If you check your email with multiple computers, or with a mobile device like an iPhone, you want to check out the email protocol IMAP. IMAP has a few major advantages over POP, which is an older email protocol that you might still be using.
Synchronizing across multiple devices
If you use a desktop email program like Outlook Express, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail, wouldn’t it be nice to see the same folders and emails when you log into Web mail? IMAP will give you full synchronization wherever you check your email: desktop, laptop, mobile, or Web mail. You won’t have to get by with “Keep messages on server” anymore!
Check from multiple clients at the same time
IMAP was designed to be concurrently accessible by multiple clients. This means that you won’t run into any problems when collecting your email from your desktop and a portable device such as an iPhone or a Blackberry. With POP there was a potential for collision when both devices checked for email at once.
Ready to switch?
Unfortunately it’s not as easy as clicking a button in your email program to switch from POP to IMAP. Your email address is already configured for IMAP on our end, but the mail client your computer uses will need some work. If you need help, please contact Cruzio Support.
- First you’ll need to add an IMAP account to your email program. Do this before removing your POP account so that you don’t lose old emails stored in the POP account folders.
- Next, move messages from the POP account folders into the IMAP account folders, this will get the messages synchronized to your account on our servers.
- Now log in to your email account by going to cruzio.com and clicking the envelope icon in the upper right corner. Once logged in, verify that your messages were successfully copied to the IMAP folders.
- Once you’re sure that all your email is in the IMAP account, you can safely remove the POP account from your email client.
- Now all of your email will be in sync across all of your computers, mobile devices, and Web mail.
Any gotchas?
Just one: Members with Cruzio domains using our “Classic Hosting” will need to upgrade to our newer hosting to have IMAP available to them. Luckily, we can migrate you to our newer hosting pretty easily. Please contact us if you’d like to migrate.
What does IMAP stand for, anyway?
IMAP stands for “Internet Message Access Protocol.” Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!
