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Microsoft just launched a revamped Hotmail under the name Outlook.com. It looks great and I'm thinking of migrating from Gmail, but I can't find anywhere whether Outlook.com supports IMAP or some sort of Exchange type connection.

I hope it's not just POP, since I just don't want to keep deleting emails/marking them a read etc on multiple locations.

If anyone knows what to use, please also share the settings that need to be configured.

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Update 2013-09-13: Outlook.com have announced they now support IMAP. The settings are:

Incoming (IMAP) Server
    Server address: imap-mail.outlook.com
    Port: 993
    Encrypted Connection: SSL

Outgoing (SMTP) Server
    Server address: smtp-mail.outlook.com
    Port: 25 (or 587 if 25 is blocked)
    Authentication: Yes
    Encrypted Connection: TLS

User name: Your email address
Password: Your password

ZDNet has a good write up here, the relevant parts being:

No IMAP:

According to Microsoft’s documentation, IMAP is not supported.

Yes Active Sync:

For Outlook 2013, Exchange ActiveSync support is built in. Just enter the email address and password and it should configure automatically. For Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007, and Outlook 2003, you still need to use the free Outlook Hotmail Connector add-in.

If you are after server details, this article suggests: m.hotmail.com or m.outlook.com - I've also seen snt-m.hotmail.com suggested.

And failing all else, there is POP:

Use of POP/SMTP is discouraged for @outlook.com addresses, but it will work if you set the servers to pop3.live.com and smtp.live.com, respectively. Note that you must sign in to the SMTP server to send mail.

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  • So I'm not using Outlook but trying to set this up with the Mail app on OSX. Any idea what server settings should be then? Tried: m.outlook.com, m.hotmail.com and snt-m.hotmail.com and set account type to Exchange...but no go...any suggestions?
    – Adam
    Commented Aug 7, 2012 at 16:21
  • Have a look at this article: osxdaily.com/2012/08/03/… lots of OSX specific info - plus there is a comment by "Leah T" half way down with detailed instructions for Exchange setup. Interestingly the article also lists imap.live.com as an IMAP server, so maybe there is one.
    – John C
    Commented Aug 7, 2012 at 22:59
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    Also the Exchange Active Sync (EAS) serveradress has been changed to s.outlook.com (see windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/outlook/…). May save you some time (like me trying different settings for m.outlook.com).
    – ArendE
    Commented Dec 16, 2013 at 23:56
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Per Microsoft's website:

The IMAP protocol is unsupported, they only support POP3.

"The upgrade process supports email accounts using Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3), but not Instant Message Access Protocol (IMAP). A protocol is a standard set of formats and procedures that allow PCs to exchange information."

For you phone they say you can either download the Hotmail app from Google Play or follow these steps:

You can also get Hotmail on your Android phone (versions 2.1 and above) without the app. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. On your phone, tap Email and then tap Add account.

  2. Enter your full Hotmail address and password, and then tap Manual setup.

  3. When asked “What type of account is this?” tap Exchange.

  4. If your phone has a Domain field, leave it blank. If your phone has a Username field, enter your full Hotmail address. (If the field is already filled in, make sure the info matches your full Hotmail address).

  5. Enter your Hotmail password (it may already be filled in).

  6. Enter m.hotmail.com in the Server name field. (If the field is already filled in, make any necessary changes.)

  7. Make sure the Use secure connection (SSL) box is checked, and then tap Next.

  8. Choose your account options, and then tap Next.

  9. You might be asked to choose an account color and account name (you can use Hotmail for the account name).

  10. Tap Next to finish setup.

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Select Exchange account, fill in your username and password, depending on what mobile OS you using, one one step or two, you should get to screen where you will be asked to fill in the server name along with username and password.

In Domain\Username, fill in your complete email address and password. In Server, when you login to the web version of your outlook.com account, take note of the first part of the server name in the URL (e.g. if it is https:/snt1.mail.live.com then the server for you will be snt-m.hotmail.com), the alphabetical part only followed by a dash (-) and then m.hotmail.com

Tested these on iPod, blackberry, Xperia S (ICS).

To configure in Outlook 2010, you will need to have the connector client installed, but on Outlook2013, you can use the same settings as given above.

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    Per Microsoft's website the server name only needs to be m.hotmail.com. Commented Oct 7, 2012 at 20:10
  • Well, I tested these settings for the mentioned platforms plus I used the same settings to configure in Outlook 2013 and worked fine for me. Searching some more on Google, throws lot of similar problems/ solutions. Seems to me there is just no universally working solution as of now. Commented Oct 12, 2012 at 8:27
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It supports Exchange Active Sync. I haven't found any info regarding IMAP though.

Whups! I might have attached the wrong link, since it mentions Office 365 and not outlook.com. However The Verge says it will support Exchange Active Sync just like Hotmail does. But I'm a little unsure of exactly what settings to use.

Here we go an article that described how to use it on your phone with active sync.

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  • Yes, I thought they would support Exchange ActiveSync (apparently it has a bit more options than IMAP), but the next question would be what settings to use. I have updated my question.
    – Adam
    Commented Aug 3, 2012 at 11:59
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It would appear that in an attempt to draw a line in the sand and increase functionality and synchronization times, Microsoft has adopted the implementation of EAS (Exchange Active Sync). Whilst this is a good measure within the Office & Windows Mobile based environment, it does alienate the other mobile communities.

In reality I doubt that it will be long before the BSD & Linux communities provide a solution that will allow their community users to read mail utilising EAS. (Android was removed from the OS list above as Google has licensed EAS and comes with it out of the box. Some mobile device manufacturers such as Motorola and Samsung extend EAS support even further.)

But right now, & just for information, it would appear that IMAP will be supported from a later date; this may be due to the fact that IMAP will allow access to the message content via APIs.

I have been able to connect to an outlook.com address using pop3.live.com and smtp.live.com, but this will only give access to the "xx.outlook.com" address and NOT any other addresses that you have buried inside the outlook.com mailbox.

Hopefully someone will provide an update upon whether you are able to utilise IMAP via the imap.live.com portal.

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There is no difference between @OUTLOOK.com or @HOTMAIL.com. Your settings should be:

  • server: m.hotmail.com
  • ssl enabled
  • Server Type: Microsoft Exchange

I'm using Moxer Mail for Android.

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