How to connect and sync POP/IMAP email accounts

Question

How to connect and sync POP/IMAP email accounts

Paul Pepin 0

I use Microsfoft Outlook (Office 365). Until a few months ago had 4 emaols syncing to the account. Now there are only two. In those two months I had to often update password to make tow of the POP/IMAp email accounts work. Then they would send send emails. The send emails would sit in the "outbox". I contacted the source provider, they claim it is a Microsoft issue. Microsoft support worked on it for hours to no avail. I no longer have those emails connected to Outlook, part of the Microsoft attempt to fix the syncing. I am trying to reconnect. I cant find a way to add them back. There has to be a way.

RandC Callaghan 0 Reputation points

2026-03-10T23:57:31.34+00:00

CoPilot has just told me that Microsoft has retired this feature of adding an external IMAP account (eg OptusNet) for most consumer Outlook.com accounts.... which is what I was trying to do!

1 answer

Your answer

RandC Callaghan 0 Reputation points

2026-03-10T23:57:31.34+00:00

CoPilot has just told me that Microsoft has retired this feature of adding an external IMAP account (eg OptusNet) for most consumer Outlook.com accounts.... which is what I was trying to do!

Answer 1

To reconnect and sync your POP/IMAP email accounts in Microsoft Outlook (Office 365), follow these steps:

Open Outlook: Launch the Microsoft Outlook application on your computer.
Access Account Settings: Go to the File menu in the top left corner, then select Account Settings and again click on Account Settings from the dropdown.
Add Account: In the Account Settings window, click on the New button to add a new email account.
Choose Account Type: Select Email Account and click Next. Then choose either POP or IMAP as the account type based on your email provider's specifications.
Enter Account Information: Fill in your name, email address, and password. For advanced settings, click on More Settings to configure the incoming and outgoing server settings as required by your email provider.
Test Account Settings: After entering all the necessary information, Outlook will test the account settings. Ensure that the test completes successfully.
Finish Setup: Once the test is successful, click Finish to complete the setup.

If you are still experiencing issues with syncing or sending emails, it may be necessary to check if Basic authentication is enabled for your email accounts, as Outlook may require this for POP/IMAP connections. Microsoft has been transitioning to Modern authentication, which may affect how certain accounts connect.

If problems persist, consider running a Microsoft 365 Diagnostic or checking for any service issues that might be affecting your email functionality.

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