POP3 and IMAP are two different protocols used to deliver email messages to third-party mail clients (such as Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird). If you’re using any of Rebel’s email hosting packages, you’ll need to connect your email using one of these two methods.

IMAP: Internet Access Message Protocol

With the IMAP protocol, you can access and sync your emails from anywhere and any device. This is the more modern protocol with increased security options. We recommend using IMAP unless you have specific requirements for your email storage. 

Your device will connect to the server and show you the emails that are stored on the server. Messages are only downloaded when you click on them, and any changes to the mailbox are synced directly with the server. IMAP is ideal for mobile devices as it only downloads the full email after clicking on it. It also allows you to sync your email across multiple devices. 

Main Points: 

• Emails stored on server

• Syncs across devices

• Download on open

• Ideal for multiple devices

• Better security

• Recommended

POP3: Post Office Protocol

POP3 refers to the most recent version of the POP protocol. This is the version of POP that is most commonly used. 

POP works by contacting your email service and downloading all of your new messages from the server to your local device. Once they are downloaded onto your device, they are deleted from the server. This means that after the email is downloaded, it can only be accessed using the same device. If you try to access your email from a different device or directly through webmail, any messages that have been previously downloaded won't be available to you.

Often, if users are able to see an email message on one device, but not on any others, it is because they have used a POP protocol on that device. POP means that everything is stored locally, on individual devices. This is an older type of protocol, though it still has some practical applications in environments where there may be high-level security concerns. Otherwise, it can be cumbersome and limiting to the average user.

Main Points:

• Emails downloaded to device

• Removed from server after download

• Accessible only on the device downloaded to

• No syncing across devices

• Stores mail locally

Should I switch from POP3 to IMAP? 

If you are having issues with mail syncing across devices, we recommend making the switch. It is not necessary, and some customers may require a POP3 connection. 

If you opt to make the switch, please be aware that you will need to back up any of your current emails. That way, they can be synced to the server, and you will not lose any.

Here are some guides to help. 

• How do I backup/import my email in Mac Mail?
• How do I backup/import my email in Outlook?

Once you have your emails backed up, you can recreate the account as an IMAP account using our email setup assistant.