What is IMAP? What is POP3? Do I need to use them?

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Do you check your mail.com email without using the mail.com app or webmail? You may be using a third-party email program like Outlook. To connect that program to your mailbox, you need an email protocol like POP3, IMAP, and SMTP (which at mail.com are available only with a Premium account).

These protocols are not automatically unsafe, but connecting your mailbox to a third-party program can create additional security and privacy risks.

What does “email protocol” mean?

An email protocol is a set of rules that determines how email is sent and received over the internet. POP3 and IMAP are the two best-known protocols for retrieving email. SMTP is used to send messages.

Understanding the difference between POP3 and IMAP will help you choose the right setup.

How POP3 works

POP3 stands for “Post Office Protocol Version 3.” It downloads messages from the email provider’s server to an email program on your device.

Depending on that email program’s settings, the downloaded messages may be deleted from the email server after they are downloaded. You would then only be able to access those messages in the email program and on the device where they were saved.
To keep the messages in your mail.com email account, select an option such as “Leave a copy of messages on the server.” The exact wording depends on the email program.

Even if you leave copies on the server, POP3 does not fully synchronize your mailbox. For example, deleting or moving a message on one device may not make the same change on another device.

How IMAP works

IMAP stands for “Internet Message Access Protocol.” Messages remain on the mail.com server and are synchronized across your connected devices.

Actions in your email program are also applied to your mail.com mailbox. For example, if you empty the trash folder in Outlook, the messages in that folder will also be removed from your mail.com account on the server and across devices. Things like the read status of your emails and your folder organization remain consistent everywhere.

Pros and cons of POP3 and IMAP

POP3 lets you download messages so you can read them later without an internet connection. It can also reduce the amount of storage used on the email server if downloaded messages are deleted there.

IMAP is usually more practical when you check email on several devices. Your messages, folders, and changes stay synchronized, but you generally need an internet connection to access content that has not already been downloaded.

Both options require you to give a third-party program access to your mailbox.

Security considerations when using third-party email programs

The main security risk is not the protocol itself. The potential risk comes from adding another program that can access your email account.

Potential problems include:

• Your password or application-specific password is stored in another program.
• An outdated or compromised email program may expose your messages or login credentials.
• Messages downloaded through POP3 may stay on a lost, stolen, shared, or infected device.
• With IMAP, accidental or unauthorized changes can be synchronized with the server and other devices.

Using correct, encrypted connection settings reduces the risk of your login information being intercepted while it is transmitted.

Your personal risk when using POP3, IMAP, or SMTP

Anyone who obtains the login credentials used by your email program may be able to access your email account. If this happens, they could read personal messages, view stored information, or send email from your address.

The third-party program itself also needs protection. You’ll need to keep it updated, protect the device it’s on with a password or biometric lock, and remove your account before selling or giving away the device.

How to protect your account when using POP3 or IMAP

POP3 and IMAP access is turned off by default in mail.com and is a Premium feature. Premium users should only enable POP3 or IMAP if they plan to connect to their mail.com account using a third-party email program.

If you use POP3 or IMAP with your mail.com account, you should always use the encrypted mail.com server settings. These settings help protect your credentials and messages while they travel between the email program and mail.com.

If you have enabled two-factor authentication, create an application-specific password for the external program instead of entering your regular mail.com password. You can revoke that password later without changing your main account password.

mail.com Mail App: A simpler way to access your email

To check your mail.com email on a smartphone or tablet without POP3 or IMAP, use the free mail.com Mail App for Android or iOS. The app is available to freemail and Premium users who do not want to configure an external email program.

• Use it on your mobile device: Access your synchronized mail.com mailbox without configuring POP3, IMAP, or SMTP.
• Manage multiple accounts: Add multiple mail.com accounts and switch between them in the app.
• Sync contacts and calendars: Synchronize your mail.com address book and calendar with your mobile device.
• Access your Cloud: View and manage files stored in mail.com Cloud.
• Protect access to the app: Both apps offer optional PIN protection. On compatible Android devices, you can also use fingerprint or facial recognition.
• Receive current updates: Keep the app and your device’s operating system updated to receive the latest fixes and protections.

The official app connects directly to your mail.com account and avoids the additional setup required by third-party email programs. Learn more about the mail.com Mail App and download it.

Did you find this article helpful? If so, please give us some feedback below! And if you still don’t have a mail.com account, why not sign up for free today?

This article was originally published on January 16, 2022, and updated on August 3, 2026.
 

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