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There are two main ways that users can access their e-Mail.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) is the standard way which has been around for decades. It is very similar to regular mail. Messages are delivered to your computer, put in your mailbox, and are then your responsibility as they reside locally on your computer after downloading.
The other, newer, method is IMAP (Interactive Mail Access Protocol). As you might guess by the name, it is not like the mailbox at your house. With IMAP, mail is delivered to the server, and subsequently you connect to the server to view your messages. The mail is NOT stored locally on your machine. When a message is marked as read, it is marked as read on the server, not on your computer. The same applies to sent messages.
At first this may seem kind of backwards, but what IMAP allows you to do is access your mail from different programs, different computers and/or devices, or even via a web page and your mail will always reflect all your changes. Basically all your devices sync with the server and are updated simultaneously.
Please note:
Red Cactus will always recommend IMAP with SSL enabled.
Kindly navigate to our mail settings tool and insert your Email address or domain name and you will be provided with the recommended (IMAP) e-Mail settings for your mail client.
Keywords:
pop3 vs imap, imap vs pop3