Difference between revisions of "POP3 vs IMAP"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
! style=width:40em | POP3 | ! style=width:40em | POP3 | ||
! style=width:40em | IMAP | ! style=width:40em | IMAP | ||
+ | |||
|- | |- | ||
+ | |||
| Emails are '''downloaded'''. | | Emails are '''downloaded'''. | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
Line 19: | Line 21: | ||
<li>The content of an email is ''usually'' only downloaded to your device when you click an email to read it, '''however''' you can change this behaviour with a setting in your mail client.</li> | <li>The content of an email is ''usually'' only downloaded to your device when you click an email to read it, '''however''' you can change this behaviour with a setting in your mail client.</li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
+ | |||
|- | |- | ||
+ | |||
| Downloaded emails can be left on the server '''or''' removed from the server, and this behaviour is controlled by a setting in your mail client. | | Downloaded emails can be left on the server '''or''' removed from the server, and this behaviour is controlled by a setting in your mail client. | ||
You can set your mail client to | You can set your mail client to | ||
Line 28: | Line 32: | ||
<li>delete email from the server '''when you delete it from your mail client'''</li> | <li>delete email from the server '''when you delete it from your mail client'''</li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
+ | |||
|| When you delete an email in your mail client, that email '''may''' be removed from the server, '''or''' or may be moved into the ''deleted items'' folder on the server. | || When you delete an email in your mail client, that email '''may''' be removed from the server, '''or''' or may be moved into the ''deleted items'' folder on the server. | ||
+ | |||
|- | |- | ||
+ | |||
| Sent mail is not stored on the server. | | Sent mail is not stored on the server. | ||
+ | |||
|| Sent mail '''may or may not''' be stored on the server. | || Sent mail '''may or may not''' be stored on the server. | ||
+ | |||
|- | |- | ||
+ | |||
| If you've sorted your email into folders, these folders exist '''on your device''', not on the server. | | If you've sorted your email into folders, these folders exist '''on your device''', not on the server. | ||
+ | |||
|| Your custom folders exist on your device, and '''may or may not''' exist on the server. | || Your custom folders exist on your device, and '''may or may not''' exist on the server. | ||
+ | |||
|} | |} | ||
</onlyinclude> | </onlyinclude> |
Revision as of 09:56, 20 September 2023
POP3 | IMAP |
---|---|
Emails are downloaded.
|
Emails are synced.
|
Downloaded emails can be left on the server or removed from the server, and this behaviour is controlled by a setting in your mail client.
You can set your mail client to
|
When you delete an email in your mail client, that email may be removed from the server, or or may be moved into the deleted items folder on the server. |
Sent mail is not stored on the server. | Sent mail may or may not be stored on the server. |
If you've sorted your email into folders, these folders exist on your device, not on the server. | Your custom folders exist on your device, and may or may not exist on the server. |
If you're unsure of which you're using, you can check the account settings in your mail client. We've outlined how to do this below. Skip to the section that applies to your mail client:
Am I using POP3 or IMAP?
Your mail account could be configured as POP3 or IMAP, and this will determine how you'll need to proceed.
To find out which you're using, you'll need to check your email account settings.
Outlook
-
In Outlook 2010 or 2013
- Click File.
- ClickAccount Settings.
- Click the Email tab.
-
In Outlook 2016 or 2019
- Click File
- Click Account Settings.
- Click the new Account settings option that appears.
-
In Outlook 2021 and 365
- Click File
- ClickAccount Settings
- Click Manage Profiles
- Click Email accounts
For all versions of Outlook, you'll see a list of your email accounts with Name and Type. Take note of the Type of your email account, which will be listed as IMAP/SMTP or POP3/SMTP.
Thunderbird
- Click on the main Menu button.
- Go to Options and select Account Settings.
- Click Server Settings
- Take note of Server Type which will be listed as IMAP Mail Server or POP3 Mail Server.
Apple mail
- MacOS 13
- Open the Mail app
- Click Mail
- Click Settings
- Click Accounts
- Select your account on the left
- Click the Server Settings tab on the right
- The incoming server will be listed at the top of the Server settings tab like Incoming Server (IMAP) or Incoming Server (POP3)
- MacOS 12 and earlier
- Open the mail app and click Mail
- Click Preferences
- Click Accounts
- Click the Server Settings tab on the right
- The incoming server will be listed at the top of the Server settings tab like Incoming Server (IMAP) or Incoming Server (POP3)