How to Access an AOL Email Account with Outlook

If you use Outlook to keep your schedule and to maintain your to-do list, to jot down notes and to manage your email accounts, wouldn't it be nice if you could also use it to access your AOL email accounts?

Fortunately, AOL provides IMAP access so you can add it to your list of Outlook email accounts easily. Some settings are not exactly standard, though, so pay attention when you create the account.

Access an AOL Email Account with Outlook

To set up an AOL email account in Outlook:

• Select Tools | Account Settings... from the menu in Outlook.
• Go to the E-mail tab.
• Click New....
• Make sure Microsoft Exchange, POP3, IMAP, or HTTP is selected.
• Click Next >.
• Type your name (what you want to appear in the From: line of messages you send) Your Name:.
• Enter your full AOL address under E-mail Address:.
  • Make sure you include "@aol.com". If your screen name is "homers", make sure you type "homers@aol.com" (not including the quotation marks), for example.
• Make sure Manually configure server settings or additional server types is checked.
• Click Next >.
• Make sure Internet E-mail is selected.
• Click Next >.
• Select IMAP under Account Type:.
• Type "imap.aol.com" under Incoming mail server:.
• Enter "smtp.aol.com" under Outgoing mail server (SMTP):.
• Type your AOL screen name under User Name:.
  • If your AOL email address is "homers@aol.com", for example, type "homers".

• Type your AOL password under Password:.
• Click More Settings
• Go to the Outgoing Server tab.
• Make sure My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication is checked.
• Now go to the Advanced tab.
• Type "587" under Server Port Numbers for Outgoing server (SMTP):.
• Click OK.
• Now click Next >.
• Click Finish.
• Click Close.

Access an AOL Email Account with Outlook 2002 and 2003

To access an AOL email account with Outlook 2002 or Outlook 2003:

• Step by Step Screenshot Walkthrough
• Select Tools | E-mail Accounts... from the menu.
• Make sure Add a new e-mail account is selected.
• Click Next >.
• Choose IMAP.
• Click Next >.
• Type your name under Your Name:.
• Enter your AOL email address (your AOL screen name plus "@aol.com", "tinatemplate@aol.com", for example) in the E-mail Address: field.
• Make sure your AOL screen name is listed in the User Name: field.
• Enter your AOL password under Password:.
• Type "imap.aol.com" under Incoming mail server (IMAP):.
• Type "smtp.aol.com" in the Outgoing mail server (SMTP): field.
• Click More Settings
• Go to the Outgoing Server tab.
• Make sure My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication is checked.
  • Leave the default of Use the same settings as my incoming mail server intact.
• Now go to the Advanced tab.
• Enter "587" under Server Port Numbers for Outgoing server (SMTP):.
• Click OK.
• Now click Next > and then Finish.