If you want to know how email works, the differences, and how to choose between IMAP either POP3 and the function of SMTP, this tutorial is a great starting point. We’ll explain all these components and how they work in layman’s terms, so buckle up and read on.
IMAP or POP3: What are the differences?
So much POP3 and IMAP they are inbound mail protocols used by email clients to retrieve messages from email servers. The client can be application-based, such as , or web-based, such as Gmail, or the . Although they perform the same function, they have several differences.
What is POP3?
POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3) it’s a one-way incoming mail protocol which downloads a copy of messages from an email server to a local machine. Once the post protocol completes the process, delete the original data from the server inbox.
However, today many providers give the option to keep the original copies intact, allowing users to see the same content when accessing messages from a different platform.
In general, we recommend this setting for people who only use one device to access email and want to view their messages offline. It is also useful for those who want to free up inbox space that almost exceeds its capacity.
Please note that this protocol cannot by default sync the content of your offline inbox with its online counterpart. So if the device that stores the messages is lost or broken, you could lose all the ones you have saved.
Default POP3 port to establish a connection with an email server:
- port 995:port, also known as POP3S
What is IMAP?
Unlike POP3, IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) it’s a two-way incoming mail protocol which only downloads the headers of the email instead of its full content.
As a result, the actual email messages are kept on the server after being retrieved for viewing, making them accessible from another platform. This protocol also synchronizes the changes made in the email client with the server, hence the two-way communication.
This setting is recommended for those who want to interact with their email messages on multiple devices, and not have to worry about losing important ones if a device is broken or stolen. Another advantage of using IMAP is the ease of finding a specific message using a keyword.
However, it is necessary to have a stable Internet connection to be able to access all the emails stored on the IMAP server. The storage space limit of the email account can also cause some problems for your messages, especially if you use it very often.
Default IMAP port used by the IMAP connection:
- port 993: SSL/TLS port, also known as IMAPS
What is SMTP?
Now that we have learned about the incoming protocols, POP3 vs IMAP, let’s take a look at the one used to handle outgoing emails.
The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used to send emails from a local client to a recipient’s address. It works in conjunction with software called message transfer agent (MTA) to transfer the electronic messages to their correct destinations.
In addition to sending mail, this protocol also acts as a protection to filter what message gets through. Regulates the limit of how many messages an account can send in a period of time.
Default SMTP port used by this protocol:
- port 465: SSL/TLS port, also known as SMTP
Keep reading this article on IMAP and POP3 to see what happens behind the scenes when you send and receive email.
How does sending and receiving emails work?
An email message travels through at least two SMTP servers that belong to senders and recipients.
First, SMTP connect your client with the server of your email provider. It then checks the email header for relevant sender and recipient address information.
Once the destination is determined, the server checks the location of the domain associated with the address in the (DNS).
For example, if you try to send a message to emailuser@gmail.comthe server finds gmail.com and relays the message to that specific computer.
The recipient’s SMTP server then delivers the message to the server’s mailbox until the intended user logs into their email account. When this happens, both POP3 What IMAP they send the new message to the recipient’s email client so that they can view it.
conclusion
In this article, we have compared POP3 vs IMAP. We saw that they have the same purpose, but with a different approach, as IMAP leaves the email content on the server and POP3 downloads it to the computer. We have also learned about SMTP and the ports used by these three components.
We hope that you now have a better understanding of the email service, its components and how it works. Share your comments or ideas below.
Gustavo is passionate about creating websites. He focuses on the application of SEO strategies at for Spain and Latin America, as well as the creation of high-level content. When he is not applying new WordPress tricks you can find him playing the guitar, traveling or taking an online course.
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