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Secure switch from POP to IMAP

To switch from POP to IMAP, it is best to go through the following steps to do so in a secure manner, without losing your current e-mails.

IMAP or POP? Discover the pros and cons of POP and IMAP

From POP to IMAP in 5 steps

  1. Change your existing POP settings so that the messages are stored on the server indefinitely. For the most used e-mail programs (Outlook, Apple Mail, iOS, Android) we explain this in our configuration manuals for Basic mailboxes.
  2. Now add a new account to your mail program, this time with an IMAP configuration. This info can also be found in the  configuration manuals for Basic mailboxes.
  3. As soon as your new IMAP mailbox is active, you move all your e-mails from your POP mailbox to your IMAP mailbox. You do this best for every folder: Inbox, sent mails, archives … Transferring all those emails can take a while. Therefore, leave your computer on at night.
  4. Check via webmail whether all your mails are present. If that is the case, the process is complete.
  5. If necessary, remove the POP mailbox from your mail program.

Do you use Outlook? Follow these 4 steps

  1. Export the account to a .PST file
  2. Remove the pop3 account from the mail client
  3. Re-add the account as an IMAP account
  4. Import the .PST file that you have just created

Updated on 27 February 2020

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