Never POP If You Can IMAP – All About Your Email Setup

By | February 22, 2021
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Never POP If You Can IMAP – All About Your Email Setup

POP Vs. IMAP

We’ve been setting up a lot of OE Classic email programs lately and we’ve learned that many people don’t realize there’s a big difference between POP3 email protocol and IMAP email protocol. 

Whenever you set up an email app or program on any device, always set it up using IMAP instead of POP3 protocol. And if your ISP is still living in the dark ages and does not offer IMAP, get yourself a Gmail or Outlook/Hotmail account and use IMAP.

We’re going to put everything in a nutshell for you – and make it as clean, neat, and understandable as we can.

POP Protocol (usually POP3)

Downloads emails from a mail server for permanent storage on your computer or other devices.  If your computer crashes, you will lose all your email that you don’t have backed up.

IMAP Mail Protocol

Leaves all your emails on the server. IMAP allows you to use different devices to check your emails.  In other words, you can check your email from your Windows PC, your smartphone, or your tablet from anywhere. Your emails are always synchronized and will instantly appear in your webmail inbox no matter which device you use. If your computer crashes, you won’t lose your email, even if you don’t have them backed up.

So, now you know why you always want to use IMAP protocol when setting up your email on your Windows PCs and other devices including smartphones and tablets.

And remember: Never pop if you can IMAP.

 

9 thoughts on “Never POP If You Can IMAP – All About Your Email Setup

  1. Linda Tchorzewski

    Hi, just wondering how I know which I am using with my email POP or IMAP? THANKS

    Reply
    1. infoave Post author

      You can look in your email server settings, it will normally show IMAP or POP.

      Reply
  2. JonInOz

    HI TC & Darcy,
    It is noticeable how certain words can be correct for the use of a subject and incorrect for a related subject.
    Letters, documents and message information were at one time delivered to each persons mail box.
    One item or many items are known as mail, never would several items be known as mails, that is silly.
    On the electronic side of receiving one or several items in the mail box it is still mail, not mails for several items.
    As the mail is electronically generated it is known as email, the ‘e’ meaning abbreviation for electronic, but we were taught that missing letters in a word required an apostrophe to indicate missing letters.
    The conclusion is that all electronic mail should be spelled in the only correct manner as e’mail.
    The same rule as one sheep, many sheep.
    Thank you to all readers for your understanding of the information relating to e’mail. 🙂

    Reply
  3. JP

    The previous commentator sounds like my ol’ english teacher. Really…in this day and age, who gives a “toot”.
    e’mail or email… it’s all the same. Lets relax and enjoy life.

    Reply
  4. Virginia Borders

    Thanks for that brief lesson, Cloudeight. I never knew the difference – never really tried to learn, either! I got my email daily and never was concerned how it got here. Your Cloudeight Daily Email is always looked forward to and opened, I always learn something. Keep ’em coming, TC!

    Reply
  5. Carol Munson Ross

    With a Gmail account, even if email is downloaded as Pop3, there is still a copy on Gmail. It is no longer conveniently in the inbox, but can be found in the “All mail” tab. And this tab holds a LOT of emails.

    Reply

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