IMAP and POP3 are two ways for a mail app to collect email from a mail server. If you read email on more than one device, such as a phone, a laptop and a desktop, the choice matters.
What is POP3?
Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) downloads mail from the server and often deletes it from the server afterwards. So, depending on when each app checks for mail, a message may only arrive on one device. Deleting a message on one device does not delete it on another. For example, if you read and delete an email on your phone, it can still show as unread on your desktop.
Because POP3 keeps your mail on the device, losing or damaging that device can mean losing your email.
What is IMAP?
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) keeps your email on the server and shows it on each device. When you read, move or delete a message on one device, the change shows on every other device that uses the same mailbox. IMAP can also download just the headers of a message first, which makes it quicker.
Why we recommend IMAP
For most people POP3 has few, if any, benefits. Choose IMAP when your mail app asks.
Settings
For mailboxes on our web hosting and WordPress hosting plans:
- Server:
cloud.lurstanhost.net - IMAP: port 993, SSL/TLS
- POP3: port 995, SSL/TLS
- Outgoing mail (SMTP): port 465 with SSL/TLS, or port 587 with STARTTLS
- Username: your full email address. Password: the mailbox password.
If you hold the hosting account, cPanel also lists the settings for each mailbox: open Email Accounts and click Connect Devices next to the mailbox. If the server name shown there is different, use cloud.lurstanhost.net as above.
Business email (OX App Suite) mailboxes use different settings. Open a ticket if you need them.
Step-by-step guides: iPhone and iPad and Android.
