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How to Sync IMAP Email with Outlook? Step-by-Step Guide

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Published By Jamie Kaler 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On December 26th, 2024
Reading Time 6 Min Read

Are you looking to sync IMAP email with Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013 and other editions? Or maybe you want to connect your account to synchronize and manage all emails within Outlook. If so, this is the right place for you. In this blog post, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to set up and sync IMAP email with Outlook and Outlook.com.

Migration vs Setting Up an Account

Setting up an account refers to the process of adding a new email account to Outlook for the first time. One can use the Outlook application to synchronize and manage the IMAP account data.

Migration, on the other hand, refers to the process of transferring an existing email account’s data like emails from one email client or service to Outlook. You are not synchronizing the data to use both of them in conjecture. But you are migrating all the emails from IMAP to Outlook.

There are various situations when you users want to sync IMAP email with Outlook and Outlook.com accounts, but because of their non-technical background, they don’t know the right way.

However, don’t worry, here we will help you with complete information and step by step guide to migrate IMAP to Outlook.

How to Sync IMAP Email with Outlook?

  • Step 1: Download and start the solution.
  • Step 2: Provide “IMAP” account credentials.
  • Step 3: Check the email folders/subfolders.
  • Step 4: Select the “PST” as saving format.
  • Step 5: Enable additional filters and location.
  • Step 6: Hit on the “Backup” to sync IMAP email with Outlook.

How to Connect IMAP to Outlook Account Manually?

Outlook email client allow users to connect any IMAP-based email client or service for migration or configuration. So, you can easily add IMAP account to Outlook account by following the given steps:

  1. Open Outlook and select “File”.

    file tab

  2. Choose the “Add Account” tab.

    Add Account

  3. Choose “Manual Setup” and “Next”.

    Manual setup

  4. Simply choose the “POP or IMAP”.

    POP or IMAP

  5. Next, provide account IMAP ID, password, etc.
  6. Also, enter other IMAP account information.
  7. Select “More Settings” from the bottom.

    More Settings

  8. Next, Head to the “Outgoing Server”
  9. Here, checkmark the “My Outgoing Server Requires Authentication” option to enable it.

    server requires authentication

  10. This time, go to the “Advanced” tab to sync IMAP email with Outlook.

    migrate IMAP to Outlook

  11. Next, you’ll need to enter your IMAP server settings. This includes your incoming and outgoing server settings, as well as your port numbers.

    IMAP server settings

  12. Once you’ve entered your IMAP server settings, select “OK” to save your changes.

    IMAP server settings

  13. Once Outlook has finished setting up your IMAP account, select “Finish” to complete the process.

    finished setting

And that’s it! You’ve successfully sync IMAP email with Outlook. Now you can start sending and receiving emails from your IMAP account in Outlook.

How to Sync IMAP Email with Outlook Account?

Sometimes users have Outlook.com, so here are the all steps to connect IMAP to Outlook.com account:

  1. Sign in to Outlook.com account.
  2. Select “View All Settings” from the “Settings” option.
  3. Head to the “Sync Email” tab.
  4. Choose the “Mail” account.
  5. Provide the login details of IMAP accounts.
  6. After all the configuration, click on the “OK” icon.

We hope this guide has helped set up and sync IMAP email with Outlook and Outlook.com. And if you don’t have Outlook installed or you are facing errors while connecting the accounts then go for the advanced solution.

Direct Solution to Sync IMAP Email with Outlook Account

IMAP Server Backup Tool is a powerful tool that allows users to sync IMAP email with Outlook and Outlook.com. This software ensures that every email is successfully migrated to Outlook. Even non-technical users find it easy to use this software because of its user-friendly interface.

You can download the free trial version here to try the software on your end without spending any penny. So that you can easily understand how it works to connect IMAP to Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, and older versions:

How to Migrate IMAP to Outlook Account Directly?

First, we will export IMAP emails in PST format, because Outlook only accepts PST format for importing data.

  1. Install and launch the software to sync IMAP email with Outlook on your system.

    migrate IMAP to Outlook

  2. Enter your credentials and host of the source email account (IMAP account) and click on the “Login” button.

    your credentials

  3. Select the IMAP folders that you need to transfer or migrate to Outlook.

    IMAP folders

  4. Now, choose the “PST” or “Outlook.com” from the list of saving options.

    saving options

  5. Apply some advanced filters to sync IMAP email with Outlook selectively and browse the path to save output.

    browse the path

  6. The wizard will start to download emails from IMAP folders after clicking on the “Backup” button.

    migrate IMAP to Outlook

  7. Wait until the process is completed, then close the wizard.

After exporting IMAP server data, now we will import it into Outlook account by following the rest steps:

  1. Launch Outlook on your system.
  2. Select the “Import/Export” option from the “File” menu >> “Open & Export”.

    Open and Export option

  3. Choose the “Import from Another Program or File” option, then hit “Next”.

    Import from Another Program

  4. Select the “PST” file type as the import source.

    PST file type

  5. Then locate and select the exported file.

    select the exported file

  6. Map the IMAP Backup Wizard file(s) to the Outlook folder(s) you desire.

    Outlook folder

  7. Hit Finish, and your IMAP data will be migrated or transferred to Outlook.
Note: The process does not delete your data from the IMAP account. It simply exports IMAP emails to PST (a copy of your data) and then imports it into the Outlook application.

Queries Asked by Users

  • Q 1: Why is Outlook not connecting to IMAP?

    Ans: Check your internet connection, and verify provided incoming and outgoing server settings are correct or not.

  • Q 2: Is Outlook POP3 or IMAP?

    Ans: Outlook supports both POP3 and IMAP configurations.

  • Q 3: Can I connect my Outlook.com account using a normal password?

    Ans: Yes, now Microsoft is using Modern Authentication so there is no need of an app password.

Concluding Lines

In conclusion, sync IMAP email with Outlook process can be a seamless process if you follow the right steps. It is essential to ensure that you have the correct login credentials and connect to the right ports and servers. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you will successfully set up your IMAP account in Outlook, and enjoy the benefits of the platform. Remember to check your settings and test your connection before starting the migration process to avoid any errors.