What it's about: Is your AOL Mail not syncing on your iPhone? Find out why and get it working again with this easy guide.
It's super frustrating when your email doesn't update, emails show up late, or syncing just seems stuck. It can seem like your AOL Mail has totally quit. If this is happening to you, this guide will explain why it's happening and how to fix it. Usually, syncing problems happen because Fetch settings are off, there are login problems, or iOS is stopping background activity, not because AOL's servers are down.
New emails don't show up by themselves
You see Cannot Get Mail messages
Your inbox only updates when you open it
You get notifications late, or not at all
These things mean your iPhone isn't talking to AOL's mail servers like it should.
Syncing: New emails don't come in on their own
Loading: You can't open your inbox or emails
Sending: Emails get stuck trying to go out
This guide is all about fixing syncing problems.
When iOS updates, Fetch often goes back to Manual, which stops syncing from happening automatically.
Your saved AOL login info can expire, even if you haven't changed your password.
Updates to your iPhone can mess with Mail permissions or how background activity works.
Weak Wi-Fi, bad cell data, or DNS problems can stop syncing.
Low Power Mode or having Background App Refresh turned off stops real-time updates.
If your iPhone is almost out of space, background syncing might stop working without telling you.
Open Safari and go to a few websites. Try both Wi-Fi and your phone's data to see if your internet is the problem.
Before you start changing settings, make sure AOL Mail is working correctly:
π https://help.aol.com
Restarting can fix small system problems that stop background syncing.
Go to Settings β Mail β Accounts β AOL
Tap Account
Type your AOL password again and save it
This makes sure your login info is up-to-date with AOL.
Settings β Mail β Accounts β AOL
Make sure Mail is turned ON
Go to Settings β Mail β Accounts β Fetch New Data
Turn Push ON
Set Fetch to Automatically
This fixes syncing for lots of people.
Settings β General β Background App Refresh
Turn it ON
Make sure it's on for Mail or AOL Mail
This lets syncing happen in the background.
Settings β General β Software Update
Install any updates that are available
Updates often fix syncing problems.
If it's still not syncing:
Delete the AOL account from Mail
Restart your iPhone
Add the AOL account again
This gets rid of any messed-up sync data.
Settings β General β Transfer or Reset iPhone β Reset β Reset Network Settings
This fixes hidden Wi-Fi or cell data problems (but you'll have to re-enter your Wi-Fi passwords).
Make sure these settings are right:
IMAP Server: imap.aol.com
Port: 993
SSL: ON
Authentication: Password
Wrong server info will stop syncing.
If Apple Mail keeps having problems, the AOL Mail app might work better since it's made for AOL's servers.
1. Why does AOL Mail only sync when I open the app?
Fetch is probably set to Manual instead of Push or Automatic.
2. Can Low Power Mode stop AOL Mail syncing?
Yep, it limits what apps can do in the background, which can delay syncing.
3. Do iOS updates usually mess with AOL Mail sync?
Yes, settings often get reset after big updates.
4. Will deleting my AOL account delete my emails?
Nope, your emails are safe on AOL's servers.
5. Is the AOL Mail app better for syncing than Apple Mail?
For many users, yeahβespecially when iOS changes.
6. What if it still doesnβt sync after trying everything?
Reach out to AOL Support or Apple Support for more help.
Syncing problems can make email a pain, but they're usually easy to sort out once you know why they're happening. Usually, the problems come from Fetch settings being off, login problems, or background limits. By following these steps, you can get your AOL Mail syncing correctly and get your emails in real time.