Change your email setup from POP to IMAP

Changing your email setup from POP to IMAP in the wrong order can cause your email to be deleted. In this guide, we explain how to do this safely.

Step 1 - Make a local backup of your email

Step 2 - Disable your POP account

Step 3 - Set up your account with IMAP

Step 4 - Move your emails to your IMAP account

Step 5 - Remove the POP account from your email client

Tip: If you want to know what the difference is between POP and IMAP, check this guide: What is IMAP and POP3?

Step 1 - Make a local backup of your email

Start by making a local backup of your emails on your computer. If you are using Outlook then you need to make a backup of your .pst file. Check out the links below for instructions.

Step 2 - Disable your POP account

Next, you need to disable the POP account in your email client to make sure that it cannot connect to the server. The easiest way to do this is by changing the password for the email account.

You can check this guide on how to do this: How do I change my mail password?

Step 3 - Set up your account with IMAP

You should now set up your account with IMAP, using the new password. You can find the correct settings here: How do I set up a mail account in for example Outlook?

When you are done, check if you can send and receive emails and everything is working. Note that your IMAP account is probably missing some emails.

Step 4 - Move your emails to your IMAP account

Now it's time to move the emails from your POP account to your IMAP account. In most clients, you can simply drag folders from one account to another.