IMAP access problem with iOS Mail app
Hi,
We've been running Dovecot 2.3.x as IMAPS server for quite some years.
It works with Thunderbird (our primary mail client), MS Outlook, K9 Mail (Android) and some iPhones / iOS Mail.
But we cannot get new iPhones / new iOS to *initially* connect to the server. On the contrary, when the mail account was created in iOS years ago, it continues to work even with modern software versions on iOS. But we cannot set up the mail server on brandnew iPhones. It either loads/waits for minutes without anything happening. Or it gives some error message that an SSL connection could not be established.
I've found several reports about similar problems on the web, particularly after iOS 18.
Did someone of you have the same problem and managed to solve it?
We have a trusted certificate from an "official" CA, so no self-signed certificate or something like that. We have many users working with the server successfully every day, even modern iPhones where the mail account was set up years ago on an older version. So it's not broken in general. The only problem is with new iPhones and the integrated iOS Mail app.
Yours, Reg
On 28/08/2026 20:38, Reg Barclay via dovecot wrote:
Hi,
We've been running Dovecot 2.3.x as IMAPS server for quite some years.
It works with Thunderbird (our primary mail client), MS Outlook, K9 Mail (Android) and some iPhones / iOS Mail.
But we cannot get new iPhones / new iOS to *initially* connect to the server. On the contrary, when the mail account was created in iOS years ago, it continues to work even with modern software versions on iOS. But we cannot set up the mail server on brandnew iPhones. It either loads/waits for minutes without anything happening. Or it gives some error message that an SSL connection could not be established.
I've found several reports about similar problems on the web, particularly after iOS 18.
Did someone of you have the same problem and managed to solve it?
We have a trusted certificate from an "official" CA, so no self-signed certificate or something like that. We have many users working with the server successfully every day, even modern iPhones where the mail account was set up years ago on an older version. So it's not broken in general. The only problem is with new iPhones and the integrated iOS Mail app.
Yours, Reg
Hi Reg.
iOS 13 and later had a bunch of requirements: https://support.apple.com/en-us/103769
But then the validity period was reduced further: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102028
(But that still doesn't explain why devices upgraded from an older version still connect OK, whereas new ones don't.)
Nick.
participants (2)
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Nick Tait
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Reg Barclay