Unable to connect IMAP account to Outlook for iOS8

Anonymous
2015-07-28T22:44:23+00:00

I have installed the Outlook app on an iPad and iPhone with the latest iOS8. I have an IMAP email account but the app is unable to connect to it. 

The native iOS email client on both devices will connect to this IMAP account OK.  But when I enter the same settings in the Outlook app's Advanced Settings entry screen (which are the server, etc. settings provided by my ISP), it comes back with a message that it cannot connect.

I note that the entry screens in the current Outlook app differ from those shown in the relevant Office365 knowledge base article here:

https://support.office.com/en-au/article/Set-up-email-on-iPhone-iPad-or-iPod-Touch-b2de2161-cc1d-49ef-9ef9-81acd1c8e234?ui=en-US&rs=en-AU&ad=AU&fromAR=1#BKMK\_IMAPorPOP

The article shows screenshots with options to select/deselect SSL and enter port numbers. These options don't appear when I use the IMAP setup option in Outlook for iOS. 

Note that when iOS makes the connection, it does not use SSL or ask for port numbers. These parameters can only be accessed via the advanced account settings for the account AFTER the device has added the account.

I should add that I also have an Exchange email account, which can be set up in both the iOS email client and the iOS Outlook app without difficulty. 

And also that the Outlook app exhibits the same behaviour on Android - i.e. the Android email client lets me set up the IMAP account but Outlook for Android is unable to connect.

Outlook | Outlook for mobile | Outlook for iOS | For business

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-07-25T10:27:59+00:00

    Another version of this worked for me.

    I am a completely non technical user with an office 365 account provided by my company and had transferred a personal domain to a new web hosting service and needed to re-set up the email account on Outlook. No issues with doing this on my PC but tried all sorts of settings when trying to set up on the Outlook app on iPhone and iPad.

    This is what finally worked:

    Deleted Outlook App from both iPhone and iPad and reinstalled it on iPhone.

    Re-set up primary 365 account.

    In settings added email account by entering email address

    Next screen entered password, display name and description and turned on 'Use Advanced Settings' and clicked 'Sign in'

    Next screen deleted port numbers including colons at the end of both the automatically populated IMAP & SMTP hostnames 

    Clicked sign in

    Interestingly, after successfully testing incoming and outgoing emails, when I went back into settings the port numbers had repopulated.

    Repeated same procedure for iPad which also worked.

    I don't normally post on forums but the suggestions here helped me fathom it out so hope this helps someone too.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-07-19T16:25:28+00:00

    IMAP account in Outlook application isn't the full-featured one as for instance native Mail application in iOS is. As others report in this thread while I have successfuly set up company's IMAP mail in Mail application I cannot do it in Outlook because I need a full manual IMAP set up options and these are missing in Outlook. Outlook developers, you should inspire in native Mail application as far as IMAP account settings are concerned.

    I fully agree.  I integrate all of my email accounts into Mac's standard mail (which I am not a fan of at all) within 2 minutes, no issues whatsoever.  With Outlook for Iphone and Ipad, it is simply a nightmare.  Nothing works, I have tried every single option you have posted here.  One more reason to stick with Apple - but I did like Outlook a lot.  I am giving up now.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-06-18T16:04:37+00:00

    I got mine to work using the syntax mail.server.com:993 AND mail.server.com:587

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-05-30T13:35:12+00:00

    Completely random process but it completely worked.  Thank you for posting!

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-05-14T03:13:41+00:00

    That is what worked for me too!  Thanks for the post. Simply remove from all devices and run it again.

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