7 Ways to Fix It When Email Has Stopped Working on an Android Phone

If your Android email app has stopped working, it's probably due to an internet connection issue or a password problem. Fortunately, these issues are easy to fix, even if their cause isn't always apparent.

Why Is Android Email Not Working?

By default, your Android device uses Gmail to access email on the go. Sometimes this application can stop working, which means it won't sync new emails to your device. You can see this error appear in several ways:

• You can't send mail or email is stuck when sending.
• You can't open or read your email.
• You don't receive new emails.
• The email app is very slow.
• You receive an "Account not synced" error.

How to Fix Email on Android

The following steps will work on all Android devices with an email application. Depending on the application and device you use, the steps needed to complete certain steps may differ, but these steps should be enough to help you resolve your issue.

1. Check your device’s internet connection. You can verify your device has a stable internet connection by checking if Wi-Fi is enabled (if at a location with accessible Wi-Fi) or if your mobile network shows a signal on your device. 

   If you’re connected to a public Wi-Fi system, you may need to sign in or agree to their terms of service first. You can check for these requirements by opening your browse. It will automatically redirect you to any sign-ins or terms you need to accept.

2. Restart your Android device. Many basic problems with apps on your Android device can be resolved simply by restarting it. That’s because a device restart clears the cache on your device and forces it to reload any apps or web pages that you might be having an issue with.

   Make sure to wait at least 30 seconds before powering your device on again.

3. Update your email app. Whether you’re using Gmail or any other email service, you’ll want to ensure you have the most up-to-date version to ensure as few issues as possible. You can check the Play Store for your apps' latest updates and downloads.

4. Check email sync settings. With many email applications, like Gmail, it’s possible to turn automatic email sync off, preventing your app from syncing and notifying you of new emails. You’ll need to turn it back on from the application’s settings if this happens. 

5. Check Android sync settings. Another setting that can easily be switched off is your device's built-in Android sync settings. To check this option ensure it's toggled in the Accounts section of your device's settings.

6. Check device storage. Automatically syncing data to your Android device takes up space, meaning you’ll need free storage space for all that data to go. One possible way to fix your Android email not syncing is to free up storage space on your device. Typically, you want to keep at least 3-4 GBs free to help mitigate any storage issues.

7. Reset your email account. If you still can’t get your email to work on your Android device, you can always try resetting the account completely. This is done through the settings on your Android device and will completely wipe the data for your email application, requiring you to sign in again once completed. This doesn't delete your email, it just removes and then re-adds the email account on the phone.