Which Microsoft product is this for?
This guide covers Microsoft 365 subscription plans (Personal, Family, and Business tiers). If you use a free Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN address without a paid subscription, see the dedicated Hotmail & Outlook.com email settings guide instead, servers are similar but the product is different.
Microsoft 365 is Microsoft’s paid subscription email service, available in consumer tiers (Personal $6.99/mo, Family $9.99/mo) and Business tiers (Basic $6/user/mo, Standard, Enterprise). Consumer plans bundle premium Outlook.com email with Word, Excel, PowerPoint desktop apps, 1 TB OneDrive storage, and advanced security features (email masking, sandboxed attachment scanning). Business plans add custom domain support, larger mailboxes (50-100 GB+), and Exchange Online administrative controls. Third-party mail clients access consumer M365 email against outlook.office365.com for IMAP/POP3 and smtp-mail.outlook.com for SMTP; Business tiers use smtp.office365.com for SMTP (Exchange Online). Authentication requires either OAuth 2.0 (preferred, modern clients) or a Microsoft-generated app password when two-step verification is enabled (mandatory on all consumer Microsoft accounts since 2022). This guide covers the exact ports, the app-password workflow, and what the Personal plan does and does not include compared to Business tiers.
Setup gotcha
OAuth or app passwordBasic auth deprecated
Microsoft deprecated basic authentication (username + password) for Outlook.com IMAP/POP3/SMTP in 2022, matching the same 2022 change Google made for Gmail. The regular Microsoft account password no longer authenticates third-party mail clients. Modern clients (Outlook, Thunderbird 91+, Apple Mail) handle OAuth 2.0 automatically. Older clients need an app-specific password generated at account.microsoft.com/security > Advanced security options > App passwords. Two-step verification must be enabled on the Microsoft account to generate app passwords. Reference: SMTP authentication.
Quick reference: Microsoft 365 server settings
All three protocols require SSL/TLS. Username is the full email address (you@outlook.com, you@hotmail.com, you@live.com, or your Business custom domain). Password is either the OAuth 2.0 token (handled automatically) or an app-specific password.
| Tier | Protocol | Server | Port | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer (Personal, Family) | SMTP | smtp-mail.outlook.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
| IMAP | outlook.office365.com | 993 | SSL/TLS | |
| POP3 | outlook.office365.com | 995 | SSL/TLS | |
| Business (Basic, Standard, Enterprise) | SMTP | smtp.office365.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
| IMAP | outlook.office365.com | 993 | SSL/TLS | |
| POP3 | outlook.office365.com | 995 | SSL/TLS |
Microsoft 365 Consumer SMTP settings (Personal, Family)
Consumer M365 plans use smtp-mail.outlook.com on port 587 with STARTTLS, the same server as free Outlook.com because consumer M365 sits on the same Outlook.com backend. Note the hostname is smtp-mail.outlook.com, not smtp.outlook.com: the leading component is a common typo that produces a “connection refused” error. Port 465 with implicit SSL is not offered by Outlook.com consumer mail (unlike Gmail); use port 587 with STARTTLS.
Authenticate with the full Outlook.com email address and either OAuth 2.0 or the app-specific password. Consumer M365 send limits are approximately 300 recipients per day, same as free Outlook.com. Microsoft 365 Business tiers use a different SMTP server (smtp.office365.com) and have higher send limits (up to 10,000/day on Exchange Online); see the Business section below.
Microsoft 365 IMAP settings (all tiers)
IMAP uses outlook.office365.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS. Same authentication as SMTP. The Office 365 domain in the hostname is intentional: Microsoft consolidated consumer Outlook.com and business Office 365 onto the same IMAP infrastructure (with different accounts routing to different tenants behind the scenes).
Folder structure includes Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts, Junk Email, Deleted Items, Archive, and any custom folders. Personal plan storage is 100 GB per mailbox (not to be confused with the 1 TB OneDrive quota that comes with Microsoft 365 Personal, which is separate cloud storage).
