Upgrading to new outlook will not accept IMAP accounts

Anonymous
2023-10-30T10:18:33+00:00

Hi

trying to upgrade but when giving al the information of my IMAP connection the continue button is greyed out.

On another MS forum people are saying IMAP is not enabled yet, is that correct?

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For business

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Anonymous
2023-10-30T11:11:42+00:00

Hey there, my name is Ajibola and I'm excited to help you today!

Indeed, the new Outlook for Windows does not support IMAP accounts yet. This means that you cannot add your email account from Yahoo!, iCloud, or other providers that use IMAP protocols to the new Outlook app. The new Outlook for Windows currently supports Exchange-backed Microsoft 365 work or school accounts, Outlook.com accounts, and Gmail accounts.

However, there is some good news. The new Outlook for Windows team is working hard to add support for more account types in the future, including IMAP accounts. They have not announced a specific timeline for this feature. Still, they have stated that they are listening to user feedback and prioritizing the most requested features https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/getting-started-with-the-new-outlook-for-windows-656bb8d9-5a60-49b2-a98b-ba7822bc7627. You can check their blog posts and release notes for the latest updates on the new Outlook for Windows development.

In the meantime, you can still use the classic Outlook for Windows app to access your IMAP account, or use a web browser to access your email provider's website. You can also switch back and forth between the new and classic Outlook for Windows apps by using the toggle switch at the top-right corner of the window.

If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to ask. I'm here to help!

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Kind regards

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T21:40:52+00:00

    Hey Neil,

    That's the real problem here. IMAP was added but either Microsoft chose to disable the 'feature' or something has caused it to stop working.

    I can't get a straight answer out of them. Even on the Microsoft Partner open meetings they are intentionally avoiding addressing the issue. There has been no statement from Microsoft at all.

    As I've recommended to multiple people on multiple threads over this issue, I feel it's time to consider a class action lawsuit or a hefty fine from the European Commission. Much like the $22billion fine they received for Microsoft Teams. I think this will be they only way to get something happening at this stage.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-06T16:58:41+00:00

    Is there an advantage to using IMAP over Pop? I use IMAP on my portable and phone but Pop on my big computer.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-06T16:47:03+00:00

    Switching to another mail program that supports Imap, only works "IF" your ISP supports IMAP for mail programs. For instance, I have Charter/Spectrum and they as of yet do not support IMap for email accounts, so I have to stay with Legacy OUTLOOK which works fine for me. I am retired, not a business account or school account.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-06T15:05:14+00:00

    Good to hear your recommendation of Thunderbird. My internet provider also suggested switching to that. The only con I heard about it was that if you wanted to switch, it was hard to get off of. What still doesn't make sense to me is that for a good while this year, I actually had the new Outlook that is larger print and different format and it worked just fine until one day it didn't. I was fortunate that my Outlook classic was still running in the background so I am still using that until I make a decision. I was told in October of this year that Support for Windows 10 goes away so I will be switching over to 11 and may be forced to switch. Thanks for responding.

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