How to Fix iPhone Cannot Verify Server Identity

Having a hard time accessing the Mail app on your iPhone due to an annoying pop-up that says “Cannot Verify Server Identity”?

Well, if you are currently experiencing this kind of issue on your iPhone, you are not alone. If you search for the error message on Apple Support Community, it would give you an idea of the number of iPhone users who also experience the same problem with the Mail app. 

 

 

As it turns out, the error message is triggered whenever your iPhone fails to verify the identity of the secure certificate provided by your email service provider.

Verification failure often caused by a network problem or your iPhone’s date and time settings are not configured properly. 

Lucky for you, this kind of issue is easy to deal with and you’ve come to the right place! Today, we are going to show you several methods that you can try to fix the “Cannot Verify Server Identity” error message on your iPhone. 

Let’s get started!

• 1. Restart the Mail App.
• 2. Check the Date & Time Settings.
• 3. Try Using A Different Connection.
• 4. Re-Login to Your Email Account.
• 5. Disable SSL in Mail Settings.
• 6. Update the Mail App.
• 7. Update Your iPhone.
• 8. Reset All Settings.
• 9. Restore Your iPhone in DFU Mode. 

 

 

1. Restart the Mail App. 

For the most basic solution, what you can try doing is to restart the Mail app on your iPhone. It is possible that the app encountered a glitch during runtime and causes it to encounter problems like verification errors. 

For iPhones that utilize an all-screen display (X, XR, XS, 11, 11 Pro, 12, 12 Pro) you can restart the Mail app by simply swiping upwards from the bottom of your screen until the app switcher appears. Now, find the Mail app from the list and swipe it upwards to stop it from running.

 

 

On the other hand, for iPhones that still have the Home button, you can restart the Mail app by double-tapping on the Home button to toggle the app switcher. After that, it is pretty much the same. Simply, find the Mail app and swipe it upwards to stop it from running on your iPhone. 

 

 

Once the Mail app is completely closed, go back to your main screen and tap on the Mail app to open it again. 

However, if you are still seeing the error message on the Mail app, you can proceed to the next method below to fix the problem. 

 

 

2. Check the Date & Time Settings. 

Just like what we’ve mentioned above, the “Cannot Verify Server Identity” error could be caused by improper date and time settings on your iPhone. 

Part of Apple’s verification process is checking your email’s security certificate date to see if it matches the date on your phone. If these two don’t match with one another, then you can expect to see the error message every time. 

To fix this, make sure that your date & time settings match the timezone on your current location. 

1. On your iPhone, tap on the Settings app to open it. 
2. Inside the Settings, tap on the General tab. 

 

3. After that, tap on Date & Time. 
4. Lastly, tap on ‘Set Automatically’ to enable the feature. 

 

Now, go back to the Mail app to see if the error message would still occur after fixing your date and time configuration. 

 

 

3. Try Using A Different Connection. 

Since the server verification error on the Mail app can also be due to network connection problems, what you can try doing is to connect your iPhone to another wireless network if one is available or switch to your cellular data. This way, you can verify if the problem is indeed with your network connection. 

If this is the case, it is best that you contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and report the problem that you are experiencing with their internet service. Be sure to give the necessary details like the email provider you are using and the specific iPhone model that you have to help them resolve the issue faster. 

 

 

4. Re-Login to Your Email Account. 

If you are having issues with your company email address, it is possible that your company has updated its server settings which can sometimes cause issues with the Mail app. To fix this, you can try deleting the problematic email from your iPhone and adding it back again to refresh the data stored on your phone. 

To delete an email address from your iPhone, check out the guide below:

1. On your iPhone, tap on the Settings app to launch it. 
2. Inside Settings, tap on Passwords & Accounts. 

 

3. After that, tap on the email account that you are having problems with and tap the Delete Account button.
4. Lastly, tap on Delete Account once again to proceed with the action. 

 

After this, go ahead and add the email account back to your iPhone and see if you would still see the same error when you open the Mail app. 

 

 

5. Disable SSL in Mail Settings. 

For some users, disabling the ‘Use SSL’ settings on their email account worked in resolving the issue with the Mail app. SSL is used to encrypt the connection between your iPhone and your email’s servers and it can sometimes cause issues like the verification error. 

To disable SSL on your iPhone, follow the step-by-step guide below:

1. First, open the Settings app on your iPhone. 
2. After that, tap on Passwords & Accounts. 

 

3. In the Accounts section, tap on the email that you are having problems with. 
4. Now, tap on Account, then tap on the Advanced tab. 