Microsoft 365 POP3 settings (all tiers)
POP3 uses outlook.office365.com on port 995 with SSL/TLS. Same authentication as SMTP and IMAP. Use POP3 only for one-way migrations (pulling M365 mail into a target account for archival). For everyday multi-device mail, IMAP is the correct choice.
Microsoft 365 Business SMTP settings (Basic, Standard, Enterprise)
Microsoft 365 Business tiers run on Exchange Online, a different backend from consumer Outlook.com, and use smtp.office365.com on port 587 with STARTTLS for SMTP submission. IMAP and POP3 remain on outlook.office365.com (ports 993 and 995, SSL/TLS) since Microsoft consolidated the read paths.
Business setup gotcha
SMTP AUTH may be disabledAdmin action required
Microsoft disables Authenticated SMTP by default on new Exchange Online tenants (security hardening rolled out in 2022). If SMTP submission fails with a 535 5.7.3 authentication error despite correct credentials, your M365 admin must enable it: Microsoft 365 admin center β Users β Active users β [user] β Mail β Manage email apps β Authenticated SMTP β On. For app-level sending (WordPress, CRM, backups), Microsoft recommends creating a dedicated service mailbox and using OAuth 2.0 via app registration in Azure AD rather than username/password auth.
Send limits on Exchange Online are 10,000 recipients per day per mailbox (vs 300 on consumer plans). Business mailboxes support custom domains, so authenticate with the full custom-domain address (user@yourcompany.com), the UPN (User Principal Name), not with @outlook.com.
What Microsoft 365 includes for email
Consumer M365 (Personal, Family) adds premium Outlook features on top of the standard Outlook.com mailbox: enhanced junk mail filter, safe attachment scanning (files opened in a sandbox before delivery), link scanning against known phishing lists, and Outlook.com email masking (temporary aliases similar to Apple’s Hide My Email). The desktop Outlook app (part of the Office bundle) also unlocks rules and quick steps synced across devices, advanced search, offline mode with full local index, and calendar sharing with family Group members.
Business M365 (Basic, Standard, Enterprise) unlocks Exchange Online capabilities: custom domain email (user@yourcompany.com), 50-100 GB mailboxes (vs 100 GB on Personal), shared mailboxes, distribution groups, mail flow rules (transport rules), retention policies, litigation hold, journaling for compliance, hybrid on-premises Exchange integration, and admin-managed OAuth app registrations for programmatic access. Custom domain support was historically available on consumer Outlook.com via a Microsoft-GoDaddy partnership; that program has been sunset, so professional custom-domain email on Microsoft infrastructure now requires a Business tier ($6/user/month and up).
Free Outlook.com vs paid Microsoft 365, quick check
These are two different products from Microsoft. This guide is for the paid subscription. If you never paid Microsoft anything and just signed up for a free @outlook.com or @hotmail.com address, you’re on the free product, different guide.
| Product | Cost | Includes | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Outlook.com / Hotmail | $0 | Webmail only, ads, 15 GB inbox | Hotmail & Outlook.com guide → |
| Microsoft 365 (this guide) | $6.99+/mo | Ad-free, Office apps, 1TB OneDrive, advanced security, 100 GB inbox | You’re here ↓ |
IMAP, POP3 and SMTP Integration into Gmail
Configure Gmail with external IMAP/POP3/SMTP to send/receive emails from your custom domain through Gmail’s interface. Perfect for professionals managing multiple accounts in one place.
- Google Account β Security β App passwords (2-Step Verification must be enabled).
- Generate App Password for “Mail” β copy 16-character password.
- Gmail β Settings β See all settings β Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
- Enable IMAP β Save Changes.
- Incoming (IMAP):
[IMAP SERVER]:993 SSL| Outgoing (SMTP):[SMTP SERVER]:587 STARTTLS. - Use your full email + App Password (not regular password) for authentication.
β Gmail Result: Send/receive custom domain email directly in Gmail interface with full search/folder integration.
