My Comcast email account stopped working

Are you receiving an error code or just this message?

Just the message “the mail server comcast.net is not responding “

Thank you for confirming, @shelbyjean107. It sounds like your devices are trying to use outdated settings. We moved away from the mail.comcast.net server address for incoming mail quite a while ago in favor of more secure IMAP settings. Since the issue is happening across all your Apple devices simultaneously, it’s almost certainly a configuration mismatch rather than a hardware or password fluke.

1. The Quick Fix: Update Server Settings
The most common reason for a "Server Not Responding" error with Comcast is an incorrect server name or port. Here are the settings your iPhones and iPads should be using:

Setting: Incoming Mail Server

Correct Value: imap.comcast.net

Setting: Outgoing Mail Server

Correct Value: smtp.comcast.net

Setting: Incoming Port

Correct Value: 993 (with SSL On)

Setting: Outgoing Port

Correct Value: 465 (with SSL On)

To check this on your iOS devices:

1. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts.

2. Tap your Comcast/Xfinity account.

3. Tap Account Settings (or the email address at the top).

4. Check the Incoming Mail Server hostname. If it says mail.comcast.net, change it to imap.comcast.net.

2. Enable "Third-Party Access"
We have a security feature that occasionally "locks out" third-party apps (like the Apple Mail app) unless specifically permitted.

- Log in to your email via the Xfinity Web Portal.

- Click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right.

- Select Security.

- Look for a checkbox labeled "Third Party Access Security" and make sure it is checked. If it was unchecked, your Apple devices would be blocked from connecting.

3. The "Clean Slate" Method
If the settings look correct, but it’s still hanging, the most reliable fix for Apple devices is to remove and re-add the account. This forces the device to pull the latest security certificates from us.

- Delete: Settings > Mail > Accounts > Comcast > Delete Account.

- Restart: Turn your iPhone/iPad off and back on.

- Add: Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account.

- Select: Choose Other (do not choose iCloud or Google).

- Enter Details: Put in your name, email, and password. Most modern iOS versions will automatically find the correct imap.comcast.net settings for you now.

A quick tip: If you can log in to the Xfinity website on a browser, but the app still fails, your password is fine and the "Third Party Access" toggle mentioned in Step 2 is the most likely culprit. Please let me know if this helps!

I can log on and see my emails on xfinity webmail. The third party access is enabled. It is frustrating to have to delete and re-add the account when all I am trying to do is replace my email account password. I copied my xfinity account password and pasted it in the password for the email account. That doesn’t work. Maybe I’m not doing this correctly 😁

@shelbyjean107 - I completely hear you - copying and pasting a password only for the "Server Not Responding" message to stay there is beyond annoying. It feels like you're doing the work, but the device isn't actually talking to Comcast. The reason "delete and re-add" is the standard advice isn't because we want to make you do extra work; it’s because modern iOS versions (especially iOS 18 and newer) often lock the password field for security once an account is set up. Even if you paste it in, the internal "handshake" with our server often fails to trigger an update. If you want to avoid a full delete, here is the "Manual Update" path to ensure you’re hitting both the Incoming and Outgoing password fields, which are separate.

1. Update the Incoming Password
1. Open Settings > Apps > Mail (On older iOS, it’s just Settings > Mail).

2. Tap Mail Accounts and select your Comcast account.

3. Tap Account Settings (your email address at the top).

4. Clear the Password field entirely and paste your new one.

5. Crucial: Don't just exit. Look for the Outgoing Mail Server section on this same screen.

2. Update the Outgoing Password (The Missing Link)
This is usually why it still says "Not Responding." The phone might have the new password for reading mail, but the sending server (SMTP) is still trying the old one, causing a timeout.

1. While still in the account settings, tap SMTP.

2. Tap Primary Server (smtp.comcast.net).

3. Clear the Password field here and paste the new one again.

4. Tap Done in the top right corner.

Why this might still fail (and why "Delete" is the "Easy" way)
If you do the above, and it still fails, it’s likely one of these two "invisible" issues:

- The "Jail" Timeout: If your devices tried to log in with the old password 10+ times in a row, our server might have temporarily "blacklisted" your home IP address.

- The Fix: Turn off Wi-Fi on one iPhone and try to set it up using Cellular Data only. If it works on cellular but not Wi-Fi, you just need to restart your home router to get a fresh IP.

- The iOS 18 "Glitch": In the newest Apple updates, the "Account Settings" screen sometimes visually accepts a password change but doesn't actually save it to the keychain. In this specific case, Deleting and Re-adding takes about 60 seconds and is the only way to force Apple to write the new data to its secure "vault."

Please let us know how the above goes.