Want to control what recipients see in the “From:” line when you send them an email (and add an emoji perhaps)? Find out here how to change your email name for sending on iPhone and iPad for iOS and iPadOS Mail.
First, Composer Nikolaus Harnoncourt Answers the Phone
The famed cellist, conductor, and musicologist never picked up the phone. It was the custom in the Harnoncourt household for Alice, famed violinist, musicologist, and Nikolaus’s wife, to do so. When it concerned him, she would talk to him later and call back.
Once, Nikolaus had to answer the phone because Alice at just this moment could not (“I guess I was,” as she tells the story, “in the bathroom”).
What did Nikolaus hear? Something to the effect of “Can I talk to your wife, please? I… have something to discuss with you, Nikolaus”.
So, what’s in a name?
How to Change Your Name for Sending Email on iPhone and iPad
Time needed: 4 minutes
To change the name that appears in the From: line when you send an email from iPhone Mail or iPad Mail:
- Open the Settings app.
- Open the Mail category.
iOS 18 and later: Select Apps first.
- Now choose Accounts.
- Tap the account for which you want to change the sending name.
- Go to the account’s name settings.
Note: Settings and the path to the name differ, alas, by account type:
– iCloud Mail: Select iCloud | iCloud | iCloud Mail | iCloud Mail Settings (or iCloud | Mail in iOS 15 and earlier).
– Gmail. Select Account.
– Yahoo Mail: Select Account.
– POP: Look under POP ACCOUNT INFORMATION.
– IMAP: Look under IMAP ACCOUNT INFORMATION.
– Exchange (including Outlook.com): You cannot change the sending name with an Exchange account using iPhone or iPad. Do change the name on the server (using web access) instead, or have the administrator change it. - Edit the sending name under Name.
- Tap Done.
Want to change the name of your iPhone? How to Change the Name of an iPhone, iPad or Mac
How to Change Your Email Name on iPhone: FAQ
Will changing the name in iPhone Mail also change the name in other email programs or on the email service’s web interface?
No.
Name changes will not synchronize. Your new name will only be used for emails you send from iPhone Mail.
(You can always change your name for iCloud Email on the web, for instance, or for Gmail, of course.)
Do I have to use my name?
No.
You can change your iPhone email name to anything.
What characters can I use in my iPhone email name?
You can use any Unicode (UTF-8) character, and there are no reserved characters. iPhone Mail will encode and escape everything safely.
Does that mean I can use emoji in my email name on iPhone?
Yes.
You can insert emoji using the emoji keyboard, and they will be encoded and sent correctly.
Do note, though, that not all email programs and services will display emoji characters in sender’s names. There’s a chance your name will show up jumbled (like ?utf-8?Q? <=F0=9F=98=80> ?=).
Can I leave the email name empty?
Yes.
With the email name left empty, only your email address will appear in the “From:” line of messages you send.
(How to change your email name on iPhone tested with iOS 14–18; first published September 2020, last updated December 2024)