when changing from POP to IMAP can I keep my existing email address?
I have a very old Bell sympatico.ca email account that I've been running for decades as POP.
I think I need to convert it to IMAP to facilitate access of mail on iphones and ipads.
I read through the "Switch from POP to IMAP account" page in the "help" and was surprised to read that I would need to "create an IMAP account". Can't I simply reconfigure the existing one?
One wrinkle is that I'd very much like not to have to supply the email password. It was input when the account was setup and we don't have a record readily to hand.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/switch-pop-imap-account
The easier this change is the better. It's my aged Parent's email.
Hope you can help. Thanks!
M
Chosen solution
The address can be the same, in fact most people simply want to change the account type. Just be sure if, when you add the IMAP account, the Account Name is different, e.g. Bell IMAP.
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Yes, you must set up the IMAP account separately - you cannot just change the POP settings.
You may be able to retrieve the current POP password from Tools/Options/Security/Passwords/Saved Passwords, Show passwords.
imap.bell.net on port 993, SSL/TLS security, normal password authentication, and User name = email address.
smtphm.sympatico.ca on port 587, STARTTLS security, auth. and User name same as above.
OK. Thanks.
The article then assumes this new account will have a new email address that I will have to share with everyone who knows the old one.
Is that true? If so can that be avoided? Can't the email address reamin the same?
Chosen Solution
The address can be the same, in fact most people simply want to change the account type. Just be sure if, when you add the IMAP account, the Account Name is different, e.g. Bell IMAP.
Thanks so much.
You might want to clarify this final paragraph in the article though...
"If you have created a new email account that uses IMAP, you cannot delete your old POP account without deleting your email address. Before deleting the POP account, you will probably want to inform people who send messages to your old account that they should switch to your new email address, and allow a period of time to pass before deleting the POP account to ensure that you don't miss any messages."
The first sentence is clearly wrong, no?
With respect to people sending mail to my parents the account name doesn't figure into it (so far as I understand from what you've said). If the address can remain the same then it should all work.
Thanks again.
The simplest approach is to copy any mail in the POP account to Local Folders, if desired, remove the POP account via Tools/Account Settings/Account Actions, then add the account as IMAP. Since in your case you're using the same address, there's no need to inform others about a 'new' address.
The Account Name I referred to is the entry in Account Settings when you right-click an account in the Folder Pane, Settings. It usually defaults to the email address, but this can cause problems if you have other accounts with the same Account Name (even if they have different email addresses).