This page covers mail options for online services such as AOL, MSN/Hotmail, and Yahoo. The tools listing contains a number of utilities that work with some or all of the email services listed on this page as well as other web-based email services.
While Outlook 2003/2007 support “HTTP” access, it requires Web-DAV, which most mail servers do not support. At this time only Exchange server supports HTTP access to email through Outlook (or Outlook Express/Vista’s Mail/Windows Live Mail client). To read your email received by other web-based services, you need to use a third party utility. Some of the tools listed below will work with web-based accounts.
Gmail! | Hotmail/MSN | Yahoo! | GoDaddy | America Online | NetZero/Juno | Tools
Gmail
Gmail supports both POP3 and IMAP. You need to enable it in Gmail’s Mail settings. Instructions to configure the account in Microsoft Outlook is linked from the POP3/IMAP settings page.
Note that Gmail’s labels aren’t true folders in Gmail but are treated as IMAP folders in Outlook. As a result, you’ll download the mail twice, once in All Mail folders and again by label. You can subscribe/unsubscribe to these folders – right click on the root level of the IMAP pst (where it typically has your email address) and choose IMAP folders from the menu to subscribe or unsubscribe folders. Subscriptions are saved per server, so the changes will apply to all email clients you access the mailbox with.
To control whether full messages or just headers are downloaded, hit Ctrl+Alt+S to open the Send/Receive dialog. Select the email group and click Edit. Then select the IMAP account – change the download option in Receive mail. If you use ‘custom behavior’, select each folder to configure.
Hotmail or MSN
Hotmail and Live.com support POP3/SMTP and “DeltaSync”. POP3 downloads only the Inbox, while DeltaSync syncs all folders, much like IMAP. Use the Windows Live Mail client or Outlook with the Outlook Connector. Links to the Hotmail Connector download are in the right sidebar.
POP3/SMTP works with all versions of Outlook and with all POP3 mail clients.
The Live Mail service from Microsoft supports the Outlook Connector with Outlook 2003, 2007, and 2010 for access to Hotmail / Live contacts and calendar in Outlook.
Hotmail Live POP3 Configuration
Incoming server name: pop3.live.com
Outgoing server: smtp.live.com
While setting up the account, click on the More Settings button and on Outgoing Mail Servers tab, select the My server requires authentication box. Most people will need to use the default option of Use same settings as my incoming server.
Click the Advanced tab, and under Server Port Numbers, enter the following information:
• In the Incoming mail (POP3) box, type 995.
• In the Outgoing mail (SMTP) box, type 587.
• Under both Outgoing mail (SMTP) and Incoming mail (POP3), select the ‘requires secure connection (SSL)’ check box. In Outlook 2007, choose Auto; use SSL for Outlook 2003
• Under Delivery, select the Leave a copy of messages on server check box if you want to see your messages when you use Hotmail in a web browser, your mobile phone, or other e-mail programs. By default, Outlook will delete the messages from the Hotmail server when they are downloaded to your computer.
We have screenshots of these dialogs at Configuring Hotmail, Live, or MSN Support in Microsoft Outlook
HTTP Protocol in Outlook 2003 and 2007
Microsoft long ago discontinued HTTP (WebDAV) support for Hotmail accounts. If you have want to use a mail client, you’ll need to use POP3 (any email client) or the Outlook Hotmail Connector (Outlook 2003 and up). For more information, see MSN (and Hotmail) Access Denied?.
Yahoo!
Yahoo! does not provide POP3 access for free, only web browser access and IMAP. You can not use Outlook’s HTTP protocol to connect to Yahoo!, as Outlook’s HTTP protocol uses WebDAV, which is not supported by Yahoo! (or other web based mail services). [At this time no provider supports HTTP (WebDAV) and HTTP protocol is effectively dead in versions of Outlook which include it.]
See the tools list below for utilities you can use to bring Yahoo! email into Outlook.
Paid subscribers can configure Outlook for POP3/SMTP access. See POP Yahoo! Mail Plus with Another Email Client
Mobile users can configure IMAP access (currently free). This will work in Outlook.
As of February 9 2011, the server names and ports are
Incoming Server – imap.mail.yahoo.com
Outgoing Server – smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Incoming Port – 993 (requires SSL)
Outgoing Port – 465 or 587 (requires SSL/TLS or Auto)
Username: full Yahoo! email address
Password: your Yahoo! password
imap-ssl.mail.yahoo.com, port 143 also works for the incoming server
For best results, disable Outlook’s option to purge deleted items on folder change. This appears to cause sync errors.
Video Tutorial
Business or Plus Accounts
If you have a Yahoo Plus or a Business account, you will need to use one of the following outgoing servers with the incoming server listed above.
Note: We recommend checking the Yahoo Support pages for the latest information.
If port 465 doesn’t work, try port 587.