WordPress SMTP Plugin Configuration (WP Mail SMTP + MailPoet)
Configure SMTP in WordPress to fix email delivery issues and prevent spam folder placement. WP Mail SMTP and MailPoet ensure reliable transactional emails, contact forms, and newsletters deliver successfully.
- Install and activate WP Mail SMTP or MailPoet plugin from your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to WP Mail SMTP β Settings or MailPoet β Settings β Sending tab.
- Select “Other SMTP” as your mailer method from the dropdown.
- Enter SMTP settings with Port
587and STARTTLS encryption (when available). - Input your full email address and password in the authentication fields.
- Click Save Settings and send a test email to verify the configuration works.
β Result: WordPress contact forms, user registrations, and newsletter emails now deliver reliably via your SMTP server.
This configuration includes these plugins and tools within WordPress:
- HappyForms
- Elementor Forms
- Gravity Form
- WooCommerce Checkout Form
- Contact Form by BestWebSoft
- Fluent Forms
- Contact Form 7
- WPForms
- Ninja Forms
- Default WordPress Reg Form
- Forminator Forms
- Formidable Form
- WordPress Comment Form
- Mail Mint Form
Thunderbird OAuth2 Email Setup (IMAP + SMTP)
Secure IMAP & SMTP using OAuth2 token authentication in Thunderbird. This modern method eliminates password storage for enhanced security.
- Open Thunderbird β Account Settings β Account Actions β Add Mail Account.
- Enter your email address and click Continue to begin setup.
- Select IMAP protocol and choose OAuth2 authentication method.
- Thunderbird opens a browser window β log in to your provider β Grant access permissions.
- Automatic configuration applies: Incoming: use the IMAP server address from the settings table above, port 993, SSL
- Click Done β Thunderbird begins syncing folders and emails immediately.
OAuth2 advantage: Token-based authentication enhances security over traditional password methods while maintaining full functionality.
Outlook IMAP, POP3 & SMTP Setup (Auto + Manual)
Outlook configuration supports both automatic server detection and manual IMAP/POP3/SMTP settings for complete control over your email setup.
π Auto Setup (Recommended):
- Go to File β Add Account β Enter your email address + password.
- Outlook automatically detects IMAP, POP3, and SMTP server settings.
- Click Connect β setup completes in approximately 30 seconds.
βοΈ Manual Setup (Advanced Users):
- Authentication: Use your full email address + password for both servers
BlueMail Two-Factor Authentication + OAuth2 Setup
BlueMail security setup combines OAuth2 authentication with two-factor authentication (2FA) for maximum account protection.
- Open BlueMail β Account Settings β Security β Enable Two-Factor Authentication.
- Link your phone number or authenticator app for 2FA verification codes.
- Add email account β Choose OAuth2 or manual server configuration.
- Enter server details from the table above
- Complete login with 2FA code β enhanced security layer activated.
Apple Mail IMAP Configuration (iCloud + Manual)
Setup IMAP in Apple Mail for seamless synchronization across Mac, iPhone, and iPad devices with full folder support.
- Open Apple Mail β Mail β Add Account β Other Mail Account.
- Enter your name, email address, and password β click Continue.
- Select IMAP account type β Incoming server.
- Next: Outgoing server
- Click Sign In β Mail verifies settings and begins folder synchronization.
iOS Mail App Setup (iPhone/iPad)
iPhone/iPad Mail configuration syncs IMAP folders across all Apple devices with native push notifications.
- Go to Settings β Mail β Accounts β Add Account β Other.
- Enter name, email, password β Next.
- Account Type: IMAP β Incoming:
[IMAP SERVER]Port993SSL. - Enter your outgoing SMTP server and port.
- Next β Save β iOS verifies and syncs immediately.
Push enabled automatically: new emails appear instantly on Lock Screen.
Android Mail App Configuration
Android Gmail/Email app setup works with any IMAP/SMTP provider for native device integration.
- Go to: Settings β Accounts β Add Account β Email (or Gmail app).
