Email server settings
Outlook SMTP settings for Outlook.com and Hotmail
The Outlook SMTP settings for Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and MSN addresses are smtp-mail.outlook.com, port 587, STARTTLS. Incoming mail uses outlook.office365.com (IMAP on 993, POP on 995). Since September 16, 2024, mail apps must sign in with Microsoft’s modern authentication (OAuth 2.0); a password typed into the app no longer works.
Last checked October 9, 2026, against Microsoft’s own documentation.
Outlook.com IMAP, POP3 and SMTP servers
| Server, port and securityServer | Port and security |
|---|---|
| IMAP · incomingoutlook | 993SSL/TLS |
| POP3 · incomingoutlook | 995SSL/TLS |
| SMTP · outgoingsmtp-mail | 587STARTTLS |
Sign-in: OAuth 2.0 (modern authentication)
User name: your full email address, for example jane.doe@outlook.com or jane.doe@hotmail.com.
Outlook.com SMTP settings explained
These are Microsoft’s values from POP, IMAP, and SMTP settings for Outlook.com. They apply to personal Microsoft accounts: outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com, msn.com and their country versions. Work or school accounts in Microsoft 365 send through a different server: see Office 365 SMTP settings.
- Hotmail uses the same IMAP and SMTP settings as Outlook.com. A Hotmail address is an Outlook.com mailbox: IMAP
outlook.office365.comon 993, SMTPsmtp-mail.outlook.comon 587. - IMAP and SMTP use different host names. Incoming mail runs on
outlook.office365.com, outgoing mail onsmtp-mail.outlook.com; don’t swap them. - Turn on POP or IMAP access first. Microsoft says this access is off by default. In Outlook.com, open Settings → Mail → Forwarding and IMAP, switch on POP or IMAP under POP and IMAP, and select Save.
- Outlook.com on your own domain: if your Outlook.com account uses a domain other than
live.com,hotmail.comoroutlook.com, Microsoft says IMAP sync may not work; set the account up as POP instead.
Modern authentication and app passwords
Microsoft ended Basic authentication for every Outlook.com account on September 16, 2024. Apps that send only a user name and password keep asking for the password and never connect. Outlook.com now requires modern authentication (OAuth 2.0): the app opens Microsoft’s sign-in page, where two-step verification works as usual, and gets a token instead of your password.
App passwords remain for a few cases. Microsoft mentions them when your password isn’t accepted or when you add the account to a smart device such as a home security camera. You need two-step verification turned on; then open Advanced security options in your Microsoft account, create a password under App passwords, and enter it in the device instead of your account password (Microsoft account help).
Set up Outlook.com in Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and phones
- Outlook for Windows: use Outlook from a Microsoft 365 subscription or Outlook 2021 LTSC (build 11601.10000 or higher). Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 (MSI) and 2019 LTSC can’t do modern authentication for Outlook.com. Create a new profile and add the account through automatic setup, not as POP or IMAP: Outlook connected over POP or IMAP doesn’t support modern authentication.
- Apple Mail (Mac, iPhone, iPad): remove the account and add it again with Outlook.com as the provider (on iPhone: Settings → Apps → Mail → Mail Accounts → Add Account). If the password prompts continue, clear Safari’s website data, restart and add the account again.
- Thunderbird: set Authentication method to OAuth2 for the incoming server and the outgoing SMTP server, or remove the account and add it again so Thunderbird detects the right settings.
- Android and other apps: choose the app’s Outlook.com option if it has one. If not, ask the developer whether the app supports modern authentication for IMAP, POP and SMTP; Microsoft recommends the free Outlook app otherwise.
Common Outlook.com IMAP and SMTP problems
| Error or symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| The app keeps asking for the password, although it’s correct | The app uses Basic authentication, which Outlook.com no longer accepts. Re-add the account with OAuth2 / modern authentication as described above. |
| IMAP connection errors when the account is set up in several apps | Microsoft’s workaround: open account, find the Session Type event under Recent activity, select This was me, then connect again. |
| IMAP doesn’t sync an Outlook.com account on your own domain | Remove the IMAP account and set it up as POP instead, as Microsoft recommends for domains other than live.com, hotmail.com and outlook.com. |
| Receiving works, sending fails | Check the SMTP server: smtp-mail, port 587, STARTTLS, with the same OAuth login as for incoming mail. outlook is the IMAP and POP host. |
| Sending stops after a large mailing | You reached one of the daily limits (below). Wait before sending again, and stay under the limits. |
Outlook.com sending limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Recipients per day | 5,000 |
| Recipients per message | 500 |
| Non-relationship recipients per day | 1,000 |
Microsoft publishes these numbers for Microsoft 365 subscribers. It adds that limits may vary with usage history and are lower for free accounts, without giving numbers for them. Source: Sending limits in Outlook.com. Outlook.com is a personal mailbox, not a bulk sender: for newsletters use an email service, and see the guide to email deliverability.
