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Valid for IONOS Mail Basic and IONOS Mail Business.
IMAP and POP3 are methods for receiving emails from a mail server. IONOS email accounts are compatible with both IMAP and POP3. We recommend IMAP. In this article, you’ll find out why.
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
- You can access the mailbox simultaneously using different email programs or via Webmail if you use the mailbox on different computers, such as at home, in the office or while travelling.
- Folders can be created on the server to help you manage your messages more effectively. These folders are then available on all your different devices.
- You can also archive sent messages in the IMAP mailbox. You have access to your complete email correspondence at all times.
- The server stores the status of an email (e.g. read/unread, replied to, etc.). This means you can see at any time which emails have not yet been dealt with.
- Initially, only the header (sender, date, subject) of an email is loaded. You can decide whether you wish to download the email. IMAP downloads only a copy of the email, meaning the original email remains on the mail server.
- Messages are deleted directly from the server without being downloaded first.
- You will not lose your emails if your mobile device or PC is damaged or stolen.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3)
- All your emails will be downloaded to your device. Once the emails have been downloaded, they will be automatically deleted from the mail server.
- You can also access your emails offline on your device.
- Data such as emails and folders are not synchronised between different devices. This means that if you set up your email account on your mobile device using POP3, the emails will be downloaded in full to your mobile device. POP3 removes the emails from the mail server. You will no longer be able to read your emails in your Webmail, as they have already been downloaded to your mobile device.
Note
It is possible, but we do not recommend using IMAP and POP3 in parallel on different devices. Select the option Leave a copy of all messages on the server for your POP3 mailboxes. This will allow you to access and manage the emails via IMAP on other devices. In this case, the respective email program automatically keeps track of when each email was retrieved. If the stored information is incorrect, this will result in one or more emails being re-downloaded each time you check your emails. For this reason, we recommend that you use IMAP wherever possible.
Further information
For further information, please see the following article: