Could not instantiate mail phpmailer

A common issue!

The error "Could not instantiate mail" when using PHPMailer usually occurs when there's a problem with the PHPMailer library or the mail server configuration.

Here are some common solutions to help you resolve the issue:

  1. Check PHPMailer version: Make sure you're using a compatible version of PHPMailer. You can check the version by running echo PHPMAILER_VERSION; in your PHP code. If you're using an outdated version, update to the latest one.
  2. Verify mail server settings: Ensure that your mail server settings are correct. You can do this by:
    • Checking your mail server's hostname and port number.
    • Verifying that your mail server is configured to allow outgoing mail.
    • Testing your mail server using a tool like telnet or a mail client like Thunderbird.
  3. Check PHPMailer configuration: Review your PHPMailer configuration to ensure that:
    • The isSMTP() method is set to true.
    • The Host property is set to your mail server's hostname.
    • The Port property is set to the correct port number (usually 25, 587, or 465).
    • The Username and Password properties are set to your mail server credentials.
  4. Enable error reporting: Increase the error reporting level in your PHP code to get more detailed error messages. You can do this by adding the following line at the top of your PHP file:
    error_reporting(E_ALL);
  5. Check for conflicts with other libraries: If you're using other libraries or frameworks that also handle mail, ensure that they're not conflicting with PHPMailer. Try disabling or removing these libraries to see if the issue persists.
  6. Try a different mail transport: If you're using the SMTP transport, try switching to mail or sendmail transport to see if the issue is specific to the SMTP transport.
  7. Check your PHP version: PHPMailer requires PHP 5.3 or higher. If you're using an older version of PHP, upgrade to a compatible version.
  8. Check for PHPMailer dependencies: PHPMailer requires the php-pear package to be installed. Ensure that it's installed and up-to-date.

If none of these solutions work, please provide more details about your PHPMailer configuration, mail server settings, and error messages you're seeing. I'll be happy to help you troubleshoot the issue!