VIP notifications are Apple Mail app alerts for select recipients. Set up VIP contacts to ensure that emails from them generate a special notification on your device so that you don’t miss them. Learn how to setup up VIP alerts using iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices with iOS 6 or later.

What to Know

  • Go to Settings > Mail > Notifications. Make sure Allow Notifications is turned on, then choose VIP. Select how you want to receive alerts.Optional: Choose from a variety of specialized sound alerts for VIP emails, and choose whether to Show Previews of VIP emails.

How to Set Up VIP Email Alerts

The option to create VIP notifications is in the Settings app.

  • Add a VIP sender if you don’t already have one set up.
  • Open the Settings app from the home screen.
  • Select Mail to open the Mail settings.
  • Select Notifications.
  • Turn on Notifications by moving the Allow Notifications toggle switch to the green/on position. Then, tap VIP in the middle of the Notifications screen.
  • Choose how you prefer to receive alerts. Choices include Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners.
  • To turn off visual notifications for VIP emails, tap each of those options to remove the blue check mark.
  • Select Sounds to choose a distinctive sound for VIP emails.
  • In the Sounds screen, select a notification sound. It should be different from other alerts you use. Tap any sound to hear a sample of it.
  • Tap VIP at the top of the Sounds screen to return to the VIP notification settings.
  • Optionally, enable previews from the Show Previews setting.
  • Choose how frequently you want to receive previews of emails from VIPs. Options are always, when your device is unlocked, or never.

Change the Push settings on your device to ensure that new mail comes quickly. The alternative is to have your iPad or iPhone check for new mail less frequently.

Add a VIP sender if you don’t already have one set up.

Open the Settings app from the home screen.

Select Mail to open the Mail settings.

Select Notifications.

Turn on Notifications by moving the Allow Notifications toggle switch to the green/on position. Then, tap VIP in the middle of the Notifications screen.

Choose how you prefer to receive alerts. Choices include Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners.

To turn off visual notifications for VIP emails, tap each of those options to remove the blue check mark.

Select Sounds to choose a distinctive sound for VIP emails.

In the Sounds screen, select a notification sound. It should be different from other alerts you use. Tap any sound to hear a sample of it.

Tap VIP at the top of the Sounds screen to return to the VIP notification settings.

Optionally, enable previews from the Show Previews setting.

Choose how frequently you want to receive previews of emails from VIPs. Options are always, when your device is unlocked, or never.

Some devices might have only a toggle called Show Preview that you enable to receive previews for VIP emails.

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