Check AOL Email with any IMAP Software including Outlook

If you like using AOL as your email host, but hate dealing with their pesky software and clumsy website, you now have a new option. I have recently discovered that AOL accepts IMAP connections, so now you can use your favorite email client to receive your email. IMAP is a protocol used to retrieve email from a server, unlike POP, email is kept on the server. Most email software supports IMAP connections, like Outlook, Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird.

How do I set this up in thunderbird?

You can follow these steps to setup AOL email in Mozilla Thunderbird:

  1. Select Tools -> Account Settings
  2. Then, select Add Account
  3. Choose Email Account, and press Next
  4. Enter the name you would like to show in the emails you send under Your Name and enter your full AOL email address and hit Next.
  5. Next you will need to choose IMAP and enter imap.aol.com in the server address field and hit Next.
  6. Lastly adjust your User Name to your AOL screen name if necessary. (Note: You will need to log on with using your AOL screen name removing any spaces. For example if you screen name is “Mary Beth” you will use “MaryBeth” instead.)

How do I set this up in Microsoft Outlook?

You can follow these steps to setup AOL email in Microsoft Outlook:

Create a new e-mail account in Outlook 2000

  1. Sign in to AOL.
  2. Open Outlook.
    If you receive a message to register Outlook as the default manager for e-mail messages, click Yes.
  3. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
  4. In the Internet Accounts dialog box, click Add, and then click Mail.
  5. In the Internet Connection Wizard, in the Display name box, type your name as you want it to appear to other people, and then click Next.
  6. In the E-mail address box, type your full AOL e-mail address that includes your screen name followed by @aol.com, and then click Next.
  7. In the E-mail Server Names dialog box, click IMAP on the list.
  8. In the Incoming mail server box, type imap.aol.com.
  9. In the Outgoing mail server box, type smtp.aol.com.
  10. Click Next.
  11. In the Internet Mail Logon dialog box, in the Account name field, type your AOL screen name.
  12. In the Password box, type your AOL password.
  13. Click Next.
  14. Click Connect using my local area network (LAN), and then click Next.
  15. Click Finish.

Configure your AOL e-mail account in Outlook 2000

  1. In the Internet Accounts dialog box, click the Mail tab.
    Note If the Internet Accounts dialog box is not open, on the Tools menu, click Accounts.
  2. Select your AOL IMAP e-mail account.
  3. Click Properties.
  4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Servers tab.
  5. In the Incoming Mail server section, make sure your AOL screen name and password are entered.
  6. In the Outgoing Mail server section, select the My server requires authentication check box.
  7. Click Apply.
  8. Click the Advanced tab.
  9. In the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) box, change the port number to 587.
  10. Click Apply.
  11. Click OK.
  12. Click Close.

Note: If you use Outlook to read and send messages from more than one e-mail account, click imap.aol.com – Inbox on the Outlook Bar (Outlook Bar: The column on the left side of the Outlook window that includes groups such as Other or Other Shortcuts and the shortcuts within each group. Click a group to show the shortcuts in the group. Click a shortcut to quickly access folders.) to access your AOL mailbox.

Server Settings:

  • Incoming server: imap.aol.com (port 143)
  • Outgoing server: smtp.aol.com (port 587) also works on port 25
  • SSL is supported and is optional.

Notes

  • The Unsend and Status buttons are AOL features, and are not available when you use Outlook to view your AOL e-mail account.
  • The Report Spam button is an AOL feature, and it is not available when you use Outlook to view your AOL e-mail account. To report messages as junk e-mail, move the messages to your AOL Spam folder.
  • AOL IMAP e-mail servers only allow folders to be created in the AOL Saved folder. Any e-mail messages moved to the Saved folder or any folder you create in the Saved folder appear on AOL in the Saved on AOL folder.
  • You cannot move e-mail messages to the Inbox or Sent Items folders. Only the AOL IMAP e-mail server can add e-mail messages to these folders.
  • In Outlook, deleted e-mail messages remain in the folder where you delete the e-mail message and are marked with a strikethrough line. On AOL, e-mail messages you delete are saved in the Recently Deleted folder, which AOL empties nightly. To remove deleted e-mail messages from Outlook and AOL immediately, on the Edit menu, click Purge Deleted Messages.
  • You can't access the VOICEMAIL folder unless you subscribe to the AOL Voicemail premium service.

Note: You can use a different ISP’s SMTP server if you desire, you will need to supply log on information to the server to be able to relay mail through it.

Some information is taken from Microsoft's website and is property of Microsoft Corporation

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