What Is the POP3 for Hotmail on Outlook?

Until 2009, Microsoft's email provider, Hotmail, did not allow standard POP3 connections, as Microsoft didn't want Hotmail to be available in any email programs save its own. Now, however, Hotmail has a POP3, or Post Office Protocol 3, server accessible from any program--including, of course, Microsoft Outlook.

POP Server

The server address denotes the location of the server that Outlook will connect to when downloading email messages, as well as the port through which it will communicate. For Hotmail, it's the following:

pop3.live.com

Port 995

SMTP Server

The SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server is the one through which Outlook will send mail, as POP is receive-only. For Hotmail, it's the following:

smtp.live.com

Port 25 or 587

Login Information

Your login to the Hotmail POP and SMTP servers is your Windows Live ID, which is also your Hotmail email address. Your password is whatever password you use for Hotmail or Windows Live.

References

• Techbliss Online: Hotmail POP3 and SMTP Settings