If you receive the error message “cannot verify server identity” on your iPhone, it is informing you that the certificate used by the mail server is fake or forgery. 

This issue arises because of the rigorous testing that your iPhone does on the certificates associated with your mail server. 

When use the Mail app on iOS devices, this particular problem is one of the most frequently experienced issues. Continue reading to find out what may be causing this iPhone problem and how it may be fixed.

3 steps to quickly fix iPhone cannot verify server identity

When your iPhone cannot verify server identity below are 3 major steps to deal with it.

And now to fix it, you’re going to make use of ReiBoot. Sure, there’s no loss of data and for no cost, simply follow these three steps.

1. download ReiBoot into your computer.
2. Connect your device
3. To fix the problem, use the ReiBoot program.

Which iPhone models are able to have the “cannot verify server identity” problem fixed?

Compatibility: Compatible with the iPhone 13/12/11/XS/XR/S/8/7/6/5s/5

What causes your iPhone to Display the Error Message “Cannot Verify Server Identity?” When does It happen?

In order to establish a safe connection to a mail server, your iPhone will first inquire about the availability of the server’s SSL certificate before determining whether or not it is trustworthy. 

It will be marked as unreliable if it discovers that the certificate does not correspond to the domain name, that it has expired, or that it was not signed by the company. 

And at this point, the error that reads “Cannot Verify Server Identity” will appear on your screen. 

This problem typically happens on iOS devices after a new email account is created on the device or after a change is made to the mail server certificate. 

The identical situation could take place when moving an email account.

In most cases, the problem can be traced back to improper settings on the email server, which may or may not be trusted. 

Additionally, there are rare cases in which iOS bugs are to blame. In this essay, I will outline some of the most recommended techniques for troubleshooting as well as some potential solutions in order to provide you with some hints. 

You are welcome to use this manual whenever you find that you require assistance in removing the “cannot verify server online identity verification” message that appears on your iPhone.

Before proceeding with debugging, it is important to verify that the date and time that are displayed on your iPhone are accurate. 

If it is absolutely necessary, put the date and time on the automatic setting. 

If the current date and time appear to be accurate, you are free to go on to the next set of potential solutions and test them out.

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Step 1: The first step in solving the problem is to exit the Mail program and then restart it.

It’s possible that this will show up alongside a slew of other strange problems within the Mail app. Restarting the application is typically all that is required to fix problems of this nature. 

If you have just just started the Mail app on your device, then you will need to exit it before you can restart the program.

If you are using an older iPhone model that has a physical Home button, you can quit background programs by following these steps:

How to Quit Background Programs on iPhone

1. To begin, you should navigate to the Home screen.
2. Next, swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen, and when you reach the middle, pause for a while.
3. Swipe either to the right or the left to locate the Messages app.
4. Finally, to close the Messages app card or preview, slide up from the bottom of the screen.

This is how you can get rid of apps that are running in the background on an iPhone 8 or a model that came before it:

1. To view the apps you’ve used most recently, hit the Home button twice in quick succession.
2. Next, use the left and right arrow buttons to navigate through the app previews.
3. Finally, swipe up on the app’s preview to exit the application.

Try starting up Mail again after you’ve terminated all of the other applications running in the background, and see if the problem persists. If the problem continues to exist, you will need to move on to the next potential remedy.

Step 2: The second possible remedy is to perform a soft reset or reboot on the iPhone.

Restarting the device or doing a soft reset is another potential solution to this problem. If the issue was caused by a little fault in the system, then this is probably the solution you need to use. There are several approaches to performing a soft reset on an iPhone.

The following procedures should be followed in order to perform a soft reset on an iPhone X, XS, XS Max, or XR:

1. To turn the system off, press and hold the Side button as well as either of the Volume buttons until the slider appears.
2. Slide the switch to the left to completely power down your iPhone.
3. After the thirty seconds have passed, hit the Side button one again to activate your iPhone once more.

If you are using an iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or an earlier model, you can conduct a soft reset or restart on your device in the following manner:

1. To turn the device off, press and hold either the Top or Side button until the slider to turn it off displays.
2. To totally power off the phone, drag the slider to the left.
3. After approximately half a minute, turn the phone back on by pressing and holding either the Top or Side button.

Because carrying out the actions outlined above will not have an effect on any information that has been saved to the phone’s internal memory, it will not be necessary to create a backup of the information. After you’ve finished this, check to see if the error message “cannot verify server identity” still appears.

Step 3: The third option is to deactivate your email account and then reactivate it.

The majority of folks who have had the same error occur when using Mail on their iOS device have been successful in finding a solution by deactivating the email account and then bringing it back. 

If you are interested in giving it a try, the following is the procedure to follow:

1. From the Home screen, select the Settings option.
2. Select the Accounts and Passwords option.
3. Head on over to the area labeled Accounts.
4. After that, use the drop-down menu to choose the email account that you wish to remove, and then press Done.
5. Swipe down to the bottom of the screen and tap the icon labeled “Delete Account.”
6. After that, after confirming that you wish to delete the email account, hit the Delete from My iPhone option. After that, the email you specified will be deleted.
7. Once you have finished removing the email account, navigate back to the Settings > Accounts and Passwords page.
8. After that, select the Add Account option from the menu.
9. Select your email service provider.
10. Complete the form by entering all of the essential information.

After that, all you need to do to finish setting up your email is to follow the instructions that appear on your screen. 

If you have more than one email account set up on your iPhone, you need to delete all of them and set them up again from scratch. 

If you are still receiving the “cant verify server identity” issue after you have done this, proceed to the next possible solution.

