Setting up an address comes down to six values and one choice. The choice is made once and for all; the six values are in your activation email. This guide explains the choice, then the mistakes that waste the most time.
The choice: IMAP or POP3
| IMAP | POP3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the messages live | On the server, read remotely | Brought down onto the device |
| Several devices | Everything is synchronized everywhere | Each device sees something different |
| A message read on the phone | Shows as read on the computer | Stays unread elsewhere |
| If the device is lost | Nothing is lost | Everything that lived only there is lost |
| Space used on the server | Your mailbox's | Almost nothing |
Choose IMAP, unless you have a precise reason. POP3 is only still justified in one case: a single device, and the deliberate intention to empty the server.
The classic trap: an old client left on POP3 on a forgotten machine, which downloads and deletes the messages from the server. The other devices then watch the messages vanish without explanation.
The values to enter
| What the software asks for | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Incoming mail server | Activation email, client area |
| Outgoing mail server | Activation email, client area |
| Incoming and outgoing ports | Activation email |
| Encryption method | Activation email |
| Username | Your full address, not just the part before the at sign |
| Password | The one you set when creating the address |
These values can differ from one service to another: that is why no guide publishes them. Copy them from your activation email, with no stray space.
Always encrypted
If your software offers "no encryption" or "password in plain text", refuse. Encrypting the connection is not optional: without it, your password travels legibly on every network crossed, starting with the open network of the café where you check your mail.
On a phone
The automatic setup offered by phones rarely works for a professional address: it looks for the settings of the big providers. Choose manual setup, then enter the six values.
The most frequent mistakes
| Symptom | Most likely cause | The move |
|---|---|---|
| Password refused although it is right | The username is incomplete | Enter the whole address as the username |
| Receiving works, sending does not | Authentication on the outgoing server is not ticked | Tick "the outgoing server requires authentication" |
| Certificate warning | The server name was copied wrong | Take the exact value from the activation email again |
| Messages disappear | A device set to POP3 is downloading them | Switch that device back to IMAP |
| Nothing goes out in the evening from home | Some internet providers filter the sending port | Try the secure port stated in the activation email |
| Folders do not show | The folders are not subscribed | Enable the display of all folders in the software |
If nothing gets through
Open a ticket with:
- the address concerned;
- the software and its version, or the phone model;
- the exact error message, copied and not summarized;
- whether the problem affects sending, receiving, or both.
An error message copied word for word is worth three rounds of questions.