> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brudcast.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect a mail client

> The IMAP and SMTP settings for hosted mailboxes, with steps for Apple Mail, iPhone, Outlook, Thunderbird and the Gmail app.

export const Loop = ({id, src, alt, caption}) => {
  if (!src) {
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      <video className="brd-media-frame" src={src} autoPlay muted loop playsInline aria-label={alt} />
      {caption && <figcaption className="brd-media-caption">{caption}</figcaption>}
    </figure>;
};

export const Screenshot = ({id, src, srcDark, alt, caption}) => {
  if (!src) {
    return <Placeholder id={id} kind="screenshot" label="Screenshot coming soon" description={alt} icon={<ImageIcon />} />;
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      {caption && <figcaption className="brd-media-caption">{caption}</figcaption>}
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};

Add a hosted mailbox to the mail app you already use. Every mailbox works over IMAP (to read mail)
and SMTP (to send it).

<Screenshot id="ss-mailbox-connect-a-mail-client-hero-inbox" alt="A mail app showing the inbox of jane@example.com next to its other accounts after the mailbox was added" />

<Info>
  **Before you start:** you need the mailbox's full address and its password. The password is shown
  once, when the mailbox is created or its password is reset. If nobody saved it, reset it. See
  [Reset a password](/mailbox/manage-mailboxes#reset-a-password). The mailbox's status must be **Active**.
</Info>

## Server settings

| Setting  | Incoming mail (IMAP)                               | Outgoing mail (SMTP)   |
| -------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Server   | `mail.brudcast.io`                                 | `mail.brudcast.io`     |
| Port     | `993`                                              | `465`                  |
| Security | SSL/TLS                                            | SSL/TLS                |
| Username | The full email address, such as `jane@example.com` | The full email address |
| Password | The mailbox password                               | The mailbox password   |

Both ports use TLS from the moment the connection opens. Don't choose STARTTLS or "None".

When a client asks for the account type, choose **IMAP**.

### Folder names

The server's special folders are called **Sent Items**, **Deleted Items** and **Junk Mail**. If your
client asks where to keep sent, deleted or junk messages, choose these. Otherwise your sent mail can
end up in a folder that other devices don't show.

<Warning>
  **Don't let your client auto-fill these.** If you published the optional autodiscovery records,
  some clients read them and fill in hostnames on `prod.brudcast.org` — which aren't serving mail
  today, so the connection fails. If you see anything other than `mail.brudcast.io`, replace it with
  the values in the table above. See
  [The record set](/mailbox/add-a-mail-domain#the-record-set).
</Warning>

## Add the mailbox to your app

Menu names vary a little between app versions. If something has moved, look for the option to add
an account "manually" or to add an "other" account type.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Apple Mail / iPhone">
    **On a Mac**

    1. Open **Mail**. From the menu bar, choose **Mail > Add Account**.
    2. Choose **Other Mail Account**, then **Continue**.
    3. Enter your name, the full email address and the mailbox password, then select **Sign In**.
    4. If Mail can't find the settings, it asks for more details. Set **Account Type** to **IMAP**,
       and both **Incoming Mail Server** and **Outgoing Mail Server** to `mail.brudcast.io`. Enter
       the full address as the user name, then select **Sign In**.
    5. To check the ports, open **Mail > Settings > Accounts**, select the account and open **Server
       Settings**. Turn off **Automatically manage connection settings** for incoming and outgoing
       mail, then set port `993` and `465` with **Use TLS/SSL** on.

    <Loop id="lp-mailbox-connect-a-mail-client-apple-mail" alt="Adding an Other Mail Account in Apple Mail and entering mail.brudcast.io as the incoming and outgoing server" />

    **On an iPhone or iPad**

    1. Open **Settings**, go to **Mail**, then **Mail Accounts** (on some versions, **Accounts**).
    2. Select **Add Account > Other > Add Mail Account**.
    3. Enter your name, the full email address and the mailbox password, then select **Next**.
    4. Choose **IMAP**. Under both **Incoming Mail Server** and **Outgoing Mail Server**, enter
       `mail.brudcast.io` as the host name, the full address as the user name, and the password.
    5. Select **Next**, then **Save**.
    6. To check the ports, open the account, then **Account > Advanced**. Incoming should use SSL on
       port `993`. Under **Outgoing Mail Server > SMTP**, the primary server should use SSL on
       port `465`.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Outlook">
    **New Outlook for Windows and Outlook for the web**

    1. Open **Settings > Accounts > Email accounts** and select **Add account**.
    2. Enter the full email address and select **Continue**.
    3. If Outlook asks which provider to use, choose **IMAP**.
    4. Enter the mailbox password, then open the advanced or "more" settings.
    5. Set the **IMAP incoming server** to `mail.brudcast.io`, port `993`, with **SSL/TLS**.
    6. Set the **SMTP outgoing server** to `mail.brudcast.io`, port `465`, with **SSL/TLS**. Use the
       full address and the same password for SMTP.
    7. Select **Continue** to finish.