Business Email Accounts
Outgoing:smtp.bizmail.yahoo.com
Port:465
SSL: True
Outgoing server requires authentication: Checked
Yahoo Plus Accounts
Outgoing: plus.smtp.pop.yahoo.com
Port: 465
SSL: True
Outgoing server requires authentication: Checked
GoDaddy
While not a true online service, it is very popular with users and many users struggle to get it working in Outlook. GoDaddy supports POP3 (in addition to webmail) with the lowest-end accounts (including free accounts received with domain registration) and POP3 or IMAP on higher value paid accounts.
The incoming mail server will be one of the following: pop.secureserver.net, mail.domain_name.tld, or pop.domain_name.tld. Use Port 110 or 995 for SSL. (Replace domain_name.tld with the domain name you purchased).
If your account supports IMAP, use imap.domain_name.tld or imap.secureserver.net
The outgoing mail server can be either smtp.domain_name.tld or smtpout.secureserver.net. GoDaddy supports ports 25, 80, and 3535; or if you need SSL support, port 465. Make this change in More Settings > Advanced tab. GoDaddy does not always require authentication. Try it without authentication and if it fails, configure authentication on the Outgoing tab, choosing the option to authenticate with the incoming address and password.
The most up-to-date information is in GoDaddy’s Help files at Setting up Your Email Address with POP3 GoDaddy also has an Outlook set-up tool that can configure your account for you.
America Online
AOL subscribers can use Outlook to read their AOL e-mail accounts. The AOL account is configured as an IMAP account in Outlook, with a custom SMTP port. (This allows ‘Bring Your Own Access’ subscribers to use AOL’s SMTP servers.) For more information and step-by-step instructions, locate AOL’s Email Help and choose Open Mail Access.
If you use Outlook 2002/2003 and can configure an IMAP account on your own, but need the details, create a new IMAP account using imap.aol.com and smtp.aol.com for the server names, then choose More Settings. On the Outgoing server tab configure the outgoing server to use Authentication, choosing the Use same settings as my incoming mail server option. On the Advanced tab, configure the SMTP to use port 587. OK the dialogs and setup is complete.
If you are new to IMAP, the messages are stored on your server and a copy is downloaded to your local machine. When you delete the messages locally, a line is drawn through the message in Outlook’s message list indicating the message is marked for deletion. To delete the message from the server (and remove it from Outlook), you need to use the Edit, Purge deleted messages menu.
Note that you need to use Outlook 2002, 2003, 2007 or Outlook 98/Outlook 2000 in Internet Mail Only mode to read AOL e-mail in Outlook as Outlook 98/2000 in Corporate/Workgroup mode does not support IMAP accounts. You can also use Outlook Express or any other email program that supports IMAP accounts, choosing the appropriate options to authenticate and changing the SMTP port to 587.
To copy (or sync) your contacts, calendar, and reminders from AOL to Outlook, you’ll need to install AOL Sync.
Juno/NetZero
These services do not support using Outlook (or other POP3 clients) except with their Premium accounts.
For more information see :
- Email Policy Changes – Frequently Asked Questions (Juno)
- Email Policy Changes – Frequently Asked Questions (NetZero)
Tools
Processes your AOL mail for spam, then makes the messages available to any mail program, including Outlook, that uses standard Internet protocols. | |
Makes America Online mail available from any POP/SMTP mail program, including Outlook. | |
IzyMail enables you to access webmail from major providers such as AOL, Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail, Windows Live, Fastmail or Gmail with any eMail application. Whether you want to use Gmail, Outlook, Thunderbird, Evolution, iPhone, Palm PDA, Pocket PC, Smartphone or other applications, whether you want to automate eMail processing with rules or use advanced anti-virus or spam protection, IzyMail provides the technology you need. | |
Use the Outlook Connector with Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007 to access and manage Windows Live Hotmail or Office Live Mail accounts. Version 12.1. | |
Utility that allows you to receive mail from HotMail, AOL, or many other web-based mail providers via a POP account. Operates as a proxy POP server on your local machine that grabs information from the various services. It's receive-only and cannot send via those accounts. | |
Free tool for accessing a Yahoo! HTTP account via POP3, provided by an open source initiative. Version 0.9.5.1 |
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Last reviewed on Apr 23, 2012
I am using Outlook 10 32 bit with a main hotmail account and this works fine. I am keen to add a couple of other accounts, one is an Exchange one, the other one a POP3 Google-based one and get all the e-mails delivered into my hotmail account in Outlook. I have suceeded adding the Exchange account, however I am having 2 different accounts and 2 different calendars right now. Is there any way to sort this out ?
Thanks,
Alex
Because Exchange (like Hotmail) is a server-based account, you’ll have two data files. While it is possible to change the folders Exchange uses for delivery, it will delete the mail from the Exchange server (and upload it to your hotmail account) and can make a mess of your Exchange calendar and can result in all replies coming from the hotmail account.
The same applies to the gmail pop3 account – if you deliver it to the hotmail folder it will upload all the mail to the hotmail server and replies may come from your hotmail account.
We recommend using separate data files for each account and putting the folders you use the most on the Favorite Mail folder. Calendars and contacts can be moved to a new group then collapse the group to hide the folders, but you may still have a few things created in those folders. How to create groups: http://www.slipstick.com/tutorial/using-navigation-pane-groups/