I’m transitioning from Google services and I’m facing a frustrating problem with my email notifications on my iPhone. When I used the Gmail app, notifications included a preview of the email, showing the first few lines. This feature was super useful for quickly understanding the email’s content without needing to open the app.
However, now that I’m using a different email service, my notifications only display the sender’s name and the subject line, without any preview text. It’s really making me consider going back to Gmail because I depended on that functionality a lot.
Is there a method to set up iOS email notifications to show the preview text like Gmail? Would it make a difference if I switched to using the built-in Mail app rather than a third-party email application?
That’s actually an iOS notification setting, not your email app. Go to Settings > Notifications > Mail (or whatever email app you’re using) and set ‘Show Previews’ to ‘Always’ or ‘When Unlocked’. Also check that the preview style shows multiple lines instead of just one. I had the same problem switching from Gmail - turns out most third-party email apps do rich previews fine once you fix the system settings. The built-in Mail app usually handles this automatically, but yours should work too if the notification permissions are set up right.
yeah, i had the same issue moving from gmail as well. double-check your email provider’s settings 'cause some have privacy options that can block preview text. also, ensuring background refresh is enabled for ur email app can help, otherwise notifications might not show complete previews.
This might sound obvious, but does your new email provider even support rich notifications? Some privacy-focused services strip preview content on purpose for security. I hit this issue switching to a corporate Exchange server - the admin had disabled message previews completely. My iOS notification settings were fine, but the email server wasn’t sending preview data at all. Try adding a Gmail account to test this. If Gmail previews work but your new service doesn’t, it’s a server limitation, not an app issue.
Had this same problem managing our team’s email workflows. Manual fixes work, but there’s a better way.
Skip fighting with email apps and their weird notification settings - automate it instead. Build a system that watches your emails and sends custom push notifications with whatever preview text you want.
I made one for our company using automation tools. It grabs emails from any provider, pulls out the content you need, and pushes rich notifications to your phone. You can customize what shows up - first few lines, keywords, or filter by sender importance.
You’re not stuck with your email app’s limitations anymore. Set up smart filtering so only important emails get full previews.
Best part? Keep using whatever email service you want without giving up features. No more picking between privacy and convenience.
Had this exact problem switching from Gmail to ProtonMail last year. It’s not your email service - it’s how different apps handle notifications. iOS controls basic preview stuff, but third-party email apps often have their own settings that override everything else. Check your current email app’s notification settings first. Most apps bury separate preview toggles deep in preferences. If that doesn’t work, the stock Mail app is usually more reliable for rich notifications since it talks directly to iOS. Before switching though, try logging out and back into your current app - this usually fixes the notification permissions.
Had this same annoying issue when I ditched Gmail six months ago. The problem was notification grouping - totally missed it at first. Even with previews on, iOS bundles email notifications together and cuts off the preview text. Go to Settings > Notifications > your email app and switch grouping from ‘Automatic’ to ‘Off’. Now each email shows up separately with the full preview. Also check if Do Not Disturb or Focus modes are messing with it - they’ll hide notification details even when everything’s set up right. The built-in Mail app handles this better than third-party ones, but turning off grouping should fix it either way.