IMAP vs POP3: what's the difference and which one should you use?
Updated
Quick answer
IMAP keeps your email on the server and syncs every device: what you read, delete or move on your phone shows the same on your computer. POP3 downloads messages to a single device. If you use more than one device, IMAP is the right choice. LAWD Mail uses IMAP to receive and SMTP to send.
When you set up email on a phone or in Outlook, the app often asks: IMAP or POP3? Both receive email, but they work in opposite ways. Knowing the difference keeps messages from vanishing on one device or showing up twice. This article explains both and shows how LAWD Mail does it.
What is IMAP?
IMAP keeps your email on the server and shows a synced copy on each device. Reading, deleting, moving to a folder or starring on your phone also changes it on your computer and in the browser. Folders (Inbox, Sent, Trash, Spam) are the same everywhere.
It's the default for almost every email service today, because most people use more than one device. If your phone is lost or replaced, nothing is lost: add the account again and everything comes back from the server.
What is POP3?
POP3 downloads email from the server to one device, and many apps delete the server copy after downloading. What you read or delete on one device doesn't show on the others, and folders don't sync. It dates from a time when each person had a single computer.
IMAP vs POP3 at a glance
| IMAP | POP3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Where email lives | On the server | On the device that downloaded it |
| Multiple devices | Everything matches | Each has its own copy |
| Folders | Sync | Usually just the Inbox |
| Server space | Counts toward your mailbox limit | Freed when downloaded and deleted |
| Best for | Phone and computer together | A single device |
For almost everyone, the answer is IMAP.
What about SMTP?
IMAP and POP3 only receive. To send, every app uses SMTP, which carries your email to the recipient's server. That's why setup always asks for two servers: incoming (IMAP or POP3) and outgoing (SMTP).
How LAWD Mail uses IMAP and SMTP
LAWD Mail gives you IMAP and SMTP settings in the "Usar no celular" (Use on your phone) window, along with an app password:
- Incoming (IMAP): mail.lawd.me, port 993, SSL/TLS
- Outgoing (SMTP): mail.lawd.me, port 465, SSL/TLS
- Username: your full @lawd.me address
With IMAP, whatever you do in your phone's mail app shows the same at mail.lawd.me. The walkthrough for each device is in how to set up LAWD Mail on iPhone, Android and Outlook.
Keep in mind that with IMAP your email stays on the server and counts toward the 1 GB mailbox. To keep big attachments without filling your mailbox, use LAWD Box. For everything else the service does, see the LAWD Mail guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is SMTP?
It's the sending protocol. IMAP and POP3 receive mail; SMTP carries the email you write to the recipient's server. Every mail app needs one of the first two to receive and SMTP to send.
What are the IMAP and SMTP ports for LAWD Mail?
IMAP at mail.lawd.me, port 993, with SSL/TLS. SMTP at mail.lawd.me, port 465, with SSL/TLS.
With IMAP, does deleting on my phone delete on my computer?
Yes. With IMAP the server keeps the state of each email. Deleting, moving or reading on one device changes it everywhere.
When does POP3 still make sense?
When you use a single device and want messages stored on it, such as a computer that isn't always online. If you use a phone and a computer, IMAP avoids duplicate or missing email.
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