POP3 (Post Office Protocol) is an Internet protocol that makes it possible to retrieve e-mails from a mail server. If there is a connection to the Internet, e-mails are retrieved, stored on the local workstation and usually deleted from the mail server. This is the typical process. In the meantime, most e-mail providers offer the option of leaving e-mails on the mail server.
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is an Internet protocol that allows access to and management of e-mails. In contrast to POP3, the e-mails remain on the mail server using IMAP. This ensures that the current status, including the folder structure, is always displayed even when several e-mail service applications (clients) are used. Local storage of data is therefore superfluous and increases security against potentially dangerous e-mails, as they can be deleted directly on the mail server. When setting up a local e-mail client, such as Outlook or Thunderbird, we recommend setting up IMAP.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is an Internet protocol and is used in particular for sending or forwarding e-mails.
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