Hotmail and Outlook POP3 and SMTP Configuration

Mar 14, 2009

Updated • May 30, 2017

Microsoft has finally enabled POP3 email access for all users of their Hotmail email service. This essentially means that it is now possible to configure desktop email clients and mobile phone apps to access Hotmail to retrieve and send email, something that was not possible before.

Note: Please note that Microsoft migrated Hotmail to Outlook.com. We have published an update to the original article that you find attached after the original part.

We already mentioned how to configure Hotmail POP3 but in a slightly different context as the article back then concentrated on providing information on how to enable POP3 access for all countries.

Here are the information that have to be entered into the desktop email client so that Hotmail can be accessed:

Incoming Server: pop3.live.com
Incoming Port: 995
SSL Encryption: yes
Outgoing Server: smtp.live.com
Outgoing port: 25 (use port 587 if the default port is not working)
Authentication: yes
TLS Or SSL: yes

Please note that the names may differ depending on the desktop email client in use. The values on the other hand do not change.

The username (usually the Windows Live Hotmail email address) and password are the same that are used when logging into the Hotmail website using a web browser.

There is no need for configuration of POP3 on the Hotmail website. This is a difference to how Gmail is handling external access as it has to be explicitly activated in the email web interface before it is possible to access a Gmail account using POP3 or SMTP.

Update:

Things have changed when Microsoft launched Outlook.com. You need to enable Pop on Outlook.com before you can make use of it in an email client or mobile phone app.

Open Outlook.com and sign in to your account on the site.
Click on the settings icon at the top right and select options.
Select connect devices and apps with pop on the options page.
Switch pop from disable to enable and click save afterwards.
Enabling pop displays another option on the screen. Here you can select whether deleting emails on your device deletes them on Outlook's server or not. The default option is that it won't do so.

Some of the mail server information have changed as well. You need to use the following to connect to Outlook.com:

Incoming server: pop-mail.outlook.com
Port: 995
Encrypted Connection: SSL
Outgoing server: smtp-mail.outlook.com
Port: 25 (or 587 if 25 is blocked)
Authentication: yes
Encrypted connection: TLS

You can use IMAP alternatively. It does not need to be enabled specifically before it can be used.

Incoming server: imap-mail.outlook.com
Port: 993
Encrypted connection: SSL
Outgoing server: smtp-mail.outlook.com
Port: 25 (587 if 25 is blocked)
Authentication: yes
Encrypted Connection: TLS

Office 365 POP and IMAP

Office 365 uses different servers. The following information needs to be entered if you want to access Office 365 for business email using POP3 or IMAP:

Incoming IMAP server: outlook.office365.com
Port: 993
Requires SSL: yes (always encrypted)
alternative Port 143
alternative Requires SSL: Yes (STARTTLS)
Incoming POP3 server: outlook.office365.com
Port: 995
Requires SSL: Yes (always encrypted)
Outgoing SMTP server: smtp.office365.com
Port: 587
Encryption: yes (STARTTLS)

Additional information is available on Microsoft's support website.

Summary

Article Name

Hotmail and Outlook POP3 Configuration

Description

The article provides you with instructions on enabling Pop3 or IMAP access to Hotmail or Outlook.com in third-party email clients or applications.

Author

Martin Brinkmann

Publisher

Ghacks Technology News

Logo

Comments

Anonymous said on March 25, 2013 at 1:01 pm


How do I find the password? I did a software update on my iPhone, now it’s asking for password in order for me to send an email
bsdxlr8r said on October 12, 2012 at 3:45 am


Sylpheed is my personal preference for the thinest lightest weight GUI based email client. It’s free. It’s fast. But; configuring for hotmail was a bit involved. Aside from the highly useful info here (THANKS!), one needs this additional info which is NOT google-able yet.

Protocol POP3
do not use APOP,
SMTP Auth; Automatic,
Authenticate with POP3 before sending,
POP3 use SSL,
SMTP use STARTTLS command to start SSL session,
uncheck “use non-blocking SSL”,
SMTP port 587,
POP3 port 995,
Verify that your network, ISP, firewall (hardware as well as software based) allow access to these ports on hotmail’s servers;
open command prompt and “telnet pop3.live.com 995” – if you get ANYTHING returned, you can see server on that port.
now, “telnet smtp.live.com 587” – same here, but you should see a more verbose message from the server this time.
If your system doesn’t have telnet client, windows; – installation disc – install additional components. – linux users should know how to remedy this quickly enough.
Sahib said on September 7, 2012 at 9:03 am


Thanx………..it works
Daniel Eady said on March 10, 2012 at 5:01 pm


Hi iâ€™m trying to set up outlook iâ€™m stuck on incoming mail server pop3 and outgoing.I looked on Google with no joy.Can someone tell me what they r Thankyou very much Daniel Eady
Daniel Eady said on March 10, 2012 at 4:30 pm


Hi i’m trying to set up outlook i’m stuck on incoming mail server pop3 and outgoi ng.I looked on Google with no joy.Can someone tell me what they r my email danieleady2athotmail.com i no that naughty but this iss driving me insane thankyou very much Daniel Eady
Ade said on December 17, 2011 at 2:12 pm


i can send from outlook but nothing comming back, i get this
Unable to logon to the server using Secure Password Authentication. Account: ‘pop3.live.com’, Server: ‘POP3.live.com’, Protocol: POP3, Server Response: ‘-ERR command not implemented’, Port: 995, Secure(SSL): Yes, Server Error: 0x800CCC90, Error Number: 0x800CCC18

what am i doing wrong ?? thanks
FR said on November 25, 2011 at 1:05 pm


Thanks. For outgoing, I used TLS, port 587 and it works great.
Anonymous said on October 30, 2011 at 5:14 am


I do not have a web site address on my name
gofur said on June 26, 2011 at 7:03 am


tanks for share this article….
adam said on April 16, 2011 at 8:18 pm


but if you have avast you will have to disable ssl/tls as it ‘provides the security itself’.
leutrim said on April 8, 2011 at 7:48 pm


I can’t read messages in my addres . Help plzz…
1. adam said on April 16, 2011 at 8:19 pm
  
  
  do you have avast? if so, read my comment below
Anonymous said on April 5, 2011 at 10:57 am


Thanks you help me to solve the send problem to my hotmail configuration
aejfd said on February 1, 2011 at 7:16 am


niceee.. it works well with outlook 2011. thanks!
antonio.suarez said on January 16, 2011 at 10:51 am


the port 25 did not work..
… after googling X 2 hours …i found your note..

“Outgoing port: 25 (use port 587 if the default port is not working)”

thanks
Crystal said on December 29, 2010 at 12:28 am


Thank you very much!!! I have been trying to access my hotmail from my phone ever since I got it a week ago. Nothing seemed to work including going through the internet connection and the user manual did not help at all.
@Kei_Jo said on November 17, 2010 at 10:42 pm


I keep getting “Login Failed” using my LG Pop (GD510), any ideas? My password is correct, so I know that’s not the problem.
Zachariah said on November 3, 2010 at 5:46 am


Hi,

Can you use the above settings for hotmail in Thunderbird 3.1 or 2.something ??

Thanks,

Zachariah
1. Danny said on November 3, 2010 at 1:30 pm
  
  
  Yes, I’ve successfully used the above settings in Thunderbird and Sylpheed.
Linnie said on September 1, 2010 at 10:16 pm


Hi

Does this mean I change use these settings to get an hotmail.co.uk account into Windows Live Mail and then be able to set up folders to store and organize the emails I want to keep. Trying to set up my parents new laptop and it is causing some difficulties.

Here’s hoping.

Linnie
bimal said on June 7, 2010 at 9:43 am


thanks man.
ola said on March 22, 2010 at 9:35 pm


i can receive only but can’t send what is the problem plz????
Nick Fisher said on March 17, 2010 at 12:54 pm


Yep, works perfectly for getting messages out of the Inbox.

Now, does anyone know if it’s possible to access the messages in my Drafts and Sent folders ? Or indeed in other folders I set up ?

Cheers

Nick
Oliver said on March 16, 2010 at 1:08 am


I try to install it in Outlook 2010 beta and is not working. Please I need help.
Keith said on March 2, 2010 at 11:58 pm


Orange and Hotmail config that works for me on samsung jet:

SMTP SERVER:smptp.live.com
SMTP Port:25
Secure connection:TLS
Incoming server type:Pop3
Pop3 server:pop3.live.com
pop3 port: 995
apop: no
Secure connection:SSL
Download limit:5
Pop before SMTP:no
SMTP auth:yes
Same as pop3/imap4: yes

Currently allowing me to send and recieve emails.
Hope this helps.
1. Ali said on June 15, 2010 at 6:02 pm
  
  
  Thanks so much for this – I’ve just got it up & running on my Samsung pixon! Now to delete the 400+ emails it’s just downloaded to my phone :)
Ron said on February 26, 2010 at 6:52 pm


Its working!

