How do I verify the settings for a POP3 account in Outlook 2016 or 2019?

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If you’ve already set up a POP3 email account in Outlook 2016 or 2019 on a Windows computer and you want to make sure the settings are correct, this page explains how to do so.

You may want the IMAP version of this page.

This page shows instructions for POP3 connections, but most people set up Outlook using IMAP rather than POP3. That means that most people should view our How do I verify the settings for an IMAP account in Outlook 2016 or 2019? page instead of this one.

1. Start Outlook 2016 or 2019

If Outlook isn’t already running, start it now.

2. Select the account.

Click the File tab on the ribbon:

Outlook 2016 File tab

Go to Info and select the account for your email address if it’s not already chosen.

Then click Account Settings. A drop-down menu will appear. If that menu contains “Server Settings”, choose that option:

Outlook verify screen

(If the menu does not include “Server Settings”, you have an older version of Outlook 2016 or 2019 and should follow the instructions for older versions below.)

3. Verify the incoming settings.

The window should look like this:

Outlook incoming settings

Check that each of these is correct and make changes if necessary:

  • User Name: your email address (all lowercase)
  • Server: mail.tigertech.net
  • Port: 995
  • This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL/TLS) should be checked
  • “Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)” should not be checked.

After verifying the incoming settings, click Outgoing mail.

4. Verify the outgoing settings.

The window should look like this:

Outlook outgoing settings

Check that each of these is correct and make changes if necessary:

  • Server: mail.tigertech.net
  • Port: 587
  • Encryption method: STARTTLS
  • My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication should be checked
  • Use same settings as my incoming server should be selected

After verifying these settings, click Next, then Done to close the “Server Settings” window.

You’re finished verifying the settings for Outlook.

Instructions for older versions of Outlook 2016 or 2019

If you don’t see “Server Settings” in the dropdown menu, but you do see “Account Settings”, you have an older version of Outlook, and the instructions below should help.

1. Start Outlook 2016 or 2019.

If Outlook isn’t already running, start it now.

2. Select the account.

Click the File tab on the ribbon:

Outlook 2016 File tab

Go to Info and select the account for your email address if it’s not already chosen.

Then click Account Settings. A drop-down menu will appear. If that menu contains “Server Settings”, you should go back to the top of this page and follow the instructions there. Otherwise, choose the Account Settings... option:

Outlook 2016 Account Information

The “Account Settings” window appears.

Make sure your email address is selected, then click Change.

screen shot

3. Verify the basic account settings.

The window should look like this:

screen shot

(If you instead see a different window with buttons marked “Reset Mail Settings” and “Next”, see the What if I don’t see the settings window when I click “Change”? section below.)

Although the “Your Name” and the “Password” will be different, everything else should be as shown above. In particular, these must be exactly right:

  • Email Address: your email address (all lowercase)
  • Account Type: POP3
  • Incoming mail server: mail.tigertech.net
  • Outgoing mail server: mail.tigertech.net
  • User Name: your email address (all lowercase)
  • Remember password should be checked
  • “Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)” should not be checked.

After verifying these settings, click the More Settings button. The “Internet E-mail Settings” window appears.

4. Verify the “Outgoing Server” settings.

The outgoing server settings should look like this:

screen shot

Verify these settings:

  • My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication should be checked
  • Use same settings as my incoming server should be selected

5. Verify the “Advanced” settings.

Click the Advanced tab. The window should usually look like this:

screen shot

With the following values:

  • Incoming Server (IMAP): 995
  • This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL) checked
  • Outgoing Server (SMTP): 465
  • Use the following type of encrypted connection: SSL

It’s also okay if the settings look like this instead (some versions of Outlook 2016 set things up this way):

  • Incoming Server (POP3): 110
  • Use the following type of encrypted connection: STARTTLS
  • Outgoing Server (SMTP): 587
  • Use the following type of encrypted connection: STARTTLS

If everything looks okay, click OK to close the “Internet E-mail Settings” window.

6. Test the settings.

Click Next. Outlook should tell you that “all tests completed successfully”:

screen shot

If Outlook tells you a test failed, double-check to be sure you’ve entered the settings correctly.

7. Finish the wizard.

If the “Test Account Settings” window is still open, click Close to continue.

Click Finish to finish the “Change Account” wizard.

Click Close to close the “Account Settings” window.

What if I don’t see the settings window when I click “Change” in the older instructions, but there’s no “Server Settings” option either?

In 2018, Microsoft made a change to the Outlook interface where (on some computers) clicking Change in step 2 shows a completely different window, with buttons marked “Reset Mail Settings” and “Next” instead of the server settings.

Most cases, choosing “Server Settings” instead solves that, but if that option isn’t present either, you need to get to the settings screen a different way:

  • Close the Outlook program completely
  • Click the Windows Start menu, scroll down the apps to the “Windows System” folder, then click Control Panel to open the control panel app
  • Search the control panel app for the word mail
  • Click the Mail (Microsoft Outlook 2016) result
  • Click the Email Accounts... button

After doing this, you should be able to highlight the account and click the Change button to see the settings window described in step 3 above.