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Having an iCloud email connects all your files with your inbox, allowing you to send them quickly and easily wherever you are from your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. 

Your Mac's Mail app should automatically download from iCloud when you register your computer, and the same goes for your iPhone or iPad. For the iCloud mail account to work on your Mac, you need to have OS X 10.7.5 (Lion) or newer, so a first step might be to update your Mac OS if it's outdated. 

When you log in to your Apple device, it should either ask you to sign in to your iCloud account. Otherwise, you'll already be signed in. That means if your iCloud email is already set up, new messages will automatically download, with the red notification bubble above the Mail app icon in your Dock or app screen. 

If you don't want to use the app, you can also access your iCloud email inbox online through the email client's website. To access your email this way, you will need to ensure you have a supported browser. You also may need to clear your browser's cache if you're still having issues. 

Here's how to check your iCloud email on your computer and the iCloud website. 

1. Open your Finder. 

2. Click "Applications." 

3. Select "System Preferences."

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4. If prompted, sign-in using your Apple ID username and password. 

5. Otherwise, double-click the "Apple ID" icon. 

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6. Click the blue box next to the "Mail" option if it hasn't been selected. 

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7. Close out of the "System Preferences" window and click the Mail app icon in your Dock. 

1. Go to iCloud.com.

2. Sign in using your username and password. 

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3. If you haven't signed in to iCloud.com before, follow the verification prompts to give the iCloud website access to your account data. 

4. Select the Mail symbol.

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5. If Mail isn't turned on in your iOS settings, you'll need to do this before you can access your messages. 

1. If you receive a notification that an error occurred while attempting to deliver a message, click on Mail in the top toolbar with the Mail app open.

2. Select "Preferences." 

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3. Click on "Accounts."

4. Select your iCloud email account.

5. Click on the Server Settings tab.

6. Check that the Outgoing Mail Account is set to your iCloud account.

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7. You can also click on "Account Information" to ensure "Enable this account" is checked. 

8. If sending large attachments, check next to "Send large attachments with Mail Drop" to ensure sending a big file doesn't keep your email from sending.

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See Also:

• How to delete and unsync your iCloud contacts individually or all at once, from any device
• How to change the default email app on an iPhone using iOS 14, so that you can send emails from the app of your choice
• How to access your iCloud photos on an Android device

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