How to password protect email on your iPad

Let me start off by saying that password protection for email on the iPad is a deficiency in iOS and Apple needs to make improvements to allow users to enable a password for the mail app. Apparently, Apple thinks of the iPad as a single user device and that a Passcode Lock for the device is sufficient. This may be true for the iPhone but many families will allow more than one person to use one iPad.

The lack of email protection not only raises concerns about privacy but it’s also possible emails could be deleted by an unauthorized person.

Restrictions

In the Settings app under General, the iPad has an area called Restrictions.

Apple allows users to enable restrictions for Safari, Youtube, FaceTime, iTunes, Ping, the camera and installing and deleting apps. You can also restrict anyone from making changes to your location services, accounts and Find My Friends app. Preventing changes on accounts only keeps someone from adding or removing an email account but does not protect anyone from reading or deleting emails.

There are some other restrictions for music, movies, TV shows, etc. but again you won’t find anything here to protect your email.

Possible Soultuons

You can go to Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> tap on the account and turn it off when you are not using it. This is somewhat of a hassle and it will not prevent anyone from turning it back on unless you enable the restriction for Accounts. That will also make it more of a hassle for you to turn it back on.

Gmail

Google recently released a native Gmail app for the iPad. The Gmail app is a great alternative to the mail app that comes with the iPad. If you don’t already have a Gmail account you can easily set one up for free. Then, you can automatically forward your email from another account to Gmail.

The Gmail app lets users sign in and out, so your email will have password protection on your iPad. You could also use the Gmail or Yahoo web app in Safari, both have excellent email web applications.

Jailbreak Apps

You may be wondering if there’s an app for that. Well, yes but you will need a jailbroken device. I saved this for last because I realize there are many people who do not have jailbroken iPads. If you do, there are several apps that will enable you to require a password before opening an app or folder.

Applocker and Loctopus both allow you to password protect individual apps including the mail app. You can find them by searching for the apps in Cydia.

Conclusion

Obviously, the ideal solution is for Apple to allow iPad users to set a password for the mail app since the iPad is not always a single user device. I tried to offer a few tips until that happens and I believe they will add the feature in a future software update. If you want to help make sure that happens leave them some feedback here.