POP and IMAP account settings

Applies To
Outlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2024 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 New Outlook for Windows Outlook on the web for Exchange Server 2016 Outlook on the web for Exchange Server 2019 Outlook Web App

You can use POP or IMAP to access many different types of accounts, including Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com. If you have an email account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP), you can use one of these two account types to access your email.

If you need server settings or help finding your server settings, click on one of the links below:

If your email provider isn't listed, contact your ISP's technical support or your email administrator. 

Most accounts use IMAP, but a few may use POP. You'll need a variety of settings before you start to setup your account, including incoming and outgoing mail server names, ports, and SSL settings. 

Use the Manual setup or additional server types option to set up your account

  1. On the POP and IMAP Account Settings page, enter the following information:

    • Your name and email address
    • Account type 
    • Incoming mail server
    • Outgoing mail server
    • User Name: This is your full email address
    • Password

  2. Choose More Settings > Outgoing Server and check the box for My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication.

  3. On the Advanced tab, enter the information you received from your email provider or from the POP and IMAP server name reference topic.

  4. Choose OK > Next > Finish.

How to resolve IMAP/POP account sign in issues in new Outlook

When an IMAP or POP email provider changes the backend information that Outlook uses to communicate with that email provider, it will break the connection that Outlook had with that email provider. This will result in your account going into the needs-attention state and unable to sign-in again. You can fix this by removing your account from all Outlook devices, then signing-in again.

The image shows an example of a Pop/IMAP account in Outlook.

Note

Calendar events, saved contacts, and email drafts created in Outlook will all be lost once you remove your account. Consider exporting your mailbox to a PST file before continuing.

Removing your account from Outlook then re-adding it:

  1. Go to the ellipsis in the top of the header.

  2. Open Settings.

  3. Go to Accounts then Your accounts.

  4. Select manage on the account facing issues.

  5. Select Remove.

  6. Select Remove from all devices then OK.

  7. Add your account back to Outlook by selecting Add Account.

  8. If you exported your mailbox as a PST, go to Import email, contacts, and calendar from an Outlook .pst file and follow the instructions to get your Calendar, contacts, and draft information back.