Does Outlook on Android Overwrite Custom SMTP Settings?

Question

Edit: I just realized the main issue is that I've been paying for SSL certificates through Namecheap which only covers my main domain. This is not needed at all, I can switch to AutoSSL through cPanel and have it cover all subdomains which should fix issues with mobile email clients auto-changing my SMTP settings. Hello. I have a couple custom domain emails I use with cpanel/namecheap. When I configure everything into Outlook on Android with my custom IMAP and SMTP settings, I'm always able to retrieve my email, but I can never send anything out. I can use the exact same configuration settings on other email clients and the receiving/sending work just fine. Since we can no longer check the configuration settings of an added account unless you delete and readd it, I suspect Outlook on Android is disregarding what I enter for my SMTP settings. I don't see this officially documented by Microsoft anywhere, but I can have Copilot do some deep searches and discover similar issues. Is this true, am I forced to use other Android email clients for my custom Cpanel business emails? Thanks.

Answer 1

Outlook on Android may have limitations regarding custom SMTP settings, which can lead to issues when sending emails. While you can configure custom IMAP and SMTP settings, there are instances where Outlook may not fully respect these settings, potentially causing the inability to send emails. This behavior is not extensively documented by Microsoft, which can lead to confusion for users trying to utilize custom domain emails with Outlook on Android.

If you are consistently facing issues with sending emails through Outlook while the same settings work in other email clients, it might be worth considering alternative email applications that better support your custom SMTP configurations. Unfortunately, if Outlook is disregarding your SMTP settings, you may be limited to using other email clients for your custom cPanel business emails.

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References:

• Outlook for iOS and Android in Exchange Online
• Step 2. Configure Microsoft Outlook

Answer 2

Hi Frank III

Thank you for contacting the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on your description, I understand that your custom domain email (hosted on cPanel/Namecheap) can successfully receive emails in Outlook for Android, but outgoing emails cannot be sent, even though the same IMAP/SMTP settings work correctly in other email applications.

Outlook for Android uses an automated account discovery process to simplify setup. For non-Microsoft mail services (such as cPanel-hosted mailboxes), this process may override or misinterpret manual SMTP settings. As a result, the account may connect successfully for incoming mail (IMAP) but fail when sending email (SMTP). It seems like this behavior is related to the Outlook mobile app, rather than incorrect credentials or server configuration.

Here is recommendation from my side you can try:

Re-add the account using manual IMAP setup

• Remove the account from Outlook for Android and try to re-add it using Manual Setup > IMAP
• Skip or cancel any automatic account detection
• Enter IMAP and SMTP server details manually:
  • Open the Outlook App on your phone > Tap the Home/Profile Icon (top left) > Settings (Gear icon) > Tap Add Mail Account > Add an email account > Enter your full email address and tap Continue then while the account is loading, return to the previous page or look for a switch labeled "Advanced" or "Advanced Settings" and toggle it ON.
  • For more detailed information, please refer to this article: Set up email in the Outlook for Android app - Microsoft Support

On the "Choose Account Type" screen, you will now see a prompt asking for specific server details. Please fill them in and try again.

Please note that I’m not using the same device as you; I tried it on another Android device. So, some options may have slightly different names, so if there are any differences, you can look for similar names instead)

I hope this information proves helpful. Please try the steps above and let me know how it goes. I am looking forward to your reply.

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