When you add your FimuroHost mailbox to an email app, you're usually asked to choose between POP3 and IMAP. Both let your app collect incoming mail from our server, but they handle your messages in very different ways.
What is POP3?
POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3) downloads messages from the server to the device and, typically, deletes them from the server afterwards. That has some important side effects:
- Mail ends up on one device. Whichever device checks first usually gets the message, so your phone and laptop may each have different emails.
- Nothing stays in sync. Deleting or reading a message on your phone doesn't change it on your computer, so old messages can show up again as unread.
- Higher risk of loss. Your mail lives on the device. If that device is lost, stolen or its storage fails, the emails can be gone for good.
What is IMAP?
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) keeps your emails on the server, and your apps show a synced view of them:
- Works on every device. Phone, tablet, computer and webmail all show the same messages and folders.
- Changes sync everywhere. Read, move, flag or delete a message once and it updates on every device.
- Lighter on phones. Apps can download just the message headers first and fetch the full message when you open it.
- Safer. Losing a device doesn't mean losing your email.
Side by side
| POP3 | IMAP | |
|---|---|---|
| Where mail is stored | On your device | On the server |
| Multiple devices | Poor | Excellent |
| Folders and read status synced | No | Yes |
| Uses mailbox quota | Less (mail is removed) | Yes (mail stays on server) |
| Server name | pop.stackmail.com | imap.stackmail.com |
| Secure port | 995 (SSL/TLS) | 993 (SSL/TLS) |
Our recommendation: use IMAP
For almost everyone, IMAP is the better choice and POP3 offers very little benefit today. POP3 only really makes sense if you use a single computer, want all mail stored locally and are keeping your own backups.
Outgoing mail works the same whichever you choose: it's sent through smtp.stackmail.com on port 465 (SSL/TLS) or 587 (STARTTLS). You can see all your mailboxes in StackCP under Email Accounts.
Switching from POP3 to IMAP
Most apps can't change an existing account from POP3 to IMAP. Instead, add the mailbox again as a new IMAP account, check everything appears, then remove the old POP3 account. If your POP3 app deleted mail from the server, those emails exist only on that device — copy them into the IMAP account's folders before removing it.
Need help?
If something doesn't work as described, our team is happy to take a look. Open a support ticket or message us on WhatsApp at 01818160926.
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Written by
FimuroHost Team
Technical Writer