Step 4: The fourth possible method is to update both your iOS and your carrier settings.

If the error was caused by iOS bugs, then installing the latest updates might also be the solution to fixing it. The error reads “cannot verify server identity.” 

The majority of the time, updates include fix patches to address preexisting device problems that may be traced back to system faults. 

If there are no issues with the Internet connection on your iPhone, then you will be able to check for and install iOS updates wirelessly. 

Simply ensure that your device has a sufficient amount of free storage space as well as a sufficient amount of remaining battery life to finish the process.

• Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update in order to check for available updates for your iOS device.

If there is a new iOS version available, you will receive a notification asking you to update. 

When you are ready to begin downloading and installing the update, you should read and evaluate the information that is included in the update, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Aside from updates for iOS, installing updates provided by the carrier may also be considered among other potential solutions, particularly in cases when the error is ascribed to issues with the network.

• To check if there is an update available for the carrier settings, go to Settings > General > About, then scroll down to the section titled “Carrier.”

To download and install the update on your iPhone, simply follow the instructions that appear on-screen.

Wait for the software update on your iPhone to finish, and then restart the device so that the most current system changes may take effect.

Step 5: Resetting the network settings.

Your most recent network settings, including any customized networks, will be deleted during this reset, and then the default network options and values will be reinstated. 

If the error is caused by faulty or improper network settings, executing this reset will most likely fix the problem. The following is the procedure:

1. To access the Settings screen, tap the Home screen.
2. Tap General.
3. Now, you’re to go to the bottom of the page, and then tap or click the Reset button.
4. Choose the option to Reset network settings from the menu that appears.
5. In order to proceed, enter the passcode when required to do so.
6. After that, hit the option to confirm that you wish to reset your phone’s network settings.

When the factory reset is complete, the phone will automatically restart itself. 

After that point, you will be able to begin configuring your Wi-Fi network in order to re-establish a connection to the internet and make use of online services. 

When your device is successfully connected, use the Mail application to check if the problem still persists.

Step 6: use the factory reset or master reset.

If complicated system faults constitute the underlying reason, the issue will most likely continue to occur. 

In this scenario, the only other choice you have is to perform a master reset or factory reset on your iPhone. 

This will delete everything from your device, including potentially fatal system faults that may have created conflicts to your email server settings and prompted the persistent “cant verify server identity” error. 

You should back up all of your crucial files to iCloud or iTunes in case you change your mind about continuing, as this will allow you to retrieve them at a later time. 

When you are ready, follow these instructions to reset your iPhone to factory settings through the settings menu:

1. To access the Settings screen, tap the Home screen.
2. Tap General.
3. The third option is to, navigate to the bottom of the page, and then tap or click the Reset button.
4. Select the option to Erase all files and settings from the menu that appears.
5. To continue, you will need to enter your passcode if you are required to do so.
6. After that, select the option to accept a complete reset of your iPhone’s system.

After the reset, you will need to set up everything on your smartphone just like you did when you first started using your iPhone. 

This will take around the same amount of time. Simply follow the steps in the setup wizard to get your iPhone ready to use. 

Make sure that you enter the correct credentials for your email account while you are setting up your email account. 

Launching the Mail application will allow you to check to see whether the error has been resolved once everything has been set up and your device has been connected to the internet.

What to Do if “cant verify server identity” problem on your iPhone Still Occur?

It is conceivable that the error is still occurring as a result of an issue with the email service provider that you use. 

For instance, the email server might be experiencing some kind of technical issue, and as a result, it’s currently undergoing some kind of maintenance. 

If this is the case, you should get in touch with your service provider so that they can tell you the current status of the email server. 

You could also ask your service provider or carrier for assistance in checking and re-configuring the SMTP settings on your device, as well as the settings for the incoming and outgoing server.

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You also have the option of reporting the issue to Apple Support, which will allow them to do additional tests and evaluate whether or not the issue is related to the servers that are maintained by Apple.

FAQs on “Cannot verify server identity”

What does it mean when my iPhone says Cannot verify server identity?

Your iPhone is alerting you that the mail server’s certificate is fake when it displays the error message “cannot verify server identity.” The strict inspection of your mail server certificates by your iPhone is the primary cause of this problem.

How do I verify the identity server on my iPhone?

The top 5 ways to fix an iPhone “cannot verify server identity” problem is;

1. Update and restart your iPhone.
2. Refresh the iOS carrier settings.
3. Restart Mail with a force.
4. Deleting and adding your account again.
5. Reset the iPhone to its factory settings.

Why does my iPhone 11 keep saying Cannot verify server identity?

The problem that is shown by the message “cannot verify server identity” indicates that the certificate being used by the mail server is either a fake or an invalid one. 

This problem typically manifests itself when your iPhone retrieves an invalid or untrusted SSL certificate from a server or settings for an email server that are invalid.

How do I get rid of not trusted certificate on iPhone?

Remove the current or existing COM certificate profile for iOS (iPhone/iPad).

1. Go to Settings > General
2. Select Profiles. Select Profiles at the bottom of this list as you scroll down.
3. Choose a COM certificate. Choose the COM Wifi certificate from the list of certificate profiles.
4. Remove the COM certificate.

How do I verify my email on my iPhone?

1. Visit appleid.apple.com and log in.
2. Decide on Personal Data.
3. After selecting Reachable At, click the Add button.
4. Please enter a second email address.
5. A confirmation will be delivered to that address.
6. Then, choose Continue after entering the verification code.

We want to belive that the methods outlined above have been successful in fixing the iPhone problem that states cannot verify server identity. If there is anything else you would like to contribute, please do let us know.