thehooterman

Q: Can't choose between POP or IMAP email account.

I deleted my email account in Mail because I was having trouble receiving new emails. I was hoping that by reentering it in Mail Accounts it would fix the problem. When I entered it, it automatically set it up as an IMAP account instead of a POP acount like I had. I can send and receive emails just fine, but would prefer to have a POP account. Everything I read about setting up new accounts says you get the option to choose one or the other, but for the life of me I can't make it do it. I have a MacBook and am running Mac OS X. Version 10.6.8.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.4), iPad user

Posted on Nov 2, 2011 12:57 PM

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Q: Can't choose between POP or IMAP email account.

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  • Helpful answers

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Nov 2, 2011 1:25 PM in response to thehooterman
    Level 9 (66,865 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Nov 2, 2011 1:25 PM in response to thehooterman

    IMAP accounts default to server based folders.

    POP accounts default to computer based folders. 

    The advantage of server based folders is that they are portable to any operating system.  Computer based folders are great for backing up at a frequency that your internet provider doesn't do or you.    I find IMAP is more portable.

  • by redwings14,

    redwings14 redwings14 Nov 2, 2011 2:16 PM in response to thehooterman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2011 2:16 PM in response to thehooterman

    imap for everything. It manages your mail better if you want to have it on multiple devices. If you check an email on your phone, then your email will be downloaded to your computer, but it will be marked as read on your computer if you have read it on your phone. Works the same way if you read a messege on your computer, then it is marked read on your phone. Everytime you read something it syncs to the server.

  • by chuckc192000,

    chuckc192000 chuckc192000 Nov 13, 2011 8:19 AM in response to redwings14
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 13, 2011 8:19 AM in response to redwings14

    Yes but you CAN'T read and delete email on the IOS device and leave it on the server using IMAP.  I want to be able to archive my email on my desktop PC but if I delete it on the IOS device using IMAP, it's gone!  There needs to be a way to select POP3 over IMAP!

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Nov 13, 2011 8:33 AM in response to chuckc192000
    Level 9 (66,865 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Nov 13, 2011 8:33 AM in response to chuckc192000

    Tap on mailboxes, and select Accounts on the iPad for your IMAP account.

    Then select the Inbox.

    Then to the left of the icon for the trash on the top toolbar you'll find a Folder icon.   This folder icon can be used to move any message to any folder on the left sidebar.  You can add folders in the left Sidebar from Mac OS X Mail in a Mac.  No need to go POP.

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Nov 13, 2011 8:34 AM in response to a brody
    Level 9 (66,865 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Nov 13, 2011 8:34 AM in response to a brody

    The only thing iPad Mail does not support is copying a message to a mailbox.   That makes it more difficult when trying to determine which messages need to be copied back to the Mac.   However, if you keep a folder around just for items to copy to your Mac, and keep on the iPad, you can do that management while you are on your Mac.

  • by chuckc192000,

    chuckc192000 chuckc192000 Nov 13, 2011 11:32 AM in response to a brody
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 13, 2011 11:32 AM in response to a brody

    I found a workaround to force an account to be POP3 rather than IMAP when both are available on a server.  This option may not be available to everyone, but you can set up an email account on the iPad for a server that ONLY supports POP3.  Once the iPod sets up that account, you can go back and change all the parameters of that account to point to the account you really want that does both POP3 and IMAP.  The iPad will continue to treat the editted account as POP3 rather than IMAP.

  • by Stephen Weinstock,

    Stephen Weinstock Stephen Weinstock Jan 30, 2016 10:22 AM in response to thehooterman
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Jan 30, 2016 10:22 AM in response to thehooterman

    I have this exact question and didn't see any answer. Mail automatically chooses IMAP even though optonline.net says to use POP. How does one do that?

  • by my ginger,

    my ginger my ginger Jan 30, 2016 10:27 AM in response to Stephen Weinstock
    Level 4 (2,472 points)
    Jan 30, 2016 10:27 AM in response to Stephen Weinstock

    You would have to go to the mail preferences and manually do it.