Unable to add an outlook.com email account with POP into Outlook 2024

Question

I had an issue and ended up needing to setup an AOL, Gmail, and Outlook.com accounts as POP accounts in Outlook 2024. I got the AOL and Gmail in connected to a .PST file. But cannot for the life of me get the Outlook.com account to setup as a POP. I can add it fine with the Automatic, but that defaults to a Microsoft Exchange account and is connected to a .OST file. I want all three to go to a .PST file as before. I've searched online for Outlook.com POP settings and have entered everything correctly, even have entered an App Password when prompted for a password the second time. What has Microsoft done with Outlook.com servers to cause the Outlook 2024 app to not be able to add the account as a POP account? I've searched for the correct POP settings, and have found several not sure if older vs. newer settings. But I've tried both, but it just wigs out and says Outlook couldn't add the account. I've gone around the unending pathway before and had success, but this time it just won't work.

[Moved from Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business]

Answer 1

Hi Doug Henson

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand you are facing issues adding your Outlook.com account as a POP account in Outlook 2024.

While Outlook 2024 supports Modern Auth, it currently only implements it for the Microsoft Exchange protocol (the automatic setup that results in an .ost file). Standard POP3 and IMAP implementations in Outlook Desktop do not yet support the OAuth2 token exchange required by Outlook.com servers.

If you absolutely must have all mail in one .pst, you can try this step:

1. Add the Outlook.com account using the Automatic Setup (Exchange/.ost).
2. Set up an Auto-Archive rule or a manual Rule in Outlook:

• Go to File > Rules and Alerts.
• Create a rule that moves every incoming message from the Outlook.com Inbox to the Inbox of your existing Local PST file.

Your mail still lands in your unified .pst, but the connection remains secure. Thank you for your understanding!

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".    

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

To add an Outlook.com email account as a POP account in Outlook 2024, you need to ensure that Basic authentication is enabled for POP access. Microsoft has transitioned towards Modern authentication, and if Basic authentication is disabled, Outlook may not connect properly using POP.

Here are some steps you can take:

1. Enable Basic Authentication: If you have previously disabled Basic authentication for your Outlook.com account, you will need to re-enable it. This can be done through the Exchange Online authentication policy. You can use the following PowerShell command:

      Set-AuthenticationPolicy -Identity <Policy Name> -AllowBasicAuthPop -AllowBasicAuthImap -AllowBasicAuthSmtp
   

2. Check Security Defaults: If your organization has enabled Microsoft Entra security defaults, POP access may be automatically disabled. You may need to disable these security defaults to allow POP access.
3. Correct POP Settings: Ensure you are using the correct POP settings for Outlook.com. The typical settings are:
   • Incoming Mail Server: pop-mail.outlook.com
   • Port: 995
   • Encryption method: SSL
4. App Password: If you have two-step verification enabled, make sure you are using an App Password when prompted.

If you continue to encounter issues, it may be beneficial to check for any updates to Outlook or consult Microsoft support for further assistance, as there may be specific changes or issues affecting Outlook 2024.

---

References:

• Can't connect to Outlook by using POP/IMAP and Modern authentication
• Enable Basic authentication for POP and IMAP protocols