 

5. Lastly, under the Incoming Settings section, tap on the switch beside ‘Use SSL’ to disable it. 

 

Give your iPhone a restart afterward and try to access the Mail app once again to verify if the problem is already resolved. 

However, if you are still having issues accessing your email account on your iPhone, you can proceed to the next method below to try and fix it. 

 

 

6. Update the Mail App. 

There is a high chance that the version of the Mail app installed on your iPhone has a bug that causes it to malfunction. In this case, you can check for an update on the App Store that Apple might have released to patch the problem with the Mail app. 

In addition, running an outdated version of any application on your phone might cause compatibility issues and the servers of the app might no longer support the version that you are using which can also be the cause of the problem. 

To check for an update on the App Store, follow the guide below:

1. On your iPhone, locate and tap on the App Store to open it. 
2. After that, tap on the Updates tab from the bottom navigation bar. 
3. Lastly, the App Store will automatically check for any update available for all the apps installed on your iPhone. If available, tap on the Update button beside the Mail app to install it. 

Restart your iPhone once the update is done. Try reaccessing your email account to check if the “Cannot Verify Server Identity” issue on the Mail app is fixed. 

 

 

7. Update Your iPhone. 

If updating the Mail app was not enough to resolve the issue on your iPhone, you can try checking for an update on iOS which can also have underlying bugs that may cause applications to not work properly. 

Follow the guide below on how to check for an update on your iPhone:

1. First, open the Settings app from the main screen. 
2. After that, tap on the General tab. 

 

3. Lastly, tap on Software Update. Your iPhone would automatically check for any software updates, if available, follow the on-screen prompts to install the update to your phone. 

Wait for the update to complete which could take several minutes. Now, go back to the Mail app to check if you would be able to use it normally after updating. 

 

 

8. Reset All Settings. 

There are instances where installed applications on your iPhone change some of your system settings. Instead of toying around with your system settings, we suggest that you just reset it all at once so that you are sure that everything is in order. 

To reset your system settings back to factory default, check out the guide below:

1. On your iPhone, tap on the Settings app to launch it. 
2. Inside the Settings, tap on the General tab. 

 

3. Next, scroll down and tap on the Reset tab. 
4. Lastly, tap on Reset All Settings. Follow the on-screen prompts afterward to proceed with the process. 

 

Take note that it is normal for your phone to restart a couple of times during this process. Once done, access the Mail app once again and add your email account to see if the error message would still occur on your iPhone. 

 

 

9. Restore Your iPhone in DFU Mode. 

This method should be your last resort if none of the methods above worked in solving the issue with server verification on the Mail app. DFU mode is the deepest type of restore that you can do on your iPhone that can possibly fix serious software issues on your iPhone. 

Before doing this, make sure that you have backed-up all of your data to avoid losing it in the process. 

 

Entering DFU Mode. 

For iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and newer, you can put your device on DFU mode by doing the following steps: 

1. First, press and release the Volume Up button followed by the Volume Down button.
2. Next, immediately press and hold the side button until your iPhone’s screen turns black. 
3. Continue to hold the side button and hold down the Volume Down button. 
4. Lastly, release the side button after 5 seconds and continue holding the Volume Down button until you see the iTunes logo on the screen. 

 

If you are using older iPhone models, you can enter DFU mode by doing the following: 

1. First, press and hold on the Sleep/Wake button for 3 seconds. 
2. Next, continue to hold the Sleep/Wake button and hold on the Home button for 15 seconds. 
3. After that, release the Sleep/Wake button, but continue to hold on to the Home button for another 10 seconds. 
4. Lastly, your iPhone should display the ‘Connect to iTunes Screen’ already. 

 

Repeat these steps again if you failed to enter DFU mode the first time. Once you are in DFU mode, plug in your iPhone via the lightning connector and restore your phone using iTunes. 

Check out our detailed guide on how to restore your iPhone using iTunes if you are not familiar with the process. 

If you are still having problems with the Mail app on your iPhone, we recommend that you visit bring your phone to the nearest Apple Store on your location and ask them to check your phone for possible software and hardware problems. 

This ends our guide on how to fix the “Cannot Verify Server Identity” error on your iPhone. If you know other ways on how to deal with this specific issue on iPhones, kindly share it in the comment section below and we will give you credit for the solution once we update this article. 

 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