AOL Mail SMTP Settings
AOL's long-running free mailbox, still on imap.aol.com and smtp.aol.com.
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Outgoing mail (SMTP)
SMTP server
smtp.aol.com
Port. STARTTLS
587
Port. SSL/TLS
465
Security
SSL/TLS on 465 (recommended) or STARTTLS on 587.
Incoming mail (IMAP)
IMAP server
imap.aol.com
Port. SSL/TLS
993
Incoming mail (POP3)
POP3 server
pop.aol.com
Port. SSL/TLS
995
Sending limits & login
Daily send limit
About 500 emails per day.
Authentication
Requires an app password: AOL blocks your normal password in third-party clients.
App password
Generate one at login.aol.com > Account Security > Generate app password.
AOL Mail runs on the same infrastructure as Yahoo Mail and also requires an app password.
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AOL Mail SMTP, IMAP and POP3 settings
AOL Mail is the free mailbox behind @aol.com addresses, and it also holds the @verizon.net and @netscape.com accounts that were folded into it. AOL's own help pages list a single outgoing configuration for smtp.aol.com, port 465 with SSL, rather than the usual pair of ports. AOL also runs a separate server used only for pulling an entire old mailbox down into a client.
For incoming mail, use the IMAP server imap.aol.com on port 993, or POP3 at pop.aol.com on port 995. Pick the exact values from the tool above and copy them straight into your mail client.
Checked against AOL Mail's own documentation: help.aol.com. Ports and limits change, so check there too if something will not connect.
AOL Mail settings at a glance
One card with every server and port on it. Right click to save it, or share the page and this is the preview people see.
What to enter as your AOL Mail username and password
Wrong credentials, not a wrong port, are the usual reason a AOL Mail connection fails. These are the exact values to type.
Your full AOL address including the domain, for example name@aol.com
An AOL app password: the generated code, not the password you type on aol.com
Get your app passwordHow to set up AOL Mail in a mail client
The exact path through AOL Mail's own settings, in order.
- 1
Create an AOL app password
Sign in at https://login.aol.com/myaccount/security, choose Generate app password or Generate and manage app passwords, click Get Started, name the app and click Generate password.
- 2
Set incoming mail to imap.aol.com
Port 993 with SSL. If your app only supports POP, use pop.aol.com on port 995 with SSL, which pulls the Inbox and nothing else.
- 3
Set outgoing mail to smtp.aol.com
Port 465 with SSL and authentication turned on. This is the only outgoing setup AOL documents.
- 4
Use the whole address as the username
AOL is explicit that the username includes the domain: name@aol.com, or name@verizon.net or name@netscape.com for those accounts.
- 5
Paste the app password and send a test
If it fails, sign in at mail.aol.com in a browser, send yourself a message there to confirm the account is healthy, then retry the app.
What AOL Mail looks like filled in
Every mail client asks for the same handful of fields. Here they are with AOL Mail's values already in place.
Account settings: AOL Mail
Server
smtp.aol.comPort
465Encryption
SSL/TLSAuthentication
RequiredUsername
Your full AOL address including the domain, for example name@aol.comPassword
An AOL app password: the generated code, not the password you type on aol.comServer
imap.aol.comPort
993Encryption
SSL/TLSAn illustration of the fields, not a screenshot of any one app. Field names differ slightly between Outlook, Apple Mail and Thunderbird; the values do not.
AOL Mail SMTP settings in Thunderbird
The outgoing server dialog with AOL Mail's details entered. Outlook and Apple Mail ask for the same four things under slightly different names.
Which port should you use for AOL Mail?
SSL/TLS on 465 (recommended) or STARTTLS on 587.
STARTTLS
Starts as a plain connection, then upgrades to an encrypted one. The modern standard for sending.
SSL/TLS
Encrypted from the first byte. Widely supported and a good choice when 587 is blocked.
Plain SMTP
Meant for server-to-server relay. Home networks and cloud hosts block it, so do not use it to send from a client.
Why your AOL Mail connection is failing
The failures people actually hit with AOL Mail, and what fixes each one.
AOL names these four as clients that cannot use its secure sign-in method. They need an app password from login.aol.com/myaccount/security instead of your account password.
AOL states that POP only pulls the Inbox. Either move mail from other folders into the Inbox first, or set the account up as IMAP on imap.aol.com so folders sync both ways.