    **Classic Outlook**

    1. Choose **File > Add Account**.
    2. Enter the full email address, open **Advanced options** and select **Let me set up my account
       manually**. Select **Connect**.
    3. Choose **IMAP**. Enter the incoming and outgoing servers, ports and encryption from the table
       above, with **SSL/TLS** for both.
    4. Enter the mailbox password and select **Connect**.

    <Screenshot id="ss-mailbox-connect-a-mail-client-outlook" alt="Outlook's IMAP account settings with mail.brudcast.io on port 993 for incoming and port 465 for outgoing, both SSL/TLS" />
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Thunderbird">
    1. Open the menu (**☰**), then **Account Settings**. Open **Account Actions** and choose **Add
       Mail Account**.
    2. Enter your name, the full email address and the mailbox password.
    3. Select **Configure manually**.
    4. **Incoming Server**: protocol **IMAP**, hostname `mail.brudcast.io`, port `993`, connection
       security **SSL/TLS**, authentication **Normal password**, username the full address.
    5. **Outgoing Server**: hostname `mail.brudcast.io`, port `465`, connection security
       **SSL/TLS**, authentication **Normal password**, username the full address.
    6. Select **Re-test**, then **Done**.

    <Screenshot id="ss-mailbox-connect-a-mail-client-thunderbird" alt="Thunderbird's manual configuration with IMAP on mail.brudcast.io port 993 and SMTP on mail.brudcast.io port 465, both SSL/TLS" />
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Android (Gmail app)">
    1. Open the **Gmail** app. Select your profile picture, then **Add another account**.
    2. Choose **Other**.
    3. Enter the full email address and select **Manual setup**.
    4. Choose **Personal (IMAP)** and enter the mailbox password.
    5. **Incoming server settings**: username the full address, server `mail.brudcast.io`, port
       `993`, security type **SSL/TLS**.
    6. **Outgoing server settings**: keep **Require sign-in** on, username the full address, the
       mailbox password, SMTP server `mail.brudcast.io`, port `465`, security type **SSL/TLS**.
    7. Choose your sync options and finish.

    <Screenshot id="ss-mailbox-connect-a-mail-client-gmail-android" alt="The Gmail app's incoming server settings with mail.brudcast.io, port 993 and SSL/TLS" />
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The app says the username or password is wrong" icon="circle-alert">
    **Why:** the username must be the full email address, not just the part before the `@`. The
    password may have been reset since you saved it, or the mailbox may be suspended or still
    **Provisioning**.

    **Fix:** check the mailbox's status on the domain's **Mailboxes** tab. If it's **Active** and you
    don't have the current password, select **Reset Password** in its actions menu and use the new
    one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The app can't connect or times out" icon="circle-alert">
    **Why:** the port or security setting doesn't match, or your network blocks ports 993 or 465.

    **Fix:** set IMAP to port `993` and SMTP to port `465`, both with SSL/TLS. Try another network
    to rule out a firewall.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Sent messages don't show up on my other devices" icon="circle-alert">
    **Why:** the app is saving sent mail to its own folder instead of the server's **Sent Items**.

    **Fix:** in the app's account settings, set the folder for sent messages to **Sent Items**. Do
    the same for **Deleted Items** and **Junk Mail**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can send, but mail sent to the mailbox never arrives" icon="circle-alert">
    **Why:** inbound delivery depends on your domain's MX record.

    **Fix:** open the domain under **Mailboxes** and read the routing panel on its **Mailboxes**
    tab. See [How mail reaches a mailbox](/mailbox/overview#how-mail-reaches-a-mailbox).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Reset a password" icon="sliders-horizontal" href="/mailbox/manage-mailboxes#reset-a-password">
    Replace a password nobody saved.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Aliases" icon="at-sign" href="/mailbox/manage-mailboxes#aliases">
    Deliver more addresses to one mailbox.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Mail domain records" icon="list" href="/mailbox/add-a-mail-domain#the-record-set">
    The MX record that routes inbound mail.
  </Card>
</Columns>