POP/SMTP Settings

Question

I am using Office 2013 and trying to setup my Outlook.com email in POP. I have searched online and tried various configurations of server names, encryption's and ports. You replied to a question from Paul Moore on the 23rd Jan this year and from your answer (Currently, the supported account types in the new Outlook include Microsoft 365 work and school accounts, Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and other accounts connecting via IMAP and POP) it looks it can be done. I know the snip of the conversation refers to the new outlook, but would this not work for the older Outlook as well.

Answer 1

Office 2013 still supports POP and SMTP for Outlook.com, but Microsoft has tightened authentication. The issue is not POP itself, but modern sign-in requirements.

Outlook.com no longer allows basic authentication (username + password only) for many older clients unless specific conditions are met. That’s why different server/port combinations often fail.

Correct POP/SMTP settings for Outlook.com:

Incoming (POP) Server: outlook.office365.com Port: 995 Encryption: SSL/TLS Username: full Outlook.com email address Password: account password or app password

Outgoing (SMTP) Server: smtp.office365.com Port: 587 Encryption: STARTTLS Authentication: required (same username and password)

Important blockers in Office 2013:

1. Basic auth limitations Office 2013 often cannot complete modern OAuth sign-in required by Microsoft accounts.
2. Security defaults in Microsoft account If two-step verification is enabled, normal password will fail. You must use an app password.
3. Legacy client restriction Microsoft has progressively reduced support for older Outlook builds, especially for Outlook.com POP access.

What this means in practice: POP works in theory, but Office 2013 is frequently rejected due to authentication method mismatch. IMAP or upgrading Outlook is the stable solution. If upgrade is not possible, try:

• Enable 2FA
• Generate an app password from Microsoft account security settings
• Use that app password in Outlook 2013

Final note: Your reference to newer Outlook support is correct for modern clients. Office 2013 sits in a legacy category where POP/SMTP still exists, but authentication is the limiting factor, not server configuration.Office 2013 still supports POP and SMTP for Outlook.com, but Microsoft has tightened authentication. The issue is not POP itself, but modern sign-in requirements.

Outlook.com no longer allows basic authentication (username + password only) for many older clients unless specific conditions are met. That’s why different server/port combinations often fail.

Correct POP/SMTP settings for Outlook.com:

Incoming (POP)
Server: outlook.office365.com
Port: 995
Encryption: SSL/TLS
Username: full Outlook.com email address
Password: account password or app password

Outgoing (SMTP)
Server: smtp.office365.com
Port: 587
Encryption: STARTTLS
Authentication: required (same username and password)

Important blockers in Office 2013:

1. Basic auth limitations
   Office 2013 often cannot complete modern OAuth sign-in required by Microsoft accounts.
2. Security defaults in Microsoft account
   If two-step verification is enabled, normal password will fail. You must use an app password.
3. Legacy client restriction
   Microsoft has progressively reduced support for older Outlook builds, especially for Outlook.com POP access.

What this means in practice:
POP works in theory, but Office 2013 is frequently rejected due to authentication method mismatch. IMAP or upgrading Outlook is the stable solution. If upgrade is not possible, try:

• Enable 2FA
• Generate an app password from Microsoft account security settings
• Use that app password in Outlook 2013

Final note:
Your reference to newer Outlook support is correct for modern clients. Office 2013 sits in a legacy category where POP/SMTP still exists, but authentication is the limiting factor, not server configuration.

Answer 2

@Scott McNeill said

I know the snip of the conversation refers to the new outlook, but would this not work for the older Outlook as well.

No. You can not connect standard Outlook 2013 to an outlook.com account because Microsoft requires OAuth (Modern) authentication and Outlook 2013 doesn't have it. App passwords won't work either. Microsoft disabled the use of App Passwords for outlook.com accounts in 2025.

There is one possible workaround that circulated years ago. But it involves making changes to your Registry and the success rate doesn't seem to have been very high.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/exchange/administration/modern-authentication-configuration