Ron from
components4developers.com
Srikar Gundabathula said on February 10, 2010 at 5:38 pm


Hi Martin,

This is Srikar…
I am trying to connect to hotmail using the outlook software.
I have entered the incoming and outgoing server informations as you stated in the article above.but the connection is not being established!!

If you can help out in this problem….i will be greatful to you…

Regards
Marcus Allen said on January 19, 2010 at 2:05 pm


I have an msn email account and I just used this method and got it running within a couple of minutes.

Thanks.
Omar said on December 23, 2009 at 3:17 am


An unknown error has occurred. Account: ‘Hotmail’, Server: ‘pop3.live.com’, Protocol: POP3, Port: 995, Secure(SSL): Yes, Error Number: 0x800C0133
Stephen said on December 9, 2009 at 5:28 pm


I live in the UK and have just bought a t-mobile g2 google phone (HTC Hero). I have tried to set up my hotmail on the phone using the method above but cant get it to work? It keeps saying username and/or password isnt correct.

Anyone else have this issue
fisnik said on November 29, 2009 at 12:50 pm


hotmil configuracion pop3 no para hotmail
agu17,2009 at 5:02 am
Jabari Holder said on November 10, 2009 at 12:54 am


epic stuff man, thanks a lot. Microsoft sucks with Hotmail support for Outlook, I hope 2010 Outlook doesnt suck.

BTW, the beta can be downloaded now
Helen Neely said on September 22, 2009 at 2:31 pm


Thanks for this tip, I can now use it to configure my Thunderbird mail client.
Charlie said on September 9, 2009 at 3:01 pm


I have been using hotmail for about 8 years now, and maybe longer. Over the last week I have not been able to get my hotmail emails to go into my Microsoft Outlook box. I have to manually go to the hotmail site. Any clue on what I can do to fix the problem?
rujroad kaewurai said on July 4, 2009 at 4:28 am


This information don’t work
Pritesh said on April 8, 2009 at 9:55 am


Thnk for deploying setting about hotmail in’s woking with asp.net
using system.net.mail
GRTerrero said on March 17, 2009 at 3:56 am


Like always, Martin seems to be clairvoyant. Just yesterday my friend was complaining about having to constantly log into Hotmail, which he hates to do since he prefers Gmail.
Tysen Woodlock said on March 15, 2009 at 12:27 pm


Thanks for this post, it’s been helpful. I can now consolidate all my email to Gmail.
Mike Smith said on March 15, 2009 at 10:38 am


Literally yesterday I was googleing to see if this was possible. You’re a lifesaver! Hotmail in Gmail at last!
Danny said on March 15, 2009 at 2:14 am


I’m having problems using the SMTP server to send mail. After some digging in the comments on the Windows Live Team blog, someone suggested using port 587 instead of the default port 25. It worked for me.
1. Martin said on March 15, 2009 at 2:30 am
  
  
  Thanks, have added your suggestion to the post.
Rarst said on March 15, 2009 at 12:20 am


Each time I talk about email at my blog – my readers start to mention how they suffer from being tied to their hotmail accounts. :)

I guess this ends suffering. By the way Gmail can fetch mail from other account via POP3 so my guess is this can also be used as redirection workaround.
Paul(us). said on March 14, 2009 at 11:21 pm


Thanks Martin for your,very fast and, logial sounding to me comment. I will keep on looking for an offical “black on white” communication from Microsoft. I have to write that this new, to Microsoft, function is a “gods end”/very usefull function.
Paul(us). said on March 14, 2009 at 10:44 pm


What i do not read is or i stil have to check in manualy at the hotmail website, this so i dont loose loose main hotmail account thru not using.
Do you know this Martin (or sombody else)?
1. Martin said on March 14, 2009 at 10:52 pm
  
  
  Paul I highly doubt that this is the case as you are using the Hotmail account if you connect using POP3. It’s just a different connection method.