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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

42 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2016-02-18T19:52:52+00:00

    There are no encryption settings in the iphone app, right? No SSL sliders on the whole app. These are done automatically by outlook. If outlook recognizes that it can't connect with SSL it will pop back with the second image. At that point, clicking "login(second image)" should allow you to connect to imap without SSL(even though the app does not spell that out).

    I'm gonna resolve the issue. My expectations are: 1. Either an incorrect (as of 2016) imap setting on the server, or the non-open port on the firewall causing some specific algorithm to error out, basically now allowing outlook to see the server.

    Luckily I can fool around with this on the server admin side, so maybe we can get this issue resolved for everyone pretty soon. I'll work on the above mentioned resolutions and report back with my findings.

    Automation and 2016 best practice have tried to make this app easier for people and this issue only affects a few small businesses who aren't exchangesync I suspect. I do miss the SSL sliders though.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Brian Tillman [Outlook MVP 2007-2019] 25,925 Reputation points
    2016-02-18T19:31:15+00:00

    Make sure you're using the correct ports and encryption and if the server you're trying to access has two-step verification/two-factor authentication enabled that you're using a generated password from that server.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2016-02-18T17:53:03+00:00

    Hello, I have 3 screenshots for you from my device. I am the IT department for a small business. An employee wants to use Outlook for email on their ipad. I tried to set it up with our age old and very common imap settings, but they did not work. I found this thread after doing some research.

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office\_mobile-outlook/unable-to-connect-imap-account-to-outlook-for-ios8/4c8d43df-c459-4ac6-9ee6-98d0143bf46c?page=1&tab=question&status=AllReplies&rtAction=1455814713005#tabs

    I believe the issue is related to us not having IMAP port 993 open on our new managed firewall. Can you please review my screenshots and tell me what is happening here.

    PS: These settings work perfectly on every other mail client I've tried, including the default ios mail client for all devices, the mail client in android phones, Mozilla Thunderbird and even Outlook 2003(and probably every other version, but that's what I have access to besides the ipad at this very second). I just tried them and set them up in very one of these applications. The only application that these settings don't work in is Outlook! Attached are 3 screenshots.

    <img removed for editing>

    Please note that I have also tried adding and not adding the domain to the username. Unfortunately, this doesn't affect the issue.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2016-01-21T21:36:07+00:00

    Why would you want to use IMAP on iOS with Office 365 as opposed to Exchange?

    Hi Brian,

    I personally would never use IMAP it's my work email 😫

    Cheers, Rizwan

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Brian Tillman [Outlook MVP 2007-2019] 25,925 Reputation points
    2016-01-21T20:09:25+00:00

    Why would you want to use IMAP on iOS with Office 365 as opposed to Exchange?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments