Should I go with POP or IMAP when setting up email on my device?

When you set up your KCOM email on a device or an email client, you need to choose either POP or IMAP as the server type. There are good and bad points to using either one which we explain in this article.

What is an Email Client?

An email client is a software application that allows you to manage, receive, and send emails from your computer or mobile device. Examples of popular email clients include Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, and Mozilla Thunderbird.

We provide detailed guides for setting up your KCOM email on various email clients. You can find these by searching our knowledge base.

Should I Use POP for My KCOM Email?

POP (Post Office Protocol, also known as POP3) is the preferred email setup for most KCOM customers. Here’s why:

Advantages of Using POP

• With POP, all your emails are downloaded from our server and stored locally on your device. This helps keep your 250MB inbox on the server free, preventing it from filling up.
• You can configure POP to leave a copy of your emails on the server, making them accessible from other devices and KCOM Webmail.
• Because emails are stored locally on your device, you have a personal backup and can store thousands of emails, depending on your device's storage capacity.

Disadvantages of Using POP

• By default, POP removes emails from the server after downloading them to your device, meaning other devices or webmail won't have access to those emails.
• POP connects to the email server only briefly to download new messages, so you may not receive emails immediately as they arrive.
• POP does not sync flags (e.g., read/unread status) across devices. This means reading or deleting an email on one device will not update its status on another device.

Should I Use IMAP for My KCOM Email?

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol, also known as IMAP4) is less common but ideal for users who want to manage their emails across multiple devices seamlessly.

Advantages of Using IMAP

• IMAP allows you to create, rename, and delete folders directly on the server, ensuring that all changes are reflected across all your devices.
• IMAP maintains a continuous connection to the server while your email client is open, allowing you to receive emails in real-time.
• IMAP syncs flags across all devices, so if you read or delete an email on one device, those changes will be reflected on all other devices.

Disadvantages of Using IMAP

• Since IMAP keeps all emails on the server, your 250MB inbox may fill up faster, requiring regular maintenance.
• You need to frequently check your inbox and delete unnecessary emails to prevent it from becoming full.
• When you create a new folder in webmail or on another device, it may not appear on all devices immediately until you refresh the folder list in your email settings.