- Enter email + password β Next.
- Account Type: IMAP
- Outgoing server details β Require authentication.
- Next β Sign In β Android syncs contacts/calendar if enabled.
Sync interval: 15min default (battery optimized) – change in Account Sync settings.
eM Client Manual IMAP & POP3 Sync Configuration
Configure your email settings on eM Client with either automatic setup or through precise IMAP/POP3 server settings for reliable email synchronization and full folder support.
- Click New Account β Mail
Authentication requires full email address + password for both incoming and outgoing servers.Click Next β Finish β Send/Receive All Folders to begin synchronization.
Mailbird OAuth2 IMAP & SMTP Integration
Secure Mailbird setup using OAuth2 authentication eliminates password storage while providing full IMAP/SMTP functionality.
- Mailbird β Add Account β Enter your email address to begin.
- Choose Manual Setup β OAuth2 authentication method from options.
- Browser opens your provider’s login page β enter credentials β Authorize Mailbird.
- Mailbird receives access token and automatically configures IMAP/SMTP servers.
- Setup completes β full email synchronization begins automatically.
Mailspring OAuth2 IMAP Configuration
Mailspring OAuth2 setup provides secure email access without storing passwords directly in the application.
- Add new email account β Select Custom IMAP configuration option.
- Incoming
IMAP SERVERand outgoingSMTP SERVER. - Mailspring prompts OAuth2 authorization via browser window for secure login.
- Log into your provider account and grant Mailspring access permissions.
- Mailspring automatically manages authentication tokens β seamless email access established.
Postbox Manual IMAP Synchronization
Postbox IMAP setup with manual synchronization control for precise email folder management and immediate updates.
- Add IMAP account β Enter IMAP Server details.
- Outgoing SMTP with full email authentication.
- Postbox connects and displays folder structure automatically.
- Right-click any folder β Get Messages for immediate manual synchronization.
- Manual sync updates local mailbox instantly with server changes (read status, deletions, organization).
SendBlaster SMTP Configuration (Bulk Email)
Bulk email SMTP configuration in SendBlaster requires precise server authentication for reliable campaign delivery.
- Open SendBlaster β Settings β SMTP Configuration section.
- Enter SMTP Server and Port: do not forget to Enable TLS encryption.
- Authentication: Your full email address + password (required).
- Click Test Connection β verify green success indicator appears.
- Save settings β SendBlaster ready for bulk email campaigns and newsletters.
MailJerry IMAP Real-Time Synchronization
MailJerry IMAP setup enables real-time access to email folders stored on your provider’s server across all devices.
- Incoming Server and encryption required.
- Authentication: Full email address + password for secure connection.
- Enable real-time folder synchronization settings in MailJerry preferences.
- Folders update instantly with new messages, read status, and deletions across devices.
Clean.email OAuth2 Synchronization Setup
Clean.email OAuth2 setup provides secure mailbox access without sharing passwords directly with the application.
- Add new account β Select OAuth2 authorization method.
- Your provider opens login portal β enter credentials securely.
- Grant Clean.email permissions for email read/write access.
- OAuth2 token enables real-time message management, filtering, and organization.
- Setup complete β Clean.email maintains secure, ongoing mailbox synchronization.
Common IMAP/POP3/SMTP Troubleshooting
- Authentication failed: Always use your complete email address, never just the username portion.
- Port blocked by ISP: Try alternative SMTP port as fallback.
- SSL certificate errors: Ensure certificate validation is enabled in client settings.
- Slow or no IMAP sync: Check folder subscriptions and enable all folders in client settings.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is the SMTP hostname smtp-mail.outlook.com and not smtp.outlook.com?
Historical: the smtp-mail.outlook.com hostname was set when Microsoft rebranded Hotmail to Outlook.com in 2013. smtp.outlook.com does not resolve to Microsoft’s consumer mail servers. Using the correct hostname (smtp-mail.outlook.com) is the fix for most first-time setup errors.
Do I need OAuth or an app password?
