Outlook.com SMTP Settings
Microsoft's free consumer mail for outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com and msn.com
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Outgoing mail (SMTP)
SMTP server
smtp-mail.outlook.com
Port. STARTTLS
587
Security
STARTTLS on 587. Consumer Outlook.com does not offer SSL/TLS on 465.
Incoming mail (IMAP)
IMAP server
outlook.office365.com
Port. SSL/TLS
993
Incoming mail (POP3)
POP3 server
outlook.office365.com
Port. SSL/TLS
995
Sending limits & login
Daily send limit
About 300 emails per day, up to 100 recipients per message.
Authentication
SMTP AUTH must be enabled and modern authentication may be required on the account.
App password
If two-step verification is on, generate an app password at account.microsoft.com/security. Microsoft is moving personal Outlook.com accounts to OAuth/modern auth, so some third-party apps now need to connect that way instead of with an app password.
Covers Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and MSN mailboxes. All use the outlook.office365.com incoming servers.
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Outlook.com SMTP, IMAP and POP3 settings
Outlook.com is Microsoft's free personal mailbox, covering addresses at outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com and msn.com. Since 16 September 2024 it no longer accepts a plain username and password from non-Microsoft apps, so the client has to sign in through Microsoft's OAuth window. Its incoming server carries an Office 365 name, outlook.office365.com, even for a Hotmail address, while outgoing mail goes to smtp-mail.outlook.com.
For incoming mail, use the IMAP server outlook.office365.com on port 993, or POP3 at outlook.office365.com on port 995. Pick the exact values from the tool above and copy them straight into your mail client.
Checked against Outlook.com's own documentation: support.microsoft.com. Ports and limits change, so check there too if something will not connect.
Outlook.com 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 Outlook.com username and password
Wrong credentials, not a wrong port, are the usual reason a Outlook.com connection fails. These are the exact values to type.
Your full Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live or MSN address
Your Microsoft account password, entered in the OAuth sign-in window rather than typed into the client, or an app password for a device that cannot display that window
Get your app passwordHow to set up Outlook.com in a mail client
The exact path through Outlook.com's own settings, in order.
- 1
Switch POP or IMAP on, because it starts off
In Outlook.com go to Settings, Mail, Forwarding and IMAP, then turn on Let devices and apps use IMAP or Let devices and apps use POP.
- 2
Use a client that can sign in with Microsoft
Password-only sign-in stopped on 16 September 2024. In Thunderbird set the authentication method to OAuth2 rather than Normal password.
- 3
Set the incoming server
IMAP is outlook.office365.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS, POP is outlook.office365.com on port 995 with SSL/TLS.
- 4
Set the outgoing server
smtp-mail.outlook.com on port 587 with STARTTLS.
- 5
Make an app password only if the device needs one
With two-step verification on, open Advanced security options on your Microsoft account dashboard and create one under App passwords.
What Outlook.com looks like filled in
Every mail client asks for the same handful of fields. Here they are with Outlook.com's values already in place.
Account settings: Outlook.com
Server
smtp-mail.outlook.comPort
587Encryption
STARTTLSAuthentication
RequiredUsername
Your full Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live or MSN addressPassword
Your Microsoft account password, entered in the OAuth sign-in window rather than typed into the client, or an app password for a device that cannot display that windowServer
outlook.office365.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.
Outlook.com SMTP settings in Thunderbird
The outgoing server dialog with Outlook.com's details entered. Outlook and Apple Mail ask for the same four things under slightly different names.
Which port should you use for Outlook.com?
STARTTLS on 587. Consumer Outlook.com does not offer SSL/TLS on 465.
STARTTLS
Starts as a plain connection, then upgrades to an encrypted one. The modern standard for sending.
SSL/TLS
Outlook.com does not accept SSL/TLS on 465. Use the STARTTLS port instead.
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 Outlook.com connection is failing
The failures people actually hit with Outlook.com, and what fixes each one.
Basic sign-in ended on 16 September 2024. Update the app, remove the account and add it back so it authenticates the modern way, or set its authentication method to OAuth2.
POP and IMAP access is off by default on Outlook.com. Turn the protocol on at Settings, Mail, Forwarding and IMAP, then reconnect the client.
That host is for Microsoft 365 work mailboxes. Consumer Outlook.com accounts send through smtp-mail.outlook.com on port 587 with STARTTLS.
Microsoft gives new Outlook.com accounts a reduced sending quota and raises it once the account builds a usage history. Wait for the quota to lift rather than retrying in a loop.
Outlook.com sending limits
A separate cap of 1,000 daily non-relationship recipients applies to people you have never emailed before, and new accounts start lower until they build history.
Per day
5,000 recipients a day for Microsoft 365 subscribers, lower for free accounts
Recipients per message
500 recipients
Max attachment
25 MB for the whole message, text and files together, or up to 2 GB per file when sent as a OneDrive link
Outlook.com quirks by mail client
Thunderbird
Microsoft names Thunderbird specifically and tells users to change the authentication setting from Normal password to OAuth2.
Apple Mail
Microsoft also names Apple Mail, telling users to remove the account and add it back as an Outlook.com account so it uses modern authentication.
Sending cold email through Outlook.com
About 300 emails per day, up to 100 recipients per message. SMTP AUTH must be enabled and modern authentication may be required on the account.
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 Outlook.com accounts.
A new Outlook.com mailbox also starts with no sending history, and hitting the cap above on its first day is what gets it filtered. Warm the mailbox up first so its daily volume climbs gradually toward that limit rather than starting at it. Emailchaser includes that ramp on every plan.
Other consumer email providers
Setting up more than one mailbox? These sit in the same category as Outlook.com.
Common questions about Outlook.com SMTP settings
What are Outlook.com's SMTP settings?
Outlook.com's outgoing (SMTP) server is smtp-mail.outlook.com. Use port 587 (STARTTLS). STARTTLS on 587. Consumer Outlook.com does not offer SSL/TLS on 465. Sign in with your full email address and password (or app password).
What is Outlook.com's IMAP or POP3 server?
Outlook.com's incoming IMAP server is outlook.office365.com on port 993 (SSL/TLS). If you prefer POP3, use outlook.office365.com on port 995.
Which port should I use for Outlook.com?
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. Outlook.com's recommended value is above.
Why won't my Outlook.com SMTP connection work?
Check authentication first: SMTP AUTH must be enabled and modern authentication may be required on the account. If two-step verification is on, generate an app password at account.microsoft.com/security. Microsoft is moving personal Outlook.com accounts to OAuth/modern auth, so some third-party apps now need to connect that way instead of with an 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 Outlook.com?
Not at scale. About 300 emails per day, up to 100 recipients per message. 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.
Why is my incoming server called outlook.office365.com when my address is @hotmail.com?
Microsoft runs consumer mailboxes on the same platform as its business service, so that one hostname covers outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com and msn.com addresses. It is the current documented setting for both IMAP and POP. Outgoing mail is the exception and still uses smtp-mail.outlook.com.
Do app passwords still work on Outlook.com?
Microsoft's Outlook.com settings page still points to an app password when your password is not recognised or you are connecting a smart device, and the same page says Outlook.com requires modern authentication. Try the OAuth sign-in route first, and treat an app password as the fallback for hardware that cannot open a browser window.
I turned IMAP on and the client still cannot log in. What else is there?
The toggle only opens the protocol, it does not change how you sign in. The app itself must support Microsoft's modern authentication and show you a Microsoft sign-in window. Update the app to a current version, or replace it with one that offers OAuth2.
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