other steps that you may have tried.

Have a nice day!

Frustrates the f*** out of me that when you speak to Apple support they know nothing about it and come up with inane and hopeless suggestions on what to check etc instead of dealing with the software issue that they are not allowed to admit!

Apple has rapidly gone downhill over the past 3-4 years. My friend's Samsung knocks my iPhone into last century. Dictation is accurate, keyboard typing is accurate, spell check is helpful, not ridiculous "phailia" (WTF...??) and the camera on the Samsung just blows me away. It's stunning especially in low light/nighttime. Why do we persist with Apple phalias!

Same problem with mail just completely disappearing. Every indication is that it’s been sent but when you don’t have the expected reply, one way or another you discover that the email has simply vanished! Not in drafts or sent or outbox, just **** gone. This is a major issue!

I read what you wrote, and it is 100% not possible that it is only with replies.

The fact that you didn't like my message doesn't require you to start badmouthing. And when it comes to smart, I'm sure you read this stream before you posted your message. You are definitely not smart

With the new 16 iOS update, there is a five second lag between hitting the send on an email and the email actually being sent. When you go back to your email list after hitting send you will see on the very bottom of your iPhone “undo send“. If you don’t know that that is there it’s very easy to hit it and delete or unsend your email

Metro287,

To clarify, are both of your email addresses through the same provider? Knowing that will help work out if contacting your email service provider is the best path forward, or if there are other steps we can recommend.

Also, to confirm, have you updated to iOS 16.1 yet? If not, we recommend backing up and updating as that can help clear up general issues: Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

We hope this helps.

Take care.

::sigh:: DON’T SWIPE UP TO CLOSE THE EMAIL APP JUST AFTER SENDING. Advice that has been posted many times in this 8 page thread. iOS 16 has added a feature that lets you change your mind after hitting send; it holds the message for a period of time that you can set. If you force-quit the app before it sends the message is lost. If you don’t want this feature you can turn it off, but it is on by default.

In general, you should NEVER force quit any app unless it isn’t working; force-quitting slows down your phone and uses more energy than just letting it sit suspended, ready to restart. PLEASE read this→Do not close "background" apps | Communities.

FWIW, I have over 100 apps in the quick-launch app.

BcnPhil wrote:

Just found this thread: I've had the same problem with one of my email system in iPhone's 'Mail' ever since I upgraded to iOS 16.5.1, which simply sends my emails to 'Outbox' and it stays there; I have 'Delay Sending' switched off. I have iOS 16.5.1 on my iPad and the same email system in 'Mail' sends no problem at all, with exactly the same credentials: most odd and REALLY infuriating!

Your issue has nothing to do with the subject of this thread. Your symptom means that the settings for your outgoing mail server are corrupted, or the outgoing password (which may or may not be the same as the incoming) is wrong or missing. If you recently changed your email password you missed the outgoing mail server.

The easiest way to fix it:

• Go to Settings/Mail/Accounts and tap on the account, then remove it
• Restart your phone
• Go to Settings/Mail/Accounts and add the account back

churchie70 wrote:

Similar issue. However it "sends", I hear the swoosh. it disappears, But then it is not in the sent folder, not in the drafts, not in the outbox, no where, and I follow up with intended recipients, they didn't get the email. this seems to happen more with forwarded and replied emails than new created but happens with all. this is a HUGE issue especially when work time related emails... claiming "but I sent the email!!!"

I’ll assume you didn’t read the thread you posted to, so I will summarize it.

1. If you are in the habit of force-closing mail, don’t. Or if you absolutely insist that you must for some reason that goes far beyond the recommendations of Apple’s engineers not to, leave mail open until the “undo” send times out (default: 10 seconds)
2. If you still must force-close mail and can’t wait 10 seconds after sending, go to Settings/Mail, scroll to the bottom, and set Undo Delay to None.