Cannot get mail - the mail server "imap.gmail.com" is not responding. The correct account info is in Mail settings. How do I resolve?

I have done this many times in the past, allow access for less secure apps, but it has never worked permanently. The issue always comes back. Its not a fix.

It seems to be ok for me at the moment, but if it fails again I might try implementing the google two-step verification. I am using an iPhone 4S. Not sure if it's an Apple problem or a Google problem.

This issue started for me recently as well. I already have the "less secure apps" setting enabled so that's not it.

It's still ok for me at present, so keeping fingers firmly crossed.

I found a fix that is not permanent, but that always works quickly. When you get the imap message, simply double-ckick the HOME button on your iPad or iPhone and delete (by sweeping up) the mail program. Then go back into the mail prpogram. It'll work. By the way, this happens with G mail and sometimes with Outlook.com mail (Hotmail, MSN mail), maybe more. Apple needs to address it.

"I delete the account and re-add it, and it works fine for a few days, and then I get the errors again. I have two-factor authentication enabled, if that adds anything to the mix in terms of settings."

Glad I am not the only one. I have been having the same problem on my new iPhone 6s and using the same "fix". I called tech support and all he could do was suggest the delete and reinstall option and if that didn't work he suggested using the Gmail iOS app which I refuse to use (not because it is bad but simply because the mail app SHOULD WORK and I like having my email in one program). Anyhow, when it originally started I thought I had done something wrong as I had just set up the phone from scratch. Then it happened again. I didn't think anything of it and so deleted and reinstalled again. Then again but this time I realized something was up. I deleted and reinstalled and then it happened yet again and that is when I called apple who suggested. . . delete and reinstall (and use of the gmail app if it didn't work). So I did that and it happened yet again. Something is wrong and someone over at apple and/or google needs to figure it out.

All of the sudden I am not having this issue anymore on either my iPad Air 2 or iPhone 6 Plus, for more than a week now, and I did absolutely nothing.

Add me to the list.

SHAME APPLE, it's a shame that you can't fix this problem!!!

I am going to buy an Android phone for emailing.

I have the same issue. I can't remember now if it started with iOS 9 or 9.1. But I get the same message as the original poster. If I delete the Gmail account from Settings->Mail, and add it back, it'll work again for about a week. Then, it stops and the error comes up. I did this about 4 times now. Anyone have any suggestions?

sean7316 wrote:

I just closed down the Gmail app on my phone and I stopped receiving the error in Apple Mail. I think if you close or get rid of the Gmail app it will eliminate the error.

Thanks for this helpful tip! Wholly crapp, it worked!?! However, I wouldn't have had the Gmail app open in the first place if I wasn't getting the error in native iOS Mail app.. I will pay extra close attention from now on.... regardless, THANKS!!!

geostern wrote:

I found a fix that is not permanent, but that always works quickly. When you get the imap [error] message, simply double-click the HOME button on your iPad or iPhone and delete (by sweeping up) the mail program. Then go back into the mail program. It'll work. By the way, this happens with Gmail and sometimes with Outlook.com mail (Hotmail, MSN mail), maybe more. Apple needs to address it.

This has worked for me EVERY time. This makes me think that this is an Apple iOS issue, and not a Gmail issue per se.

Thank you!

It is indeed an Apple iOS Mail bug. The problem amounts to an authentication timeout, as I understand it – and it only bites people that use two-factor authentication:

1. If you use the "Google" account type and two-factor authentication, setup works fine.
2. Then after about 24 hours email stops working with the "imap.gmail.com is not responding" issue.

As pointed out above there is a simple, temporary (and annoying) workaround – just kill the iOS Mail application, then start it up again. This will cause the app to re-authenticate, and you will be good for another 24 hours give-or-take. Another workaround is to send an email. It appears that every time you send an email the iOS Mail app also re-authenticates – so every time you send an email the timeout clock gets reset to zero. People who send a lot of email may never see this bug.

Unfortunately, I have three email accounts (all on gmail) and I really only send from one of them. So... Every day, I start seeing this error show up.

If you are too fed up to keep killing the iOS Mail app, there is another solution:

1. Login to your Google account and generate some application specific passwords.
2. Delete the "Google" type of mail account, and create a new mail account by adding an account of type "Other."
3. Set up the account as a standard IMAP SMTP account, using the new application login/password that you generated. This avoids the two-factor authentication problem.
4. You may need to turn on IMAP access on the Google mail account, depending on your settings. (Just login on Gmail and click on settings, then make sure that IMAP is enabled).

I have no idea if this works as mine phone is working fine with Gmail now (cousin is having this issue), but at one point I couldn't get Gmail and IPhone to mate and figured out it was because I have periods in my Gmail user name; e.g., bobs.your.uncle(AT)gmail.com and most times those are ignored, but sometimes certain software won't play nice unless you use them.

IPhone wouldn't accept my info unless I put those periods back in and after I did I haven't had issues since. I just got in the habit of always adding those periods now. Even made it so the IPhone auto-corrects the email address for me.

Worth a shot if you're still having issues.

This problem has plagued me several times and each time, for days on end. None of the answers above helped. This morning however, I went into settings > mobile > then scrolled down to the mobile data for each app. Settings, mail etc were already on but I flicked any others that were off over to green too. Hey presto, email started downloading straight away. It's like mail is linked to another app which when mobile data is switched off, affects email too. Good luck to the other 130K people that viewed this trail.

Has anyone tried to do a backup, factory reset the phone and then restore it?

I have been advised to do that but it's too much trouble to go through for the native mail app.

I have decided to use the official gmail app for now, the Mail starts working again, that's fine...

If it doesn't work anymore I'll stick witht he gmail app, it's actually pretty good...