How to Access AOL Email with Microsoft Outlook

Setting up e-mail on an iPad
CatLane/Getty Images
by Heinz Tschabitscher
An independent writer who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
Updated May 30, 2019

If you use AOL for email and Outlook to keep your schedule, maintain your to-do lists, jot down notes, and its other useful tools, you may find it helpful to have Outlook also manage your AOL email accounts. AOL provides IMAP access, which you can use to easily connect Outlook to your AOL email accounts in just a few steps.

Instructions in this article apply to Outlook versions 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and Outlook for Office 365.

Add an AOL Email Account in Outlook

The steps below are for Outlook 2016. Instructions for Outlook 2013 and 2010 are the same.

  1. Click File in the Outlook top menu.

    File menu in Outlook

  2. In the left pane, make sure Info is selected, and click Add Account.

    Add Account button in Info panel of Account Information

  3. Enter your AOL email address, and then click Connect.

    Connect button in Outlook

  4. Enter your AOL email account password, and then click Connect.

    Connect button in IMAP Settings

  5. Click Done.

    Done in Outlook Add Account dialog

  6. Your AOL email account is now in Outlook and will download messages in your account.

Manually Add an AOL Email Account to Outlook 2010 and 2013

You can manually add an AOL account to Outlook 2010 and 2013. This will require additional steps, and that you enter server details. The steps for both 2010 and 2013 are similar, but there are variations, and these will be noted in the steps (images are from Outlook 2013).

Here are the details for AOL's SSL email servers and ports you will be required to enter when manually configuring settings for your account.

  • Incoming mail server (IMAP): imap.aol.com, port 993
  • Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.aol.com, port 465

The outgoing mail server requires authentication.

  1. Click File > Info in both Outlook 2010 and 2013.

  2. Click Add Account.

    Add Account in Outlook

  3. Select the radio button next to Manual setup or additional server type.

    The text is slightly different in Outlook 2010. It reads Manually configure server settings or additional server types.

    Manual setup or additional server types

  4. Select the radio button next to Pop or IMAP, and then click Next.

    POP or IMAP settings in Add Account

  5. In the Pop and IMAP Account Settings window, next to Account Type select IMAP from the dropdown menu.

    IMAP drop down menu

  6. Complete all remaining fields in the account settings window. Enter your name, and for Email Address, enter your AOL email address.

    1. Enter your name.
    2. Enter your AOL email address.
    3. Next to Incoming mail server, enter imap.aol.com.
    4. Next to Outgoing mail server (SMTP), enter smtp.aol.com.
    5. For the User Name field, enter your AOL account name without @aol.com (it may already be populated for you).
    6. Enter your AOL account password.

  7. Click More Settings.

    More Settings in Add Account dialog

  8. Click the Outgoing Server tab (Outlook 2010 will have additional tabs not pictured here). Check the box next to My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication.

    Keep the radio button selected next to Use same settings as my incoming mail server.

    Use same settings as my incoming mail server

  9. Click the Advanced tab.

  10. For IMAP and SMTP settings, click the dropdown menus and select SLL for both.

    • In the Incoming server (IMAP) field, enter 993.
    • In the Outgoing server (SMTP) field, enter 465.
    Incoming and outgoing server ports

  11. Click OK.

  12. Back in the Add Account window, click Next. This will initiate a test of the account settings you entered. If everything was entered correctly, both will be completed successfully.

    Click Close.

    Close button in Outlook 2013/2010

  13. Your AOL email account will be added to Outlook. Click Finish.