Outlook Android app cannot login IMAP email server.

It sounds like you've had a very similar experience to mine with Outlook for Android.  I've also wasted countless hours and days of my life, going around in circles, backwards and forwards, repeating uninstalls and installs, repeating information to tech support, sending screenshots again-and-again...

So in the meantime I've found happiness with BlueMail, which works seamlessly, and it was super easy to set up, no glitches.  By the way, my PC is also a Microsoft machine - the Surface Pro - which works perfectly. Though the Outlook 365 is still unable to handle a unified inbox for multiple IMAP accounts - MS still hasn't come up with a solution!!!

Honestly just use another app for imap, bluemail or spark. Been trying spark for two days now seems good and lots of settings. Every other app I tried works better than the outlook app for imap. Support still ask silly questions after weeks of conversation....

I just received clarification and I am not sure what to make of it.

The first problem was that the IMAP account would stop working and ask me to setup.  When I respond OK, I am taken to the setup page and password fields are empty.  When I enter password, no effect.  The only way to get it working again was to delete the account and set it up again from scratch.  I think that is what the OP of this thread is about.

Outlook Mobile support insisted that the problem did not reside with Outlook for Android.  So, I checked with the service provider, who said it is not related to their service, since I can get email on GMail app on same Android device, can get email on Outlook on iPhone, and can get email on the browser.  So, went to O365 support and invoked my Microsoft Complete support plan.  They asked me to check the version of Outlook.  I had the latest.  They asked me to uninstall, then re-install.  The same version installed.  But, another problem arose.  When setting up the IMAP account, I got Login Error.  I could cancel or I could continue with login.  Cancel just takes me to the setup page.  Continue to Login results in "Downloading your Messages", and it gets stuck there for a full day. (My mailbox is only 300 mb).  So, O365 Support said they could do no more, said they had already done more than they are chartered to do, and referred me back to Outlook Mobile support.

When I described the Login Error to Outlook Mobile support, I assumed it was a manifestation of the same problem.  Perhaps not.  Here is the chat after having gone back to Outlook Mobile Support, as directed by O365 Support.  Note that the first thing I did after re-installing Outlook was to set up my work Exchange account, then I directed my attention to the IMAP account; hence reference to the work account,

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Me:  Now that my work email is working again, I am working on the IMAP account. When I try setting it up, using the same entries I use in Outlook for IOS, I now get Login Error, mail server certificate is invalid. What is that? I have never been asked for a mail server certificate

Outlook Mobile Support (OMS): Hi, what's the error message that you are getting now?

Can you send me a screenshot?

Thank you

Me: sent screenshot

Me: Never saw this error message before. Also, (Domain) asked me to try IMAP.(Domain2).Com:143 instead. Same result. They say it's the app. I asked them to check on the list of certificates they are using. Can Microsoft check on the certificate it registered for Outlook for Android? My Outlook for iPhone is working perfectly fine using IMAP.(Domain).Net:143

OMS: Thank you, in case you tap on "Login" on this error message does the account gets added?

Thank you

Me: It gets added, but Downloading Your Messages appears and, after a day, still no messages. Yet, on the iPhone, it's fine. Please review everything I wrote from the very beginning, starting over a week ago. There's something wrong with Outlook for this Surface Duo

OMS: Hi, I am sorry that you’re affected by this issue. This is an issue that we have already reported to our Engineering Team and we’re adding your ticket to the report.

The Team is now working on this issue and I hope that it will be available soon.

We do not have an ETA on when this will get fixed, but please keep your app up to date as the fix will be released through the future versions of the app.

I will be closing the ticket. But we will try to message you if we get an update about the issue or to check the status of the issue on your end even if the ticket is closed. 

But if you have other questions/concerns, please do let us know anytime.

Me: See my earliest posts. Is this problem related to the account challenging me for re-authentication every day or two?

OMS: Hello, the re-authentication issue is not related to this issue and it's not related to the application.

Thank you

Me: Then, please provide the various root causes, along with actionable solutions for each possible root cause that I can take or my service provider can take, short of abandoning Outlook Mobile. Please be sure that the possible root causes factor in the fact that Outlook Mobile on iPhone and Gmail app on this device do not require deletion and re-setup of the account every day or two. Please also note that my service provider has already checked on their end and confirm that everything is OK, relying on the fact that I can access my email via Webmail over browser and, as I said, via Outlook on iPhone and via Gmail app on this device

OMS: Hello, I confirm again that this issue is related to Outlook Mobile, it's not a problem on your device or on the email provider, it's a problem in Outlook Mobile.

We have confirmed that this is a bug in our application and we are working on a solution.

There is no solution now for this issue, we don't know when it will be available, but once it's available you don't need to do any action, it will be automatically.

Thank you

Me: Are you referring to both the issue of Login Error and the issue of Outlook requiring that I delete and re-setup the account every day or two? And, may I please be notified when a fix is issued? I won't be able to tell if a fix is issued because I will be using another app until it is fixed.

OMS: Hi, I speak about the issue related to the sync issue, this is still under investigation.

For the re-authentication issue, this is not an Outlook Mobile issue.

Thank you

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The "sync issue" is the Login Error I am getting after having uninstalled and re-installed the same version of Outlook.  The "re-authentication" issue is the original problem, the IMAP account needing to be setup again every day or two.  My only hope at this point is that, when they fix the sync issue (Login Error issue), the original problem with the IMAP account goes away.  In the meantime, I am using the GMail account for my IMAP email; I am switching between apps for my work Exchange mail and my personal IMAP email.

What do you all make of this?  I infer that they are saying that the re-authentication issue, the original issue, is either caused by the device or the service provider.  The service provider has convinced me that it is not them.  What is it about the device that can be the problem.  My device is a Surface Duo.  Ok, ok, please no jokes about the device being a Microsoft device.  Seriously, how can the device, any device, be involved in this?

What is that?  And, can anyone do that, or it must be a feature from the service provider?

Anyone can do that. Thunderbird (for PC) has such feature for 15 years.

No on Spark. I've setup TypeApp which works with the IMAP credentials that Android outlook cannot and set up my emails there.

I am keeping an outlook.com email active on outlook on my android devices to follow this query