Microsoft Adds IMAP Support On Outlook.Com

After a long time, Microsoft has finally brought IMAP support to Outlook.com. IMAP outranks POP, as it provides users instant email sync when using third party clients. However, you can add the Mac Mail account in your Outlook email setup. This new IMAP support is why you get to enjoy the best of both worlds (Microsoft & Apple) in your Outlook email setup. Here are some guidelines for novice users to add Mac Mail.

Setting Mac Mail to use IMAP in Outlook

• If you are employing two-step verification with the Microsoft account, you must access the right URL for this and then create an app password for it. Proceed to the next step in you are not employing the two step verification.
• Start the Add Account wizard after starting the mail app in OS X. To activate this go to File option in the Mail app and then select Add Account in the drop down menu. If this is the first time you are using the Mail app, then this wizard will appear automatically.
• Enter a bogus e-mail address in the address field while leaving the Password field bank, then click on the Continue option.
• Make sure that you type in the account type as IMAP in the incoming mail server settings. Now enter imap-mail.outlook.com as the incoming mail server. Now type in your outlook e-mail address, as well as your password in their respective fields. Remember that you must enter your app password in the Password field in case you are using the two-step verification process. Click on Continue to move to the Outgoing mail server settings window.
• Enter smtp-mail.outlook.com as your outgoing mail server. Check the box to use authentication, then select Continue.
• At the account summary page make sure that you double check every detail that you entered in the mail server settings. The e-mail address of course will appear as a bogus address that you had entered earlier. Make sure that you uncheck the Take account online box before you click on Create.
• Select the account you had just created when the Accounts window appears, which you can find on the left pane. Here replace the fake email address you had given with your actual outlook email address. Once everything is finished save all changes and exit from the Accounts window.
• Once you return to the main Mail menu, click on Mailbox and click on Take All Accounts Online.

In case there are some difficulties contact the Outlook help desk support team for advice on your issues.