Finding the AOL Mail IMAP Settings

Use these settings to access AOL mail from another email client or app

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on June 17, 2020
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

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Access your AOL Mail and respond to it in any compatible email client or app by entering specific information about AOL Mail and your account. Input the AOL Mail IMAP server settings to access AOL Mail messages and folders in Outlook, Mac Mail, Windows 10 Mail, Thunderbird, Incredimail, or in an email app for a compatible provider.

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In some cases, when you set up an AOL Mail account at a different mobile app, you may not be required to enter the IMAP settings. For example, when you add an AOL Mail account to the iPhone Mail app, go to the Passwords & Accounts section in the iPhone's settings and select AOL. The phone is preconfigured to contain the IMAP settings except for your username and password.

AOL Mail IMAP Settings

When you set up your AOL account in a different email provider or app, you'll enter specific information that gives the other provider access to your AOL mail. Enter these IMAP settings to receive AOL Mail:

AOL Mail IMAP server address imap.aol.com
AOL Mail IMAP username Your full AOL Mail email address. For AOL email, this is your AOL screen name plus @aol.com, for example, user@aol.com.
AOL Mail IMAP password Your AOL Mail password
AOL Mail IMAP port 993
AOL Mail IMAP TLS/SSL required Yes

AOL SMTP Settings

To respond to or send new email from your AOL Mail account, enter these SMTP settings in the fields provided during the account setup to send outgoing email through to your AOL Mail account from any email program:

SMTP Outgoing Server Address smtp.aol.com
SMTP port 465
SMTP security TLS/SSL
SMTP username Your full AOL Mail email address, such as user@aol.com (or @love.com, @games.com, or @verizon.net)
SMTP password Your AOL Mail password that you use to log in to AOL Mail

Features Unavailable From Other Mail Applications

When you access AOL Mail from another email application, you can send and receive emails, and you have access to your AOL folders. However, these features aren't available:

  • Message status: You can't retrieve unopened mail from AOL users and you can't check the status of a sent message like you can from the AOL Mail interface.
  • Spam: You can't access the Report Spam button. To report an email as spam, move it to the spam folder or junk folder of the email client.
  • Deleted mail: Some email applications do not show deleted mail. Some show deleted emails in the original folder but mark the message for deletion.

Why IMAP?

AOL recommends using the IMAP settings in an email client instead of POP3, although both protocols are supported.

IMAP syncs the service with your AOL Mail account. Whatever you do with a message on the email service or app shows up in the AOL Mail interface at AOL.

POP protocols do not sync email actions. POP protocols download a copy of the email from AOL. If you delete the email in one place, it isn't deleted in the other.

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