Can't access email on iphone after recent cruise and using cruise ship wifi

Question

Can't access email on iphone after recent cruise and using cruise ship wifi

Anymous 0

My mother recently went on a cruise and was using the ships data. Since she's been home, she can't get her email (hotmail) through her iphone email app. I have tried deleting the account and adding it back in. When I try to add it, it keeps taking me back to the page to add the email account. I have tried using her password and the verification code and neither work and keep taking me back to the same screen of adding the email account to the phone. However, she can still access her eamil on her ipad, which she didn't take on the cruise. Is there some setting I'm missing that the ship could have changed when adding her to their wifi?

Thank you!

2 answers

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Answer 1

Winnie-B 6,035 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello Anymous

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand how stressful it is when email suddenly stops working, especially after traveling.

Since your mother can still access her email on her iPad, the account is likely fine. To narrow it down, could you please kindly tell me:

When you re-add your mother's account on the iPhone, do you see any specific error message (for example: wrong password, cannot connect to server, etc.)?
Is your mother using the Outlook app or the built‑in Apple Mail app?
Did she change the Outlook/Hotmail password recently?
Does the iPhone work normally with other apps on Wi‑Fi or mobile data?
If she signs in to Outlook.com using Safari on the iPhone (not inside the app), does it work?

In the meantime, you can see these articles:

Looking forward to your reply so I can guide you further! Thank you for your understanding.

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Anymous 0 Reputation points

2026-02-10T13:10:32.3166667+00:00
Good morning,

Thank you for getting back with me.

No specific errors, just takes me back to the home page and start all over for adding the account.

The built in Apple app

Yes, she changed the password recently.

Yes, no other issues have occured

We haven't tried that yet.
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Winnie-B 6,035 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-11T08:34:33.2033333+00:00
Hi Anymous

Thank you for your updates. Please kindly try these steps:

On the iPhone, open Safari and sign in directly at https://outlook.live.com with the updated password. If prompted for security verification, complete it fully until the inbox loads.

After successful sign‑in in Safari, go back to Settings, then add the Hotmail account again in the Mail section.

If two‑step verification is enabled, create an app password for Apple Mail from the Microsoft account security page, and use that app password instead of the normal password when adding the account.

Check if there are any VPN, device management, or profile configurations installed on the iPhone, and temporarily remove them if present.

Restart the iPhone, then try adding the account again before installing any other apps.

Let me know how it goes after trying these steps. Thank you for your understanding.
Anymous 0 Reputation points

2026-02-11T13:08:11.7666667+00:00

Thank you for your help. She took it to her provider store and they had a hard time getting it added but they were finally able to. I'm not sure what they did or what the problem was.
Winnie-B 6,035 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-12T03:33:42.81+00:00

Hi Anymous

Thank you for the update! I’m glad to hear that the problem was resolved. This issue likely happened because when your mother used the ship's Wi-Fi, the phone's internal browser (Safari) saved connection data from that network. When you tried to re-add the account at home, the phone kept trying to reuse that 'stale' session data, causing it to bounce back to the start. The provider likely cleared the Safari history and website data, or used the 'Outlook.com' option instead of 'Other' to force a fresh, secure login.

Thank you once again for letting me know.
Anymous 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T13:26:18.2933333+00:00

Thank you! That's good to know for the future. I figured the network settings might need to be reset but wasn't sure how to do it.
Winnie-B 6,035 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-15T06:05:48.32+00:00
Hi Anymous

Thank you for your response. Please try follow these steps:

On the iPhone, open Settings > General

Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone

Tap Reset

Choose Reset Network Settings

Enter the device passcode if prompted, then confirm

After the network reset, add the account again via: Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account, then pick either:

Outlook.com (if shown), or

Microsoft Exchange (this often works even for personal @hotmail.com/@outlook.com accounts)

When prompted, tap Sign in and Accept permissions.

Please let me know how it goes and thank you for your understanding!

Answer 2

It sounds like your mother is experiencing issues with accessing her Hotmail account on her iPhone after using the cruise ship's Wi-Fi. Since she can still access her email on her iPad, the problem may be specific to the iPhone's configuration or settings.

Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the issue:

Check Internet Connection: Ensure that the iPhone has a stable internet connection, either through Wi-Fi or cellular data.
Update iOS: Make sure that the iPhone is running the latest version of iOS, as updates can fix bugs and improve compatibility.
Reset Network Settings: Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings.
Re-add Email Account: After resetting the network settings, try deleting the email account again and re-adding it. Make sure to enter the correct email address and password.
Check for Account Lock: If there were multiple failed login attempts, the account might be temporarily locked. Try logging in via a web browser to see if any security measures are in place.
Use App-Specific Password: If two-step verification is enabled, ensure that you are using an app-specific password for the email app on the iPhone.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, it may be beneficial to contact Microsoft Support for further assistance.

References:

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Can't access email on iphone after recent cruise and using cruise ship wifi

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