POP, IMAP and SMTP
These days more and more people are using "smart phones" as cell phones. Smart phones not only make phone calls but can also surf the web and get email. When setting up a smart phone some will automatically configure the email settings for you but others will require that you manually enter the email settings. That means you may come across some pretty cryptic acronyms known as POP, IMAP and SMTP. These "server" settings are the same settings we have used for years for email programs such as Apple's OSX Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail. They are the settings that allow cell phones and email programs to communicate with the computer servers that are providing your email service. Without these settings your computer or cell phone would not know where on the Internet to get your email messages.
So what do these initials stand for and how do I know what the settings are for my email system?
POP and IMAP are for receiving messages. On each device you would only use one or the other. SMTP is for sending messages. A smart phone may use the carrier's SMTP settings or you may have to enter your own. Depends on the smart phone.
POP generally retrieves all messages, stores them on the user's PC as new messages, deletes them from the server, and then disconnects.
IMAP generally leaves messages on the server until the user explicitly deletes them. This method is preferred (but not essential) if the user uses more than one device (i.e. two computers or one computer and webmail or one computer and a cell phone) to retrieve email messages.
SMTP is for sending messages to a mail server to be sent on to the recipient. In order to minimize "spam" messages this setting is the most difficult to setup. It is often easier to receive emails than it is to send emails.
Email Settings For Different Email Providers
Most of the major email providers such as AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. will setup automatically on a smart phone with just a user name and a password. But sometimes you will need a little help with the settings so I have created a PDF file with all the settings I know about and some useful links and tech support phone numbers if you need help.
In order to squeeze a lot of information on the document the text is pretty small and hard to read. Click on the "plus" sign on the toolbar to zoom in to lookup a setting.
Happy emailing!