Using POP3 and IMAP Protocols to Access Email

There are a lot of questions that have users wanting to know whether it is preferable to use IMAP or POP3 email.

If you’re not sure what this means, they are the protocols that we access when using email clients such as Outlook and Thunderbird among others.

Until now, most people agree that it’s better to use IMAP, which is modern compared to POP3 that has been around for a while. That doesn’t mean POP3 doesn’t have its uses.

IMAP lets you view your accounts in the exact way as you would on literally any device (PC, smartphone or tablet) that you use since it is synced to the central server. POP3, on the other hand, merely downloads your email to your device and in some cases, deletes the email from the server once it has been downloaded.

As for setup, IMAP is far more easier to do so since most email clients offer it by default compared to POP3 which often requires users to set it up manually.

However, if you’re concerned about privacy, then using POP3 won’t be so bad as it won’t remain on the servers once it has been downloaded.

Another benefit of using POP3 involves staying within limits when it comes to email storage limits set by ISPs or website hosting services.

However, some of the downsides include having a backup plan for the POP3 email that is now on your hard drive. Apart from this, you’ll have to give some thought as to how you will access POP3 email on a mobile device.