Is @outlook.com a valid email domain?
Yes. outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com and msn.com are Microsoft’s consumer email domains, and country versions such as hotmail.co.uk, outlook.de or live.fr belong to the same service with the same servers (the full list is below). A well-formed address still isn’t proof that the mailbox exists. Check one address with our free check Is this a real email address?, or a whole list with the bulk email verifier, before you send: mail to a mailbox that doesn’t exist comes back as a hard bounce.
All 102 domains that mail apps set up with these servers
hotmail.com, live.com, msn.com, outlook.com, windowslive.com, outlook.at, outlook.be, outlook.cl, outlook.cz, outlook.de, outlook.dk, outlook.es, outlook.fr, outlook.hu, outlook.ie, outlook.in, outlook.it, outlook.jp, outlook.kr, outlook.lv, outlook.my, outlook.ph, outlook.pt, outlook.sa, outlook.sg, outlook.sk, outlook.co.id, outlook.co.il, outlook.co.th, outlook.com.ar, outlook.com.au, outlook.com.br, outlook.com.gr, outlook.com.tr, outlook.com.vn, hotmail.be, hotmail.ca, hotmail.cl, hotmail.cz, hotmail.de, hotmail.dk, hotmail.es, hotmail.fi, hotmail.fr, hotmail.gr, hotmail.hu, hotmail.it, hotmail.lt, hotmail.lv, hotmail.my, hotmail.nl, hotmail.no, hotmail.ph, hotmail.rs, hotmail.se, hotmail.sg, hotmail.sk, hotmail.co.id, hotmail.co.il, hotmail.co.in, hotmail.co.jp, hotmail.co.kr, hotmail.co.th, hotmail.co.uk, hotmail.co.za, hotmail.com.ar, hotmail.com.au, hotmail.com.br, hotmail.com.hk, hotmail.com.tr, hotmail.com.tw, hotmail.com.vn, live.at, live.be, live.ca, live.cl, live.cn, live.de, live.dk, live.fi, live.fr, live.hk, live.ie, live.in, live.it, live.jp, live.nl, live.no, live.ru, live.se, live.co.jp, live.co.kr, live.co.uk, live.co.za, live.com.ar, live.com.au, live.com.mx, live.com.my, live.com.ph, live.com.pt, live.com.sg, livemail.tw.
Source: the Mozilla Thunderbird ISP database (MPL 2.0), which mail clients use for automatic setup.
About the address domain: Is @outlook.com a valid email domain?
Sources
Checked on October 9, 2026. Server names, ports and sign-in rules come from these official pages:
- Microsoft Support: POP, IMAP, and SMTP settings for Outlook.com
- Microsoft Support: Modern authentication methods now needed to continue syncing Outlook email in non-Microsoft email apps
- Microsoft Support: How to get and use app passwords
- Microsoft Support: Sending limits in Outlook.com
- Microsoft Learn: Authenticate an IMAP, POP or SMTP connection using OAuth
Other mailbox providers
Outlook.com (Hotmail) email settings: FAQ
What are the Outlook SMTP settings?
smtp-mail.outlook.com, port 587, STARTTLS, your full email address as the user name, and modern authentication (OAuth 2.0) as the sign-in.What are the Outlook.com and Hotmail IMAP settings?
outlook.office365.com, port 993, SSL/TLS. POP3 uses the same server on port 995. Turn on IMAP or POP access under Settings → Mail → Forwarding and IMAP first.Why does my mail app keep asking for my Outlook.com password?
Is smtp.office365.com the same as smtp-mail.outlook.com?
smtp-mail.outlook.com is for personal Outlook.com and Hotmail accounts; smtp.office365.com is for work and school accounts in Microsoft 365.Email validation API
Validate outlook.com addresses before you send
emailvalidation.io checks syntax, MX records and the mailbox over SMTP, flags disposable, role and free addresses and returns a quality score, in one request.
/v1/info Email validation API Read the documentation
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GET https://api.emailvalidation.io/v1/info?
{
"email": "support@emailvalidation.io",
"user": "support",
"tag": "",
"domain": "emailvalidation.io",
"format_valid": true,
"mx_found": true,
"smtp_check": true,
"catch_all": null,
"role": true,
"disposable": false,
"free": false,
"score": 0.64,
"state": "deliverable",
"reason": "low_quality",
"did_you_mean": "",
"catch_all_resolution": null,
"bounce_probability": null,
"status": "valid",
"sub_status": "role_based",
"explanation": "The mailbox exists, but it is a role address (such as info@ or support@), usually read by a team rather than one person.",
"recommended_action": "send_with_caution"
}