How to Change an Account from POP to IMAP in Outlook

MailSafi email services support both POP and IMAP accounts, which are protocols used to send and receive emails. Click here to understand the difference between POP and IMAP. This is a step by step guide on how you can change your Outlook email account from a POP3 connection to an IMAP connection. NB: These steps will work for Outlook 2013, 2016, 2019 and Outlook 365.

PART 1: Back up your Mailboxes

Switching from POP3 to IMAP could delete your existing emails. To be on the safe side, create a backup of your mailboxes. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1: Open Outlook and select File.

Step 2: Select Open & Export, then Import/Export.

Step 3: In the Import and Export window, select Export to a file and then click Next >.

Step 4: Click Export to a File in the next window, then select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next >.

Step 4: Select the mailboxes you’d like to back up. We recommend that you backup all your mailboxes. Select your email address in the Export Outlook Data File window and check the box next to Include subfolders. Click Next >.

Step 5: Use the Browse button to select a location on your computer to save your backup.

Step 6: Click Finish to continue.

Step 7: To secure your backed-up emails, you may create a password for the file. If you’d like to create a password, enter it now and click OK, or Cancel to proceed without a password.

Your backed up emails will now be saved to your computer.

PART 2: Delete your POP account from your computer

Now that your email backup is complete, you can delete your POP account in Outlook. NB: You should also delete the account from any other devices you use for email.

Step 1: Select File from the top menu, then Info.

Step 2: Click the arrow next to Account Settings and then select the Account Settings option.

Step 3: In the Account Settings window that pops up, click on your email account then click Remove to delete your email account from Outlook.

Step 4: You will receive a warning that your offline messages will be deleted. Click Yes to continue.

PART 3: Set up your IMAP account on your computer or device

The third and final part is to create a new email account on your computer using your IMAP server details.

To configure Outlook on Desktop Computer/laptop, follow this guide LINK

To configure Outlook on Mobile device, follow this guide LINK

To configure Outlook on Android device, follow this guide LINK

To configure Outlook on iOS device, follow this guide LINK

PART 4: Restore your Mailbox

Step 1: If you wish to restore the mailboxes and email you backed up earlier, choose File from the top menu, then Open & Export. Now select Import/Export.

Step 2: In the Import and Export Wizard window, select Import from another program or file and click Next >.

Step 3: Click Import a File, select Outlook Data File (.pst), and then Next >.

Step 4: Use the Browse button to navigate to your Outlook backup file. When restoring your email and mailboxes, you can use the radio buttons under Options to configure how Outlook treats duplicate items. Click Next > to continue.

Step 5: If you secured your backup with a password, you’ll be asked to enter it once again to authorize the import. Enter the password, then click OK.

Step 6: Finally, use the dropdown menu to select which folder you’d like to restore your data into and click Finish to complete.