Access AOL Email Using IMAP Or POP Email Program

AOL like many other popular web emails allows its users to access their emails using more powerful programs running on their personal computers. These are email clients that have the capability of supporting both IMAP and POP. Whichever you choose, you can access all the folders used to organize AOL email in a way that is not complicated. Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Incredible Mail, Mac OS X Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird, and the Bat! Among others are some of the popular email clients used to access AOL email accounts with IMAP or POP.

In order to access your AOL email login using an IMAP or POP email program, you have to follow steps that sometimes differ from one email program to another. The following steps apply to setup the AOL email with MS Outlook:

1. In order to access the IMAP and POP configuration instructions, you will have to click “Options” at the top left corner of the AOL.com email screen then “Settings” as shown below.

2. Once the settings screen shows up, click on “IMAP and POP” option at the side pane to the left.

3. Next the screen with the IMAP and POP configuration instructions will appear. You will see information required to configure either the IMAP or POP depending on your choice so note the details carefully as you will have to enter them into your MS Outlook email program.

4. Launch the Microsoft Outlook program on your computer and click on “Tools” menu then on “E-mail Accounts”.

5. On the dialogue box that pops up, choose to “Add a new e-mail account” then click “Next” and choose IMAP or POP depending on your choice.

6. Enter the configuration information for either IMAP or POP as was shown in step 3 above, then click the “Finish” button after confirming the entries are correct.

After all the above steps, all the folders of AOL.com email will appear at the Microsoft Outlook application allowing you to manage your email communications and contact information even much better. Microsoft Outlook is one of the email clients that will automatically detect most of the configuration settings after you provide the basic details like your username and password. Many people prefer IMAP over POP because the former allows viewing of the emails at the AOL server, while POP actually downloads the mails to your computer and deletes them from the server. IMAP allows you to view your AOL email account from different locations using different computers and portable devices that are properly configured.