How-To: Set Up Email on Your Smartphone (Step-By-Step)
- Shubha Bala (Unlicensed)
- Michael Wolfe
- Emma Vandervest
When setting up email on your cell phone, you have two options of how to do it- you can use the email app that comes with your cell phone (called the Native mail app) or you can use the Outlook app. There are pros and cons for each option, and you should use what works best for you.
Pros and Cons of App Choice
Pros and Cons of Using a “Native” Email App (that comes with your phone or that you download)
Pros:
The native app may have different security protocols than the Outlook app--so you probably won't have to re-login to your email account every two weeks.
Often native apps can compile more than one email address from different domains (nycourts.gov, courtinnovation.org, personal email, etc.) all in one inbox.
Cons:
When using the calendar, you can't see other people's availability.
Pros and Cons of Using the Outlook App
Pros:
When using the calendar, you can see other people's availability.
Cons:
Cannot see more than one email address (nycourts.gov, courtinnovation.org, personal email, etc.) in one place
Setting up Email Using the Outlook App (A Step-by Step Guide)
Legend
Some steps will be done on a computer and some will be done on your cell phone. Look for the computer icon and cell phone icon below to know which steps use which device.
First, we need to set up Multi-Factor Authentication for your NYCourts.gov e-mail.
On a CCI-issued laptop or desktop, go to the Outlook Web App at http://outlook.office.com
Select your account name, then enter your email address and password. Click "Sign in".
Click on the settings gear icon in the upper right side of the screen and a menu will appear below
Near the bottom of the menu, under “Your app settings,” click on “Office 365”
On the newly opened page, select “Security & Privacy” from the menu on the left.
Select “Additional security verification” (4th option down) and click “Update your phone numbers used for account security”
On the next page, you'll see the question "How should we contact you?". There are three options you can select- Authentication phone, Office phone or mobile app. We recommend the mobile app as being the easiest to use.
After you've selected mobile app, select the "Verification Code" option, and click the blue "Set up" button.
This will open up a window with instructions on what to do on your cell phone to set up the mobile app as our security option, including a QR code to scan.
Setting up the security app on your cell phone
On your cell phone, go to your app store (Play store on an Android phone, Apple store on an iPhone).
Search for the Microsoft Authenticator App, and click Install.
There will be a screen with some basic app info, click the arrow facing right at the bottom of the app. You will see a message about Data Privacy, click "Ok".
To add your account, click the big blue plus sign, then select "Work or School Account".
The app will prompt you to allow it to take photos, click "Allow" (this is so you can scan the QR code needed to complete set up).
You will see the app is now in camera mode, hold your cell phone up to your Outlook Web App that's displaying instructions and the QR code. When you fit the entire QR code in the camera field for the app, it will automatically advance to the next screen.
Click the blue "Got it" button. The app will now display a 6 digit code. This code will change every 30 seconds as a security measure. This is the code you'll use to finalize email set up on your phone.
Finalizing Multi-Factor Authentication
Going back to our Outlook Web App, in the window with instructions for setting up the security app, which we've now completed, click the blue "Next" button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
It will take a few moments to configure, once it's complete, click the blue "Next" button that appears in the bottom right hand corner.
It will ask you to enter the verification code from the security app you just set up on your cell phone. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your cell phone, take the 6 digit code the app is displaying, and enter it into the box in the Outlook Web App. Remember that for security reasons the Microsoft Authenticator app generates a new 6 digit code every 30 seconds, so be sure to enter this code before the clock runs out.Click "Verify".
It will ask you to enter your mobile number as a backup security measure, enter your mobile phone number and the country code for that mobile phone number. Click Next.
On the next screen, you'll see the system has generated a random series of letters, this is known as an app password. We'll use this in our final steps of setting up email on our cell phone.
Option 1: Setting up email using the email app that comes with your phone (Native mail app)
Go to your phone settings under the gear icon.
Scroll down to “Cloud and accounts”
Select “Accounts”
Select “Add Account"
Select “Microsoft Exchange"
Enter your nycourts.gov email address
Under password, enter the random series of letters known as the app password that we see displayed in our Outlook Web App.
Click "Sign in". You will see a screen asking if you want to apply security settings, click "Apply".
This will bring you to a screen with information on how often the app will sync with your email, calendar and contacts. You can adjust the settings if you like, or leave them as is. When the settings are set up the way you prefer, click "Done".
The Device administrator screen gives you some more info about using work email on your cell phone. If you have any questions about the information on this screen please reach out the Tech department. If everything looks good, click "Activate".
On the next screen you can change your account name or leave it to be the same as your email address. Click "Done".
Option 2: Setting up email using the Outlook app
Open the Outlook app and click "Get Started".
Enter your email address and click "Continue".
Enter your password and click "Sign in".
Now you will see a screen asking for the 6 digit code from the Microsoft Authenticator app we set up previously. So go back to your home screen, and open the Microsoft Authenticator app. Look at the 6 digit code that's displayed.
Re-open your Outlook app, and enter the 6 digit code. Remember that for security reasons the Microsoft Authenticator app generates a new 6 digit code every 30 seconds, so be sure to enter this code before the clock runs out.
Click "Verify".
iPhone Native Mail Client
First obtain an e-mail "app password" as described here, which you will use to add e-mail account to your phone.
Go to Settings
Select Mail
Select Accounts
Select Exchange
Enter your @nycourts.gov email address
For Server please use “outlook.office365.com” or “Nycourts.gov”
Type the “App Password” you obtained above
Select ‘Done’
Video Instructions
PART 1: Configuring your nycourts.gov email address and setting up multi-factor authentication (MFA):
PART 2: Setting up email using the email app that comes with your cell phone (Native mail app):
Part 3: Setting up email using Outlook: