🌐 Overview: What Is IMAP?

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is a standard protocol used by email clients to retrieve emails from a mail server.

In Mailbird Next, IMAP is designed to keep your mailbox synced across devices. This means actions like reading, deleting, moving, or sending emails will usually also be reflected in your webmail and any other connected devices.

Here are two key things to know when connecting an IMAP email account to Mailbird Next:

• ✅ Mailbird Next will automatically detect server settings for most email providers.
• 🛠️ If detection fails, you can manually enter the server settings.

Most email providers publish their IMAP (incoming) and SMTP (outgoing) settings on their websites. For a quicker route, you can use our Mail Settings page to look up these settings easily.

Please note that IMAP only covers email. Things like contacts, calendars, and provider-specific extras are not part of IMAP itself and may require separate setup or may not be supported through a standard IMAP connection.

🔄 IMAP vs Other Account Types

Not all email account types work the same way. Here is a quick overview:

• IMAP: Best for most users who want their mailbox to stay synced across multiple devices
• POP3: Downloads emails locally onto your device, and deletes them from your mail server afterwards
• Exchange / Microsoft 365 / Gmail sign-in: These account types may use modern authentication methods and can offer provider-specific features beyond standard IMAP

If your provider supports a dedicated sign-in option in Mailbird Next, that option is often the easiest and most reliable choice.

🔌 How to Connect an IMAP Email Account

Mailbird Next will automatically detect the correct server settings if your email is hosted by one of the following providers:

• iCloud
• Outlook
• Gmail
• Microsoft 365
• Yahoo

If your provider isn’t listed above, select Set up manually during the setup process, as shown below.

✍️ Manually Entering IMAP Settings

If Mailbird Next cannot auto-detect your settings, follow these steps:

1. Find your provider’s IMAP and SMTP settings.
   Visit our Mail Settings page and search for your provider (e.g., hotmail.com).
2. Enter the IMAP server, SMTP server, and port numbers in Mailbird Next.
3. Click Continue to finish connecting your account.

When entering your settings manually, make sure you confirm:

• Incoming mail server (IMAP)
• Incoming port number
• Encryption/security type (such as SSL, TLS or STARTTLS)
• Outgoing mail server (SMTP)
• Outgoing port number
• Whether SMTP authentication is required
• Whether your full email address must be used as the username

🔃 Note: You may notice a Connections slider during setup (as in the screenshot above). This controls the number of simultaneous IMAP connections. Unless you're having issues like sync delays or syncing errors, we recommend leaving it at the default setting. Learn more here about how this slider works.

⛔ Common Setup Blockers

Even if Mailbird Next finds the correct server settings automatically, the account may still fail to connect if your provider has additional security requirements.

The most common reasons an IMAP account may not connect:

• The email address or password is incorrect
• IMAP is not enabled in the provider’s account settings
• Two-factor authentication is enabled and an app password is required
• The provider blocks the sign-in attempt for security reasons
• The provider requires you to confirm the login attempt in webmail first

If setup fails, we recommend to:

1. Sign in to your email account through your provider’s website
2. Confirm that IMAP access is enabled
3. Check whether your provider requires an app password
4. Verify the correct IMAP and SMTP settings
5. Please try fully signing out of your email provider’s webmail account first, then begin the account setup process again in Mailbird Next.

⚠️ Common IMAP Issues and What They Usually Mean

Here are some common symptoms and their likely causes:

• You can receive emails but cannot send them
  This is usually related to SMTP settings, outgoing authentication, or the wrong SMTP port
• The account will not add at all
  This is usually caused by incorrect credentials, disabled IMAP, a missing app password, or a provider security block
• Folders do not appear as expected
  Some providers use different folder structures or special server-side folder mappings
• Email sync feels delayed
  This can happen with very large mailboxes, provider throttling, or connection settings

Because IMAP behavior can vary slightly between email providers, some accounts may require provider-specific settings or security steps even when standard IMAP is supported.

✅ Before Contacting Support

Before reaching out, please make sure you have checked the following:

• You can sign in successfully through your provider’s webmail
• IMAP is enabled for the account
• Your password or app password is correct
• Your IMAP and SMTP settings match your provider’s documentation
• You have tried both automatic and manual setup, if available

If you still need help, please include:

• Your email provider
• Any error message shown in Mailbird Next
• Whether you are using a normal password or an app password
• A screenshot of your incoming and outgoing server settings
• A copy of your log files (see here for guidance on how to obtain them)

🤝 Need Further Assistance?

We hope this article helped you get connected! If you need more support, don't hesitate to reach out via our Contact Form. Our team is always happy to assist.