Set up your email

← Back Windows 10 / 11 · Newer Outlook · IMAP

Set up a new account

If your version is 2016 or 2019: it no longer receives security updates from Microsoft. Setup still works, but we recommend moving to a current version.

Step by step I would rather use POP3 I don’t know which Outlook I have

  1. 1

    Click “File” at the top left.

    Outlook
    FileHomeSend / ReceiveFolderView
  2. 2

    Click “Add Account”.

    Outlook
    • Info
    • Open & Export
    • Save As
    • Print
    • Office Account
    • Options

    Account Information

    + Add Account
    Account Settings ▾
  3. 3

    Enter your email address. Click “Advanced options”, tick “Let me set up my account manually” and click “Connect”.

    Outlook
    Outlook
    Email addressinfo@example.com

    Advanced options ▴

    Let me set up my account manually

    Connect
  4. 4

    Choose “IMAP”.

    Outlook
    Outlook

    Advanced setup

    Microsoft 365Outlook.comExchangeGoogle POPIMAPExchange 2013 or earlier
    Go back
  5. 5

    Enter your password and click “Connect”. If Outlook shows the server settings first instead, go on with step 8.

    Outlook

    IMAP Account Settings

    info@example.com(Not you?)

    Go backConnect
  6. 6

    Outlook now usually shows the “Internet Security Warning”. Click “No”. If the warning does not appear and Outlook says the account was added, go to step 12.

    Outlook
    Outlook

    Adding info@example.com

    Internet Security Warning

    The server you are connected to is using a security certificate that cannot be verified.

    The target principal name is incorrect.

    View Certificate...

    Do you want to continue using this server?

    YesNo

  7. 7

    Outlook says “Something went wrong”. The cause is a dot at the end of the server names that Outlook filled in itself. Click “Change Account Settings”.

    Outlook
    Outlook

    Something went wrong

    We couldn’t connect to the outgoing (SMTP) server using the specified encryption method. Please check the outgoing (SMTP) server encryption method and try again.

    Not info@example.com?

    Change Account Settings

    Troubleshoot

    Retry
  8. 8

    Incoming mail: server imap.mailprotect.be, port 993, encryption method SSL/TLS. Leave the SPA box empty. If the server name ends with a dot, delete it.

    Outlook

    IMAP Account Settings

    info@example.com

    Incoming mail

    Serverimap.mailprotect.bePort993

    Encryption methodSSL/TLS

    Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)

    Outgoing mail

    Serversmtp-auth.mailprotect.bePort587

    Encryption methodSTARTTLS

    Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)

    Go backNext
  9. 9

    Outgoing mail: server smtp-auth.mailprotect.be, port 587, encryption method STARTTLS. Leave the SPA box empty here too. If the server name ends with a dot, delete it.

    Outlook

    IMAP Account Settings

    info@example.com

    Incoming mail

    Serverimap.mailprotect.bePort993

    Encryption methodSSL/TLS

    Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)

    Outgoing mail

    Serversmtp-auth.mailprotect.bePort587

    Encryption methodSTARTTLS

    Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)

    Go backNext
  10. 10

    Click “Next”.

    Outlook

    IMAP Account Settings

    info@example.com

    Incoming mail

    Serverimap.mailprotect.bePort993

    Encryption methodSSL/TLS

    Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)

    Outgoing mail

    Serversmtp-auth.mailprotect.bePort587

    Encryption methodSTARTTLS

    Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)

    Go backNext
  11. 11

    Outlook asks for the password again. Type it if the field is empty, and click “Connect”.

    Outlook

    IMAP Account Settings

    info@example.com(Not you?)

    Go backConnect
  12. 12

    If you see the box “Set up Outlook Mobile on my phone, too”, untick it. Click “Done”.

    Outlook
    Outlook

    Account successfully added

    info@example.com

    Set up Outlook Mobile on my phone, too

    Done
  13. ✓

    Done

    Your settings at a glance

    Incoming server (IMAP)imap.mailprotect.be
    Port 993, SSL/TLS
    Outgoing server (SMTP)smtp-auth.mailprotect.be
    Port 587, STARTTLS
    UsernameYour full email address
    PasswordYour mailbox password

    If it does not work

    • The username must be the full email address, for incoming and for outgoing mail.
    • Password rejected? Check upper and lower case. It is your mailbox password – when switching servers, the same one as before.
    • Sending does not work? Try port 465 with SSL/TLS for the outgoing server.
    • A certificate warning almost always means a typing error in the server name.
    • Does Outlook show an “Internet Security Warning”, or does it say “Something went wrong”? Then a server name usually ends with a dot. Answer the warning with “No”, then click “Change Account Settings” and delete the dot after both server names, under “Incoming mail” and under “Outgoing mail”. The same page appears after a wrong password; in that case check the password too. Later you find both server names under “Server Settings”.

Modelled on Outlook 2019 / Microsoft 365. Your program may differ slightly.