Access an AOL Email Account with a POP or IMAP

Have you ever wished you could use your AOL email account with something else, something more powerful, something more convenient than AOL, something like Outlook, Windows Mail, Outlook Express, or The Bat!? Thanks to the wonders of internet messaging access protocol (IMAP), you can.

If you set up your AOL email account in any email client capable of IMAP, you can receive and send messages easily. Even the AOL folders — Spam, Saved, Sent Items and your Trash will be there automatically. Of course, you can also use POP to fetch incoming mail in an uncomplicated fashion.

Of course, the steps you need to take to set up your AOL email account differ from program to program. Here's how to do it in:

• IncrediMail
• Mac OS X Mail
• Mozilla Thunderbird
• Outlook
• Outlook Express
• Windows Mail.

If your program is not in the list, please use the generic POP or IMAP AOL mail settings below.

To access an AOL email account using IMAP:

• Make sure you email client supports IMAP.
• Create a new account with the following configuration options:
  • IMAP server: imap.aol.com.
  • IMAP login: your AOL screenname.
  • IMAP password: your AOL screenname password.
  • IMAP port: 993.
  • IMAP SSL required: yes.
• Set up outgoing mail through AOL servers, too.

To access an AOL email account using POP:

• Create a new account with the following configuration options:
  • POP server: pop.aol.com.
  • POP login: your AOL screenname.
  • POP password: your AOL screenname password.
  • POP port: 995.
  • SSL required: yes
• Set up outgoing AOL mail, too.