Switching from POP3 to IMAP

When you take out an internet subscription, you often receive an e-mail address from the provider. We call this provider mail. You can view provider mail via the browser or via an e-mail program. Examples of e-mail programs are Outlook, Windows Live Mail and Mail from Apple. To set up your e-mail account in such a program, you need the so-called POP3 or IMAP data from the provider. Together with your login details, these ensure that you can e-mail via the program. For a long time, POP3 was the most widely used. Gradually this is shifting to the newer IMAP.

Note: You are not required to use the email address your provider gives you. You can also create an email address with a webmail service such as Gmail or Outlook.com. Webmail has the advantage that you get a lot of storage space, you can access your mail from all devices with internet, and you don’t have to change your e-mail address if you switch to another provider.

POP3 is a widely used e-mail protocol for provider mail. The e-mails are retrieved by your e-mail program from a server of the provider. The emails are stored on your computer so that you can read them. Usually they are automatically removed from the server afterwards.

Benefits POP3

• E-mail is retrieved quickly.
• After the mail has been retrieved, you can also read it without an internet connection.
• The mailbox will not become full (if the e-mail is retrieved regularly), because the retrieved e-mails no longer take up space on the server (this does not apply if you leave a copy of your mail on the server).

Disadvantages POP3

• If you use your mail account on different devices, such as PC and tablet, the contents of your mailbox are not the same everywhere. Emails retrieved on the computer are not displayed on the tablet. This problem also occurs with shipped items. If you send an e-mail with your tablet, this message will not appear in the ‘Sent items’ on your computer.
• POP3 is more insecure than IMAP. Therefore, if available, you should additionally secure your e-mail with SSL security.
• POP3 cannot be used on the Mail app of Windows 8/8.1 (although it can be used in the Mail app of Windows 10).

IMAP is especially nice if you mail in several places, such as online via webmail, on your computer, tablet or smartphone. With IMAP, the emails remain on the provider’s server. This means you can always access all your messages.

Benefits IMAP

• All emails are available in multiple locations. The contents of your mailbox therefore look the same on all devices, such as your PC and tablet. The sent items are also visible on all devices.
• You don’t need to back up your email. The messages are stored on the provider’s server. A backup should only be considered if you have to clean up your mail because your mailbox is full.
• Works with both Windows 10 Mail app and Windows 8/8.1 Mail app.

Disadvantages IMAP

• Because all e-mails remain on the server, the inbox can become full. Most providers nowadays give the user a lot of storage space, so that your inbox is not just full. But you get less space than with the major webmail providers.
• Emails, including previously read messages, can only be viewed with an internet connection.

The advantage of IMAP is that all emails are always available on the server. This is also a disadvantage, because your mailbox can become full over time. Most providers nowadays offer quite a bit of storage space. This makes it almost impossible for a provider like Ziggo to fill the inbox.

Below is the storage space for emails from a number of major providers (in March 2020):

If you only view your provider mail via the browser and not in a mail program, then in principle you have little to do with the transition from POP3 to IMAP. The provider has made adjustments in the background, but you don’t have to do anything.

Do you use an e-mail program in only one place? Then you don’t necessarily have to switch from POP3 to IMAP. You can then continue to use your current (POP3) settings in your e-mail program for the time being.

Do you use provider mail in various places and devices, or do you use e-mail via the browser and an e-mail program? Then it is advisable to switch to IMAP. This is only possible if your provider is already over.

Before moving from POP3 to IMAP, it is best to delete the old account first. Please note, your e-mails will also be deleted. Therefore, make a backup of your emails and contacts first. After that you have to create an account again, only this time with the IMAP data. The providers that already use IMAP explain step by step how to set up your e-mail in various e-mail programs. For more information, visit the provider’s website: Ziggo, KPN, XS4ALL. For instructions on how to back up, read the SeniorWeb articles ‘Archiving email with mailstore’ and ‘Backing up mail in Windows Live Mail’.

Are you switching to IMAP and using the email address in multiple places, such as on a PC, tablet and smartphone? Then it is best to switch to IMAP on all your devices at the same time.