Can't send/receive emails from hostinger server to my outlook.co account also accessed via Outlook 2020 app

Question

• My domain is hosted by Hostinger, and all DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are correctly set up.
• I can send and receive emails using Hostinger Webmail without any problems.
• I am unable to send emails from my Hostinger-hosted account using the latest Outlook client for Windows. The error returned is: “None of your email accounts could send to this recipient.”
• The SMTP server times out or fails immediately, even though all settings (server, port, SSL/TLS) match Hostinger’s official configuration.
• I have tested different ports (465/SSL and 587/TLS), disabled antivirus/firewall, restarted my network, and recreated the Outlook profile, but the issue persists.
• Other email clients (such as Thunderbird) work correctly with the same credentials and configuration.
• The issue only occurs with the latest Outlook client and not with Webmail or other mail clients.

Answer 1

It seems you are experiencing issues with sending emails from your Hostinger account using the Outlook 2020 app, while other clients like Thunderbird work correctly. Given that you have already checked your SMTP settings and tried different ports, here are a few suggestions to troubleshoot the issue further:

1. Check Authentication Settings: Ensure that the option to "Log on to incoming server before sending mail" is enabled in your Outlook account settings. This is often required by ISPs and can resolve sending issues.
2. Repair Outlook: You can try repairing your Office installation. This can fix any underlying issues with the Outlook application that might be causing the problem.
3. Update Outlook: Make sure your Outlook application is up to date. Sometimes, bugs in older versions can cause unexpected behavior.
4. Check for Third-Party Interference: If you have any third-party applications that might be interacting with Outlook, such as antivirus software, consider disabling them temporarily to see if they are causing the issue.
5. Review Firewall Settings: Although you mentioned disabling your firewall, ensure that there are no specific rules blocking Outlook's access to the internet.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to consult Hostinger's support for any specific configurations or restrictions they may have regarding SMTP connections from Outlook.

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References:

• Sending mail from Outlook results in error 0x800ccc80
• Can't send or receive email in Outlook and "Metered Connection Warning" is triggered

Answer 2

Hello Nicholas,

Thank you for reaching out I understand how frustrating it must be to have your email working perfectly on Hostinger Webmail and other clients like Thunderbird but not on Outlook 2020. You've clearly taken thorough steps to troubleshoot the issue and I appreciate the effort you've already put in.

It’s possible that the issue lies in how Outlook 2020 handles SMTP authentication especially with third-party mail servers like Hostinger. While your DNS records and server settings appear to be correctly configured Outlook may still fail to authenticate if certain advanced settings are not enabled. One common cause is the lack of SMTP authentication or a mismatch in encryption protocols. Outlook sometimes requires the “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” option to be explicitly enabled and it may also need the “Use same settings as my incoming mail server” checkbox selected. Additionally some users have found success by switching from SSL to STARTTLS or vice versa depending on how Hostinger’s server responds to encryption handshakes.

Another potential workaround is to use Microsoft’s built-in diagnostic tools to scan for misconfigurations or corrupted Outlook components. Running the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) can help identify issues specific to your Outlook profile or network environment. If the issue persists consider testing the connection using a clean Windows profile or a different version of Outlook to rule out compatibility problems with Outlook 2020.

To better assist you could you confirm whether the issue occurs with all recipients or just specific ones? Also have you tried sending emails using Outlook in Safe Mode to eliminate any add-in conflicts?

I hope this answer is helpful if you have further questions feel free to reply back

Regards,

Marcelo