Connecting Thunderbird, Outlook & Apple Mail to EvilMail via POP3 and IMAP
Complete configuration guide for accessing your EvilMail inbox from desktop and mobile email clients using standard mail protocols.
EvilMail TeamFebruary 10, 20267 min read
One of the most requested features from our users has always been native email client support. While web interfaces are convenient, there are valid reasons to prefer a desktop client — offline access, unified inbox across multiple services, advanced filtering rules, and sheer habit. EvilMail supports both POP3 and IMAP protocols, which means you can connect virtually any email client on the market.
Choosing Between POP3 and IMAP
This decision matters more than most people realize. POP3 downloads messages to your device and typically removes them from the server. It is the right choice when you want local-only storage and do not need to access the same mailbox from multiple devices. IMAP, on the other hand, synchronizes mail between the server and all connected clients. Read a message on your phone, and it appears as read on your desktop. For most users, IMAP is the better default.
Server Connection Details
Regardless of which client you use, the connection parameters are the same:
IMAP Server: mail.yourdomain.com
IMAP Port: 993 (SSL/TLS)
POP3 Server: mail.yourdomain.com
POP3 Port: 995 (SSL/TLS)
SMTP Server: mail.yourdomain.com
SMTP Port: 587 (STARTTLS)
Username: your full email address
Password: the password you set during account creation
Replace "yourdomain.com" with the actual domain you configured in the EvilMail dashboard.
Mozilla Thunderbird Configuration
Thunderbird is our recommended client for its privacy focus and open-source nature. Open Thunderbird, go to Account Settings, and click "Add Mail Account." Enter your display name, your EvilMail address, and password. Thunderbird will attempt auto-configuration. If it does not detect the settings automatically, click "Configure manually" and enter the IMAP/SMTP details listed above. Make sure SSL/TLS is selected for incoming mail and STARTTLS for outgoing.
Microsoft Outlook Setup
In Outlook, navigate to File > Add Account. Select "Manual setup" and choose IMAP. Enter the server details as shown above. Outlook sometimes defaults to port 143 for IMAP — make sure you override this to 993 with SSL/TLS encryption. For the outgoing server, use port 587 with STARTTLS and enable "My outgoing server requires authentication" using the same credentials.
Apple Mail (macOS & iOS)
On macOS, open Mail > Preferences > Accounts > Add Account > Other Mail Account. Enter your EvilMail address and password. When prompted for manual settings, select IMAP as the account type and fill in the server details. On iOS, the process is nearly identical: Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account > Other > Add Mail Account.
Testing Your Connection
After configuring any client, send a test email to your EvilMail address from an external account. You can use curl to verify the inbox via API while troubleshooting:
If the message appears in the API response but not in your client, the issue is in the client configuration — double-check server addresses, ports, and encryption settings.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
The most frequent connection failures we see stem from three causes: incorrect port numbers (especially confusing 143 with 993), using the username without the full domain part (use [email protected], not just user), and firewall or antivirus software blocking outbound connections on ports 993 or 587. If you are behind a corporate network, check with your IT department whether these ports are permitted.
Mobile Clients and Third-Party Apps
Any application that supports standard IMAP/POP3 will work with EvilMail. This includes K-9 Mail on Android, Spark, Airmail, and Mailspring. The connection parameters are always the same — only the interface for entering them differs between apps.
