Email not working when on mobile network

[MartyBC]

I am on an iPhone 12 Pro Max using iOS 15.6.

My email settings have worked fine, allowing me to send and receive email using the Apple Mail app.  A few months ago, things changed.  Email still works fine when I am on WiFi but is significantly delayed, or not working at all, when on the EE mobile network.  This appears to be an issue when on 3G, 4G and 5G.

I have checked my email settings with my provider (Fasthosts) and they are correct.

The iPhone settings are correct (for using mobile data for email etc).

If I refresh the mail app screen to force a download, the 'checking for mail' message shows for some minutes, then it fails to connect with the server.

I also have an Apple iCloud email account.  That works on WifI and the mobile network.  I can also access my  email using webmail.

Any suggestions greatfully received. 

[ProfBranestawm]

Yes, of course!

After restart (and ensuring that I connected to 4G and not back to WiFi - you did do that too?), it works just the once.

Then it fails to get emails from then on, but as before, intermittently- in other words it fails most of the time, but perhaps one time in 10 it works- especially after a prolonged gap. This is the same behaviour as has been recorded by others since whatever the change was a few months ago. Only when on 4G with EE and only my Fasthosts emails (I have some 1and1- Ionos emails and they work just fine. Even though they are owned by the same company).

Going back to WiFi with BT and it works instantly, and using the iPhone as a hotspot and getting them on my iPad works too.

it’s utterly bizarre. What none of us understand is why EE can’t just look at what they changed a few months ago and start with that. I understand Vodafone had a similar issue that was solved- something to do with security at their end…

Anyway. Sadly- not fixed yet.

anyone else? But try a few times not just once!!

[Rob602]

I still have exactly the same problem as you.

we have BT WiFi at work and it doesn’t work on that either

I put a VPN on my phone to hide that I’m EE and it connects, we shouldn’t have to do that or be forced to move from fast hosts 

[ProfBranestawm]

Oh, and please don’t think I’m upset- I do thank you for trying to help. It’s just that I’d not like EE to think this issue us solved.
It’s not.

(PS when trying this a few weeks ago I reverted all the ‘new’ iOS privacy and data tracking settings to ‘off’. Like you, I thought I’d solved it. Until it became obvious that I hadn’t!) Sorry!

[ProfBranestawm]

Not solved, James. At least not for me, and I suspect not for others either.

[ProfBranestawm]

Thanks Rob. And yes, a VPN does work!

[ProfBranestawm]

James- given that we have isolated that a VPN (so hiding the EE bit) does work, what does that tell you?

[CSayer]

So just to recap on all the settings for Fasthosts and the iPhone:

Fasthosts settings:

IMAP Hostname - mail.livemail.co.uk - Port 993 using SSL

SMTP Hostname - smtp.livemail.co.uk - Port 465 using SSL (tends to default to 587 when setup automatically, change in account settings for each mail account)

Username - Your email address

iPhone Settings:

Settings, then “Mobile Data”, “Mobile Data Options” and turn off “Limit IP Address Tracking”

Settings, the "Mail", "Privacy Protection" and turn off "Protect Mail Activity", "Hide IP Address" and "Block All Remote Content"

VERY IMPORTANT - Turn off the iPhone and power back on again (make sure you are turning it off and not just putting it to sleep, you should see the message to "slide to power off)

Hope that helps.

[ProfBranestawm]

As we both just said, no it doesn’t help at all. I’ve been using exactly those settings for weeks, and have restarted several times in that period. I do thank you for your suggestion, but I’m very surprised if it is a permanent solution even for yourself.

For me, and clearly for Rob above too, all it does is work once.

It might appear to work but that could easily be that your device, after restart, actually connected to Wi-Fi.

If we hide behind a VPN, or if we connect via Wi-Fi, all is well, instantly. And Vodafone forums have the same issue, or similar, that they solved through Voda’s secure email system.

So, sadly, Not Solved!

[CSayer]

I can confirm i have completely turned off my wifi connection to test it, so it's only using the EE 4G connection. All still working, sending and receiving fine, so i must have something right. I will carry on double checking in case i have missed something else i have changed without realising.

[ProfBranestawm]

Ok. I just don’t want EE to have this down as fixed.
I can duplicate the issue all the time. I can even provide screenshots of the settings- showing them exactly the same as yours. And email over 4G works once, then fails for around 20 minutes, and then (might) work again once, and then fails… and so on.

Unless we go to Wi-Fi, or a hotspot, or a VPN, when it works instantly.