Point the incoming server at AOL's download server, export.imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL, for a one-time full copy of the mailbox.
Verizon.net mailboxes keep their own outgoing host. Use smtp.verizon.net on port 465 with SSL and pop.verizon.net on 995, while IMAP stays on imap.aol.com.
App passwords survive an account password change, so the stale one keeps failing. Delete it on the AOL Account Security page, generate a new one and paste that into the client.
AOL Mail servers by region and plan
AOL Mail does not use one set of hostnames everywhere. Match the row to your account.
| Region or plan | SMTP | IMAP | POP3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon.net accounts moved into AOL Mail | smtp.verizon.net (port 465, SSL) | imap.aol.com (port 993, SSL) | pop.verizon.net (port 995, SSL) |
| Netscape.com accounts on AOL Mail | smtp.aol.com (port 465, SSL) | imap.aol.com (port 993, SSL) | Not applicable |
| One-time download of an entire old mailbox | smtp.aol.com (port 465, SSL) | export.imap.aol.com (port 993, SSL) | Not applicable |
AOL Mail quirks by mail client
Outlook
AOL lists Outlook desktop and Outlook for Mac among the clients that cannot use its secure sign-in, so both need an app password.
Apple Mail
AOL's re-authentication steps are Mail then Settings then Accounts then Server Settings, deleting and retyping the password in both the incoming and outgoing sections.
Sending cold email through AOL Mail
About 500 emails per day. Requires an app password: AOL blocks your normal password in third-party clients.
Those caps make single-mailbox sending fine for personal mail but a poor fit for cold outreach at volume. Emailchaser spreads sending across warmed inboxes and manages deliverability, so you can scale without burning AOL Mail accounts.
Other consumer email providers
Setting up more than one mailbox? These sit in the same category as AOL Mail.
Common questions about AOL Mail SMTP settings
What are AOL Mail's SMTP settings?
AOL Mail's outgoing (SMTP) server is smtp.aol.com. Use port 587 (STARTTLS) or 465 (SSL/TLS). SSL/TLS on 465 (recommended) or STARTTLS on 587. Sign in with your full email address and password (or app password).
What is AOL Mail's IMAP or POP3 server?
AOL Mail's incoming IMAP server is imap.aol.com on port 993 (SSL/TLS). If you prefer POP3, use pop.aol.com on port 995.
Which port should I use for AOL Mail?
Use port 587 with STARTTLS wherever it's offered, it's the modern standard for authenticated sending. Port 465 with SSL/TLS is a solid alternative. Avoid port 25, which most networks block for client sending. AOL Mail's recommended value is above.
Why won't my AOL Mail SMTP connection work?
Check authentication first: Requires an app password: AOL blocks your normal password in third-party clients. Generate one at login.aol.com > Account Security > Generate app password. Then confirm the host, port and security method match exactly, a 587/SSL or 465/STARTTLS mismatch will fail to connect.
Can I send bulk or cold email through AOL Mail?
Not at scale. About 500 emails per day. Providers throttle bursts to fight spam, so pushing cold email through one mailbox hits limits and wrecks deliverability. High-volume outreach belongs on dedicated infrastructure that spreads sending across warmed inboxes, which is what Emailchaser does.
My address ends in @verizon.net. Do I use AOL's settings?
Partly. Verizon.net mailboxes were folded into AOL Mail, so incoming IMAP is imap.aol.com on port 993. But AOL's article for these accounts keeps the Verizon hosts for the rest: smtp.verizon.net on 465 for sending and pop.verizon.net on 995 if you use POP. Sign in with the full @verizon.net address.
Why does AOL only list port 465 for outgoing mail?
AOL's help article gives exactly one outgoing configuration, smtp.aol.com on port 465 with SSL, for both its POP and IMAP setups. Many clients prefill 587 by habit. If sending fails on a fresh account, change the outgoing port to 465 and make sure SSL is on.
Do I need AOL Desktop Gold to use my AOL email in another app?
No. AOL Desktop Gold is a separate AOL application listed under AOL Plans, with its own inbox. The IMAP and SMTP settings here connect to AOL Mail at mail.aol.com, which is free and works in Thunderbird, Outlook or Apple Mail without it.
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