How to Fix Stuck Outbox Message on iOS

If you have experienced issues with the Mail app which prevent you from sending messages, here you can find a solution. You may have launched the Mail app on your iPhone, only to realize that there is a stuck outbox message that is not sent, no matter how many times you try. It is also possible that you were in the process of sending the message when it suddenly got stuck in the Mail app outbox. When this happens, you will keep seeing “Unsent Message” in the status bar with the number of emails that haven’t been sent. In some cases, you may be able to delete the message, which would be the easiest solution. However, sometimes the Edit button can’t be used as it is greyed out. The problem is more likely to appear with emails that have large files attached such as videos or multiple photos. In some cases, even if the message was actually sent and you confirm with the recipient that they got the email, you may still see it stuck on your outbox, without an option to edit it. Here we will go through a few options that you can try to get the problem resolved.

Delete stuck outbox messages on iPhone

1. Launch Control Center, swiping up from the bottom of the screen
2. Turn Airplane Mode on
3. Launch the Mail app and go to your Outbox. Now you should see the Edit option
4. Tap the Edit button in the upper right hand corner. If you are still unable to tap the Edit button, you can hard quit the Mail app in the multitasker and launch it again
5. Tap Trash All, at the bottom right side
6. Then confirm in popup menu. Now, your outbox should be empty. Clearing your outbox from outgoing messages is important, considering that the stuck messages can consume data and drain your battery. With the above trick, you can get rid of the stuck emails quickly and in a simple way.

Reboot

If the above doesn’t work or you prefer to try to send the email again, there are other options that you can try. First, you can simply reboot your iOS device.

1. To force reboot your iPhone or iPad, hold down the Power Button and Home Button at the same time, until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
2. Make sure that you have a WiFi or data connection available since when the device is on again, you will need to connect to internet.
3. Open the Mail app. The stuck messages should be sent instantly.

Resend the stuck outbox email

If rebooting didn’t solve the issue and the email is still stuck, you can try to resend it through the iOS Mail outbox on your iOS device.

1. Open Mail app and go to Mailboxes, then select Outbox.
2. Select the stuck message in the outbox.
3. Tap “Send” to try to send the stuck message again. This may help to send the email that is sitting in the outbox.