This message has not been downloaded from the server.

The message you're seeing, "iPhone emails: exchange: This message has not been downloaded from the server," typically appears in the Mail app on an iPhone when you are using Microsoft Exchange as your email service provider. This message indicates that the email message in question has not been fully downloaded or synced from the server to your device.

There could be several reasons for this message:

1. If your iPhone is having trouble connecting to the internet or your Exchange server, it might not be able to download the email content.
2. Sometimes, there can be synchronization issues between your device and the server, preventing the email content from being downloaded.
3. If the email contains large attachments, it might take longer to download or might not download at all if there are limitations set on attachment size.
4. It's possible that the server settings are misconfigured, leading to problems with downloading emails.
5. Your Exchange server might have restrictions in place that prevent certain types of emails from being downloaded to mobile devices.

To troubleshoot the issue, you can try the following steps:

1. Make sure your iPhone is connected to a stable internet connection, either through Wi-Fi or cellular data.
2. In the Mail app, try to refresh your inbox by pulling down the screen to force the app to sync and download new emails.
3. Close the Mail app and then reopen it. Sometimes, this can help resolve syncing issues.
4. If the problem persists, try restarting your iPhone. This can often solve various software glitches.
5. Double-check that your Exchange server settings on your iPhone are correct. You may need to re-enter your email account details.
6. If your device is low on storage, it might not be able to download new emails. Clear some space by deleting unnecessary apps or files.
7. If none of the above steps work, you can try removing your Exchange email account from your iPhone and then adding it back again.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you might want to contact your IT department or email service provider for further assistance, as the problem could be related to server-side configurations or issues.

Just commenting that it’s been happening to me too for a couple of years now. My ISP is Mediacom. Downloaded another email program (that I really don’t like) as a backup to get timely access to an email when I see who it is from and that it is important and the stock email app on my phone is saying “message not downloaded from server”. This problem was happening on my iPhone 11 and I just got an iPhone 15 and the problem is still occurring!!! Apple, this problem is not specific to just one type of ISP (iCloud, yahoo, gmail, Mediacom, etc). It does not happen on my husband’s Samsung. It is strictly an Apple problem so fix it and stop putting the blame on everyone else!!! None of the suggestions here work.

Fed up with this happening 80% of the time. The workarounds don’t work and I constantly have to log into my other email app to view my emails. It effects too many people why don’t Apple fix it?

I’ve done everything that’s been advised and still the issue continues. The Yahoo app itself is working perfectly. It does appear to be an iOS issue. Also finding more and more that the blame for issues seems to be put as everyone else’s fault and not an Apple one. Refreshing to see that I’m not the only one with this problem.

Have the same problem for years! Usually quitting and restarting the mail app does it, which gives a first *strong* hint that something on the side of Apple and the way that the mail app works is a bit out of balance! I’ve usually got the problem with gmail accounts. It does work very well when I access through the gmail website *next hint*. I also have admittedly a lot of emails in my accounts (who doesn’t?), so perhaps there’s something in the way the app tries to load them that leads to it being ultimately unsuccessful? I also did find that after i bought a new MacBook with crazy amounts of working memory, a lot of the mail issues (that also happened on macOS) disappeared. This is another *strong* hint that mail might not run very efficiently.

In any case, it would be good if someone at Apple were to dedicate some time to fixing these small (?) issues that cause a lot of frustration and productivity loss for users but are perhaps less shiny than cars or VR headsets (sorry).

I think with all the user reports coming in, it should be clear that people checked their WiFi connections etc. before posting. So no need to point that out anymore (even if well intended). Thanks!

Incredibly irritating, time someone at apple put their brain in gear and sorted this.

quick to take your money but not resolve customer issues.

v. Meldrew

For what it is worth. I have escalated it to Apple today. It turns out that they know there is an issue and are actively wanting to pursue it. So maybe, just maybe, they will be able to fix it in future updates of iOS.

I called about this and other issues yesterday. They insisted it was an AOL email problem. I was firm that this is happening to hundreds of thousands of Apple iPhone users who don’t use AOL for their mail and this was a UNIVERSAL problem. The rep sai something like “at Apple, we like to look at each issue INDIVIDUALLY! This is nuts! Also, it has adversely affected us in so many ways. My doc sends a link to our telehealth appt. I’m late for it. My insurance sends a one time password….bu the time it opens, it’s expired. My “game night” web ex link won’t open and I’m late for that! Arrrgghhhh!!!!!

I get the same issue with my Sky/Yahoo email account - however I find that if I turn off WiFi and use network data the message almost always downloads…..

No, no, no. None of these ideas work, as numerous people have already said.

Update: March 2024. This is now being actively pursued by Apple. They recognise that there is a problem, and we were able to reproduce it with a test email from the Apple engineer. They are now trying to find the source of the problem.

same issue

Happens to me occasionally, and then an hour or so later, they all appear! Very frustrating especially when reading the email is “time of the essence.”

I have the exact same issue with Yahoo Mail. iPhone 11 works consistently, iPhone 13 also. My iPad Pro however with yahoo Mail results in this rather annoying issue so I have to then either use the yahoo app or go via the web which means which was fine back in the 90s not so when I have a small fortune of modern Apple tech.

Apple whether this is your issue or that of one of the major email vendors, take some responsibility and please find a solution that works.

I see this problem has been around for a long time and yet Apple hasn’t fixed the problem. What does it take to get this fixed? Rather ridiculous I think that so many users of Apples products find a problem and nothing is done to fix it.