How to Access AOL Email with Microsoft Outlook

Keep all your email accounts in one place

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by Heinz Tschabitscher
An independent writer who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
Updated March 13, 2019

If you use AOL for email and Outlook to keep your schedule, maintain your to-do lists, and jot down notes, you may find it helpful to have Outlook 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 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010; and Outlook for Office 365.

Add an AOL Email Account in Outlook 2019 and 2016

Outlook automatically adds your AOL email account as long as you have the right credentials. You'll need your AOL email address and password before you begin.

  1. Go to the File tab.

    Screenshot of Outlook 2016 displaying the File menu item.

  2. Select Info and select Add Account.

    Outlook 2016 File menu with Add Account button

  3. Enter your AOL email address and select Connect.

    Enter an AOL email address in Outlook 2016

  4. Enter your AOL email account password and select Connect.

    Enter your AOL email account password in Outlook 2016

  5. Select Done.

    AOL account added to Outlook 2016

  6. Your AOL email account is set up in Outlook and Outlook displays messages from your account.

Manually Add an AOL Email Account to Outlook 2013 and 2010

When you manually add an AOL account to Outlook 2013 and 2010, you'll need to enter the server details.

Use these settings for AOL's SSL email servers and ports when manually setting up 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. Go to File > Info.

  2. Select Add Account.

    Outlook 2013 add account button

  3. In Outlook 2013, select Manual setup or additional server type. In Outlook 2010, select Manually configure server settings or additional server types.

    Outlook 2013 manual setup option when adding an account

  4. Select Pop or IMAP and then select Next.

    Outlook 2013 select Pop or IMAP option

  5. In the Pop and IMAP Account Settings dialog box, select the Account Type dropdown arrow and choose IMAP.

    Outlook 2013 select account type: IMAP.

  6. Complete the remaining fields in the POP and IMAP account Settings window.

    1. In the Your Name text box, enter your name.
    2. In the Email Address text box, enter your AOL email address.
    3. In the Incoming mail server text box, enter imap.aol.com.
    4. In the Outgoing mail server (SMTP) text box, enter smtp.aol.com.
    5. In the User Name text box, enter your AOL account name without @aol.com (it may already be populated for you).
    6. In the Password text box, enter your AOL account password.
    Outlook 2013 IMAP server settings

  7. Select More Settings.

  8. In the Internet E-mail Settings dialog box, go to the Outgoing Server tab and select the My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication check box.

    Outlook 2013 SMTP authentication settings.

  9. Select Use same settings as my incoming mail server.

  10. Go to the Advanced tab.

  11. In the Incoming server (IMAP) text box, enter 993. Then select the Use the following type of encrypted connection dropdown arrow and choose SSL.

    Outlook 2013 IMAP and SMTP manual settings and port numbers

  12. In the Outgoing server (SMTP) text box, enter 465. Then select the Use the following type of encrypted connection dropdown arrow and choose SSL.

  13. Select OK.

  14. In the Add Account dialog box, select Next to test the account settings you entered.

  15. If the settings are correct, the Test Account Settings dialog box confirms that Outlook can access the IMAP server and send a test message.

    Outlook 2013 account settings test dialog window

  16. Select Close.

  17. Your AOL email account is added to Outlook.

  18. Select Finish.