Outlook.com, formerly known as Hotmail, is a web-based email service provided by Microsoft. It allows users to access their email accounts from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. However, some users prefer to use third-party email programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, to manage their emails. For those users, it’s crucial to know the Outlook.com POP server settings.

POP, or Post Office Protocol, is a method of retrieving emails from a server. When email messages are downloaded and saved to a user’s computer or mobile device, they are removed from the email server. This is different from another email protocol, IMAP, which keeps the email messages on the server and synchronizes them across all devices.

To use Outlook.com with a third-party email program, such as Microsoft Outlook, users need to configure the POP server settings. Here are the steps to do so:

Step 1: Enable POP access in Outlook.com

To enable POP access, users need to log in to their Outlook.com account, click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner, and select “Options” from the dropdown menu. Select “POP and IMAP” from the left-hand menu, and then choose “Yes” under “Let devices and apps use POP”.

Step 2: Configure the incoming server settings

The incoming server, or POP server, is the server your email program will use to retrieve incoming emails. The POP server settings for Outlook.com are as follows:

– Incoming mail server: pop-mail.outlook.com
– Port: 995
– Encryption: SSL

Step 3: Configure the outgoing server settings

The outgoing server, or SMTP server, is the server your email program will use to send outgoing emails. The SMTP server settings for Outlook.com are as follows:

– Outgoing mail server: smtp-mail.outlook.com
– Port: 587
– Encryption: TLS

Step 4: Login credentials

Users will also need to enter their login credentials, including their email address and password, to enable the email program to access their Outlook.com account.

Once users have entered these settings, they can test the connection to ensure that their email program can send and receive emails. With these settings, users can manage their Outlook.com emails from third-party email programs such as Microsoft Outlook, which has additional features such as email categorizing, flagging, and filtering.

In conclusion, understanding the Outlook.com POP server settings is crucial for users who want to manage their Outlook.com emails from third-party email programs. By following the above steps, users can easily configure their Outlook.com account to work with any email program that supports POP protocol.