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AOL Mail IMAP, POP and SMTP settings

By Julien CoulaudPublished November 1, 20264 min read

These are the settings AOL publishes for Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail and phone mail apps, checked on AOL's help pages on November 1, 2026. AOL keeps the same server and port settings in every app. What usually breaks is the password: most third-party apps need an AOL app password, not the one you use at mail.aol.com.

Julien Coulaud on X

Founder of Shipmail, the email platform for businesses and their AI agents. Every guide here draws on mail servers running in production.

  • AOL Mail
  • IMAP
  • SMTP
  • App passwords

Short answer

The AOL Mail IMAP server is imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL, and the SMTP server is smtp.aol.com on port 465 with SSL. POP uses pop.aol.com on port 995 with SSL. Use your full address, including @aol.com, as the username, and an app password from your AOL Account Security page when the app does not use AOL's own sign-in page.

AOL Mail server settings

ProtocolServerPortEncryption
IMAP, incoming[1]imap.aol.com993SSL
SMTP, outgoingSources[1]AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app[2]AOL Help: download your email from AOL Mail with IMAPsmtp.aol.com465SSL, authentication required
POP, incoming[1]pop.aol.com995SSL
IMAP, for downloading a copy[2]export.imap.aol.com993SSL

AOL IMAP settings

  • Incoming mail server: imap.aol.com
  • Port: 993
  • SSL: on
  • Username: your full email address, including @aol.com
  • Password: an app password, or your AOL password in apps that use AOL's sign-in page
Sources[1]AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app[3]AOL Help: create and manage third-party app passwords

AOL recommends IMAP because it works best with AOL Mail. It keeps the app and mail.aol.com in sync, so a message you delete or file in one place changes in the other.Sources[1]AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app[4]AOL Help: fix problems with third-party mail applications

AOL SMTP settings

  • Outgoing mail server: smtp.aol.com
  • Port: 465
  • SSL: on
  • Authentication: required, with the same username and password as incoming mail
Sources[1]AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app[2]AOL Help: download your email from AOL Mail with IMAP

AOL's help pages list port 465 with SSL only. In most apps the outgoing server has its own sign-in fields or a box such as My outgoing server requires authentication. Turn it on and enter the same address and password there.Sources[1]AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app[2]AOL Help: download your email from AOL Mail with IMAP

AOL POP settings

POP uses pop.aol.com on port 995 with SSL, and the same smtp.aol.com server for sending. It downloads a copy of your mail to one app, and only from the Inbox. Mail in your own folders is not downloaded unless you move it to the Inbox, and deleting a message on mail.aol.com does not delete the downloaded copy.[1]

How to create an AOL app password

AOL says third-party email apps that do not use its AOL Mail sign-in page need an app password, a randomly generated code you enter once in the app. You also need one for these apps once 2-step verification is on.Sources[3]AOL Help: create and manage third-party app passwords[4]AOL Help: fix problems with third-party mail applications

  1. Step 1

    Open Account Security

    Sign in to your AOL Account Security page.

  2. Step 2

    Start a new app password

    Click Generate app password or Generate and manage app passwords, then Get Started.

  3. Step 3

    Name it and generate it

    Enter the app's name, such as Outlook on laptop, then click Generate password.

  4. Step 4

    Use it in the app

    Paste the code into the app's password field, then click Done on the AOL page.

[3]

App passwords stay active when you change your main AOL password. The only way to cut off an app is to delete its app password: on the same page, click Generate and manage app passwords, then Delete next to it.[3]

Common AOL Mail problems in other apps

  • AOL will not let you create an app password: AOL asks you to use a browser you have signed in to AOL Mail with for several days in a row, outside Incognito mode. AOL says customer care can't override this check. Use mail.aol.com or the AOL app in the meantime.
  • The app stopped working after a password change: update the password in the app's account settings. If 2-step verification is on, use an app password instead.
  • Sign-in errors in an app that used to work: delete the saved password in the app and enter it again. If the app uses an app password, you may need to delete it and generate a new one.
  • Mail will not send or arrive: check the server and port settings above, with SSL on for both directions.
  • An old email app keeps failing: AOL says older versions may not support its current security settings. Update the app, then remove and add the AOL account again.
Sources[3]AOL Help: create and manage third-party app passwords[4]AOL Help: fix problems with third-party mail applications[5]AOL Help: reauthenticate your AOL Mail account in third-party email applications[1]AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app

AOL says email app makers can't answer questions about your AOL settings, username or password, and it sends questions about configuring the app itself to the app's maker.[1]

Downloading a copy of your AOL Mail

For a full download, for example before you leave AOL, AOL gives a separate IMAP server: export.imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL, with smtp.aol.com on port 465 for sending. AOL notes that a large account can take several days, and that folders holding about a million messages or more need splitting first.[2]

  • If the app asks whether to keep mail on the server, choose yes, or it deletes mail from your AOL account as it downloads.
  • Set the app to download full messages, not only previews.
[2]

Shipmail's connected import lists AOL among its sources. It signs in to your AOL mailbox with an app password and copies your mail into a mailbox at your own address, and you can run it again to pick up late mail.Sources[6]Shipmail mailbox import documentation[3]AOL Help: create and manage third-party app passwords

Using a mailbox on your own domain instead

An @aol.com address only exists inside an AOL account, so it stays with AOL if you leave. An address on a domain you own moves with you from one provider to the next.

