IMAP and POP3: these are the differences
Related Videos: POP3 vs IMAP - What's the difference? (May 2024).
In this practical tip, we explain the differences between IMAP and POP3. If you set up a new email account, you have to choose either IMAP or POP. We explain what is suitable for you.
POP3 account and IMAP - differences
- With POP3 (Post Office Protocol Version 3), only the emails from the inbox folder are downloaded from the server.
- Here the user can choose whether they should be deleted from the server or kept.
- If you log in to another location now, all your emails may be downloaded again as they are not deleted from the server. After a while, this can go into the thousands and take up a lot of storage space and time.
- In addition, it is then not possible to see which emails have already been read, answered or deleted. The emails sent are not visible.
- Conclusion: The POP3 process is only used to simply download the inbox. There is no synchronization between the end device and the email account.
IMAP account or POP3
- The entire content of your email account is always synchronized with the mail program on your computer or smartphone via IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol).
- For example, if you send a message from your computer using Outlook, it ends up in the "Sent" folder in Outlook, as well as on the server and on other devices, such as your smartphone.
- Conclusion: With IMAP all movements of your email account are the same on all devices. All folders are synchronized so that you can use the same inbox from all devices.
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