IMAP vs POP3 Explained — Plus the Correct Server Settings to Use

FreeTechSupport Team Updated May 15, 2026 2 min read

When you add an email account to a desktop app or phone, you are usually asked whether you want to use IMAP or POP3. The choice matters, and for most people the right answer is IMAP. Here is why.

What Is POP3?

POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) downloads your emails from the server to your device, then — by default — removes them from the server. Think of it like picking up letters from a post office box: once collected, they live only on your local machine. If your device is lost or stolen, so are your emails. POP3 was designed for a world where people had one PC; it is less suited to using email across multiple devices.

What Is IMAP?

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) keeps your emails on the server and synchronises them to all your devices. If you read an email on your phone, it shows as read on your laptop too. Deleting a message removes it everywhere. IMAP is the standard choice for anyone using more than one device or who wants their emails safely stored on a server.

Which Should You Use?

Use IMAP unless you have a specific reason not to. The only real advantage of POP3 today is if you have a very limited server storage quota and want to keep everything locally — or if your ISP charges by mailbox size.

Common IMAP Server Settings

Gmail: Incoming: imap.gmail.com, port 993, SSL | Outgoing: smtp.gmail.com, port 465 or 587, SSL/TLS
Outlook.com / Hotmail / Live: Incoming: outlook.office365.com, port 993, SSL | Outgoing: smtp-mail.outlook.com, port 587, STARTTLS
Yahoo Mail: Incoming: imap.mail.yahoo.com, port 993, SSL | Outgoing: smtp.mail.yahoo.com, port 465, SSL
AOL Mail: Incoming: imap.aol.com, port 993, SSL | Outgoing: smtp.aol.com, port 465, SSL
Apple iCloud: Incoming: imap.mail.me.com, port 993, SSL | Outgoing: smtp.mail.me.com, port 587, TLS

Common POP3 Settings (for reference)

Gmail: pop.gmail.com, port 995, SSL
Outlook.com: pop3.live.com, port 995, SSL
Yahoo: pop.mail.yahoo.com, port 995, SSL

If you are setting up a business or custom domain email account, check your hosting provider's documentation for the correct server names — they vary by host.

Frequently asked questions

You can, but the transition requires care. Switching to IMAP on the same account will not automatically import your locally-stored POP3 emails to the server. You would need to manually drag old emails into the new IMAP account folders in your email client. If your local archive is large, consider leaving it in place and just adding the account fresh via IMAP.

Log in to Gmail in a web browser, go to Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and select Enable IMAP. Save the change and try setting up the account again.

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