A Shipmail mailbox on your own domain works in the same apps with one set of settings: server mx1.shipmail.to, IMAP on port 993 with SSL/TLS, SMTP on port 465 with SSL/TLS or 587 with STARTTLS, and your full address as the username. Plans start at $4 a month for 2 mailboxes. It is not free, and it only makes sense if you want an address you own rather than one tied to a provider.Sources[7]Shipmail email client connection settings[8]Shipmail pricing

Sources8 sourcesVerified 2026-11-01
  1. [1]
    AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app

    IMAP imap.aol.com port 993 SSL, POP3 pop.aol.com port 995 SSL, SMTP smtp.aol.com port 465 SSL. Use the full email address including @aol.com and enable SSL for incoming and outgoing mail. POP downloads only the Inbox; IMAP keeps the app and mail.aol.com in sync.

    help.aol.com · 2026-11-01

  2. [2]
    AOL Help: download your email from AOL Mail with IMAP

    To download a copy of AOL Mail, use IMAP server export.imap.aol.com port 993 with SSL, and SMTP smtp.aol.com port 465 with SSL and authentication. Choose to keep mail on the server, set the app to download full messages, and split folders holding about a million messages or more. Large accounts can take several days.

    help.aol.com · 2026-11-01

  3. [3]
    AOL Help: create and manage third-party app passwords

    Third-party email apps that do not use AOL's sign-in page need an app password, a randomly generated code entered once. Create it on the AOL Account Security page: Generate app password, Get Started, name the app, Generate password, Done. Use a browser that has signed in to AOL Mail for several days in a row, not Incognito; customer care cannot override eligibility. App passwords stay active after a password change until deleted.

    help.aol.com · 2026-11-01

  4. [4]
    AOL Help: fix problems with third-party mail applications

    After changing the AOL password, update it in the email app. With 2-step verification on, generate and use an app password. Check the IMAP or POP settings; AOL recommends IMAP. Update an outdated email app, then remove and re-add the AOL account.

    help.aol.com · 2026-11-01

  5. [5]
    AOL Help: reauthenticate your AOL Mail account in third-party email applications

    When sending or receiving fails in a third-party app, delete and re-enter the password the app uses, whether the account password or an app password, or remove and re-add the account. If you use an app password, you may need to delete it and generate a new one.

    help.aol.com · 2026-11-01

  6. [6]
    Shipmail mailbox import documentation

    Shipmail documentation for connected and file imports, selection options, storage checks, progress, skipped items, and repeat imports.

    shipmail.to · 2026-10-15

  7. [7]
    Shipmail email client connection settings

    Shipmail IMAP, SMTP, and JMAP settings: mx1.shipmail.to, IMAP on port 993 with SSL/TLS, SMTP on port 465 with SSL/TLS or 587 with STARTTLS, the full email address as username, and the mailbox password or an app password.

    shipmail.to · 2026-10-15

  8. [8]
    Shipmail pricing

    Shipmail plan prices, mailbox limits, team access, and send limits.

    shipmail.to · 2026-10-15

Questions worth answering

Common questions about aol mail settings.

What are the AOL IMAP settings?
Server imap.aol.com, port 993, SSL on. The username is your full email address, including @aol.com.[1]
What is the AOL SMTP server and port?
smtp.aol.com on port 465 with SSL. Turn on authentication for the outgoing server with the same address and password as incoming mail.Sources[1]AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app[2]AOL Help: download your email from AOL Mail with IMAP
Do I need an app password for AOL Mail?
For third-party apps that do not use AOL's own sign-in page, yes, and always once 2-step verification is on. Create one on the AOL Account Security page.Sources[3]AOL Help: create and manage third-party app passwords[4]AOL Help: fix problems with third-party mail applications
Why can't I create an AOL app password?
AOL only allows it from a browser you have used to sign in to AOL Mail for several days in a row, outside Incognito mode. Customer care can't override this.[3]
Does AOL Mail support POP?
Yes. Use pop.aol.com on port 995 with SSL. POP only downloads the Inbox, so AOL recommends IMAP.Sources[1]AOL Help: use POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third-party app[4]AOL Help: fix problems with third-party mail applications

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