Can I change POP settings to IMAP

That doesn't answer the question. The question is, can a POP3 account be converted to an IMAP account?  We know there are setting available for for both POP3 and IMAP but if an account is POP3 can you change it to IMAP?

I believe the issue here is that POP3 is inadequate for the way customers want to use their accounts...............they want to be able to access their accounts form multimple devices and POP3 fails to sync multiple devices.

Hello @DavidJGill,

The post did answer the question. first word of the post is "yes" then we provided the link to the site to help you change your settings.

Once you have your email on AT&T it matters not whether you connect via POP or IMAP, your email account doesn't change.

As an analogy, consider that your email account is on an email server. That email server has two doors to the internet; one being POP and the other IMAP. Choose either door.

The solution provided by ATTDSLCARE is valid though specfic for Microsoft Outlook. The options could be used for most email programs.

IMAP connections to email servers provide more capabilities than a POP connection and IMAP will eventually be used by more and more users. Consider the dial telephone... my grandsons ask how to place a call on one of those. Consider the cell phone... more and more people are discontinuing their land line service. It takes time for consumers to move to newer technology but eventually they do.

Thank you for your response. I appreciate your explanation of how POP and IMAP work as everything I have encounteered on the subject with this account has suggested to me that AT&T's email system was POP and POP settings had to be used.

I appologize for piling more questions into this response. This email account has been a massive mindf--k but I keep the account because I'm able to have my name as my ID (there are many other David Gill's in the world.) If you can offer any clues on how I can solve any of these subsidiary problems I would really appreceate it.

One of the irritating aspect of this account is that I have to pay $17.95 per month just because I need to use an email client (I get 200 - 300 emails a day which is untennable on the web site interface. I use Windows Live Mail witch is basically the same as Outlook.) I feel like I'm being robbed by AT&T - is there some way I can move this email address to a different provider or is there an email client that will still work if the account is converted to free status?

The AT&T guide titled "Verify your email clinet server settings" has both POP and IMAP codes listed. In the past I'd always been limited to POP. Does Microsoft Outlook require POP?

My understanding is that with POP you can't sync your mail on multiple devices, so is this a limitiation that Outlook is imposing on me?

THANK YOU!

....if this means anything, I might point out that this is a very old account. It was set up before 2005 or possibly before 2001. 

There is some miscommunication here likely due to the fact that my question was written with the misconception in my mind that the ATT email system was a POP system and POP settings had to be used (see the answser from ApexRon.) Thus I was asking if it could be "converted" to IMAP.

The question from someone else tha tyouanswered was "Can I just change these to IMAP in my email client settings or does the email account itself (in the way AT&T sets it up) have to be different in order for me to use IMAP?" .....to which you answered yes, but yes to what? 

When I foillow th link I find:

5. In Internet Email Settings verify that:

• You have POP3 or IMAP selected.     -what does that mean"?
• Your User Name and Password are correct.

6. Enter the following:

• For POP3 accounts, enter inbound.att.net for the Incoming mail server and outbound.att.net for the Outgoing mail server.
• For IMAP accounts, enter imap.mail.att.net for the Incoming mail server, and smtp.mail.att.net for the Outgoing mail server.

"For POP3 accounts...."  "For IMAP accounts..."     -what does that mean?  If I HAVE one or the other how is it I can just use either?

Do you see why it is so unclear? I'm not trying to be a j**k, I really don't get the contradictions in these explanations.

Thanks if you can help...really.

DavidJGill

"... is there some way I can move this email address to a different provider or is there an email client that will still work if the account is converted to free status?" Email addresses are provider specific. However, you could put one account in vacation mode and forward your email to another provider.

"Does Microsoft Outlook require POP?" That would be a question for Microsoft.

"... Thus I was asking if it could be "converted" to IMAP." Most email programs can be changed (not converted) from POP to IMAP by changing the server settings. If you are using multiple devices to receive email from the same account it is best that you are consistent in the method.

"... You have POP3 or IMAP selected. -what does that mean"?" Some email programs will automatically switch between POP and IMAP dependent only on server used and other programs will require the user to select between POP and IMAP as well.

""For POP3 accounts...." "For IMAP accounts..." -what does that mean? If I HAVE one or the other how is it I can just use either?" That is a misnomer. POP and IMAP is not an account type but rather how you communicate to the email account.

What is the "PORT" for imap.mail.att.net and what is the "PORT" for smtp.mail.att.net..?