OAuth 2.0 is preferred and required for the smoothest experience. Modern clients (Outlook, Thunderbird 91+, Apple Mail on macOS 10.14+) trigger a Microsoft sign-in browser popup and complete OAuth automatically. Older clients or scripts need an app-specific password from account.microsoft.com/security. Two-step verification must be enabled.
Which Microsoft 365 tiers support custom domain email?
Only Business tiers (Basic $6/user/mo, Standard, Enterprise). Consumer M365 (Personal $6.99/mo, Family $9.99/mo) cannot use custom domains for email, mailboxes stay on @outlook.com/@hotmail.com/@live.com. Microsoft’s earlier custom-domain program for Outlook.com consumer via GoDaddy has been sunset. If you need user@yourcompany.com on Microsoft infrastructure, Business Basic is the entry path.
Consumer M365 vs Business M365: which server do I use?
Different backends, different SMTP servers. Consumer (Personal, Family) sits on the Outlook.com stack and uses smtp-mail.outlook.com:587 STARTTLS. Business (Basic, Standard, Enterprise) sits on Exchange Online and uses smtp.office365.com:587 STARTTLS. Both tiers share the same IMAP/POP3 server (outlook.office365.com) because Microsoft consolidated the read paths.
How do I know if I have a free Outlook.com account or a paid M365 subscription?
Sign in at account.microsoft.com/services. If you see an active Microsoft 365 subscription (Personal, Family, or Business), you’re on paid M365. If the page shows no subscription, you’re on free Outlook.com, use the Hotmail & Outlook.com settings guide instead. Server settings are similar for free Outlook.com and consumer M365 (both use smtp-mail.outlook.com), but Business M365 differs.
What are the send limits?
Consumer Outlook.com (including Microsoft 365 Personal) caps at approximately 300 recipients per day for outbound. This is significantly lower than Business tiers (10,000/day on Exchange Online). Hitting the cap results in a temporary send block until the 24-hour window resets.
What is email masking?
Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Hide My Email: temporary alias addresses that forward to the real Outlook.com inbox and can be revoked individually. Useful for signups where you don’t want to expose the primary address. Available on Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans.
Where is Outlook.com webmail?
At outlook.live.com or outlook.com (redirects to the sign-in page). Sign in with the Microsoft account and 2FA. Microsoft 365 Personal features (advanced junk filter, email masking, safe attachments) are exposed in this webmail once the plan is active.
About this guide
These Microsoft 365 server settings (consumer and Business tiers) were verified against Microsoft’s official support documentation in August 2026. The smtp-mail.outlook.com and outlook.office365.com hostnames have been consistent since the 2013 Hotmail-to-Outlook.com rebrand; smtp.office365.com for Exchange Online Business dates from the Office 365 launch. The mandatory OAuth or app-password requirement was rolled out in 2022 when Microsoft deprecated basic auth for consumer accounts and started disabling SMTP AUTH by default on new Exchange Online tenants. This guide was updated in August 2026 to cover both consumer and Business tiers after a title/scope rework; the previous URL /microsoft-365-personal-email-settings/ now 301-redirects here. SMTPedia re-verifies each provider quarterly.
About the Author
Alaa Β· LinkedIn
Email infrastructure specialist with 8+ years of hands-on experience in SMTP, deliverability, and email verification. Iβve configured and troubleshot mail systems across Postfix, Exchange, and cloud relays, managed IP reputation and warmup campaigns, and built verification pipelines processing millions of addresses. My work spans DNS authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, BIMI), bounce handling, blocklist monitoring, and compliance frameworks including CAN-SPAM and GDPR. I write every article on SMTPedia to give email professionals, developers, and marketers the accurate, RFC-grounded reference they need.
About SMTPedia
SMTPedia is an independent email industry reference covering SMTP, IMAP, POP3, email deliverability, marketing platforms, DNS authentication, and email verification. Every article is researched from official provider documentation, IETF RFCs, and industry best practices. Settings and configurations are verified quarterly.
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