When you set up your Exact Hosting mailbox in a mail app, you choose between two ways of connecting: IMAP and POP. This short explainer describes the difference and helps you pick the right one before you start, so you avoid the most common email setup mistakes.
What IMAP and POP do
Both IMAP and POP are protocols for receiving mail. (Sending always uses a third protocol, SMTP, regardless of which one you pick.) The difference is where your mail lives and how it syncs.
IMAP | POP | |
|---|---|---|
Where mail is stored | On the server; your devices show a synced view | Downloaded to one device, then usually removed from the server |
Multiple devices | Yes — phone, laptop, and webmail all stay in sync | Not really — mail lands on whichever device downloads it first |
Folders and read/unread status | Synced everywhere | Local to one device |
Server storage used | Counts against your mailbox quota | Little, if mail is removed after download |
Best for | Almost everyone today | A single device, or deliberately archiving mail off the server |
The short answer: use IMAP
For almost everyone, IMAP is the right choice. It keeps your mail, folders, and read/unread status identical on every device and in Webmail. Read a message on your phone and it shows as read on your laptop; file it into a folder and that folder appears everywhere.
Tip: If you use more than one device — even just your phone plus webmail — choose IMAP.
When POP might make sense
POP is the older model: it downloads mail to one device and (by default) removes it from the server. Consider POP only if:
- You use a single device and never check mail anywhere else, and
- You want messages stored locally and pulled off the server — for example, to stay well under your mailbox quota.
Warning: With POP's default settings, once mail is downloaded to a device it is removed from the server, so it will not appear on your other devices or in Webmail. If that device fails and you have no backup, those messages are gone. If in doubt, use IMAP.
A note on sending (SMTP)
Whichever you choose for incoming mail, outgoing mail uses SMTP. Exact Hosting requires authenticated SMTP over the secure port — your username and password are the same as for incoming mail. The exact ports are in the Email Server Settings Reference (IMAP, POP, SMTP).
Next steps
- Get your settings. Look up the server and ports for your product in the Email Server Settings Reference (IMAP, POP, SMTP).
- Set up your device. Follow Setting Up Email on iPhone & iPad or Setting Up Email in Outlook (Windows & Mac).
Questions? Contact Exact Hosting Support.
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