Windows Live Hotmail supports the standard "POP3" email protocol (sometimes called POP). This means two things: first, any desktop email program that supports POP3 (all of them do) can now connect to Hotmail; second, email clients that used non-traditional methods of connecting to Hotmail can now connect to it like any other email service - and their mail server settings should be updated since they no longer need to resort to "hacks" to connect to Hotmail accounts. This tutorial shows you what Hotmail's POP3 settings are, including mail server information and port numbers you will need to configure (especially given that an increasing number of ISP's are now blocking the standard outgoing server port 25).
Hotmail used to use a proprietary email protocol known as "DAV" (Distributed Authoring and Versioning), which was used by Outlook Express and early versions of Windows Live Mail (formerly known as "Windows Live Desktop Mail"). Hotmail's newly introduced support for POP3 means more responsive email management, and availability to more email clients.
Windows Live Hotmail's POP3 server settings are as follows; enter each of these settings where applicable in the email program in which you are trying to configure Hotmail access. If your email client requires that you specify the email account type beforehand, make sure that you indicate "POP3". The table below lists all Hotmail POP3 settings; you will find detailed explanations in the remainder of this tutorial.
| Incoming server name | pop3.live.com |
|---|---|
| Incoming server port | 995 |
| Outgoing server name | smtp.live.com |
| Outgoing server port | 25 or 587 |
| Requires SSL | Yes |
| Requires outgoing authentication | Yes |
More about the Hotmail incoming mail server.
The incoming mail server address for the new Hotmail is pop3.live.com (Hotmail has transitioned from hotmail.com or msn.com to live.com, since Windows Live is now the service under which Microsoft provides online services and freeware for Windows users).
The incoming POP3 mail server port is 995 - and not the traditional port number 110; since port settings are often auto-populated by the email program, make sure that you change to the proper port number if needed. (This is because Hotmail uses an encrypted (or "secure") connection to their mail server, and the port is often automatically set, assuming a non-secure connection, before you get a chance to specify incoming and outgoing port settings.)
User credentials - The user name and password you need to enter to access Hotmail using POP3 are simply your full Hotmail email address and your Hotmail password.
The outgoing (SMTP) server settings for the new Hotmail are as follows: outgoing server address is smtp.live.com, using either port 25 or port 587.
Tip: Some internet service providers block port 25 in an effort to fight junk mail (spambots often try to use that port to hijack computers as spam relays). You may need to use the port 587 to avoid problems connecting with the Hotmail POP3 service. Officially, both ports are supported for Hotmail.
Here too, as a spam prevention or mitigation measure, your POP3 Hotmail account requires "outgoing authentication" - this means that your email program needs to log into the Windows Live Hotmail service when fetching emails from the mail server, but also when attempting to send emails through Hotmail's servers.
Make sure that you check the checkbox that reads something like "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication" - this exact wording is shared by Microsoft email programs (Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, and Microsoft Outlook).
Caution: remember to indicate where applicable that Hotmail uses SSL ("Secure Sockets Layer") - authentication happens only in secure mode, where the transaction between email program and mail server is encrypted.
And these are the Hotmail POP / POP3 server settings you'll need to use!