Outlook for Mac can automatically set up accounts from many popular email service providers such as Outlook.com (previously known as Hotmail), AOL, Gmail, MobileMe, and Yahoo.
If Outlook can't set up an account automatically, you can configure it manually. When setting up manually, you’ll need additional information about your account, for instance the account type and addresses of mail servers. Outlook supports both POP and IMAP accounts. To learn more about each account type, see POP account basic settings and IMAP account basic settings.
Set up an Exchange account
- Open Outlook for Mac 2011. On the Tools menu, click Accounts. If this is the first account you're creating in Outlook 2011, under Add an Account, click Exchange Account.If you've previously created an email account for a different email address, in the lower corner of the Accounts dialog box, click , and then click Exchange.
- On the Enter your Exchange account information page, type your email address.
- Under Authentication, make sure User Name and Password is selected.
- In the User name box, type your complete email address. In the Password box, type your password.
- Make sure Configure automatically is selected, and then click Add Account.
- After you click Add Account, Outlook will perform an online search to find your email server settings. In the dialog box that asks if you want to allow the server to configure your settings, select the Always use my response for this server check box, and then click Allow.
- If Outlook is able to set up your account, you'll see the account you set up in the Accounts dialog box. Close the Accounts dialog box. If Outlook isn't able to set up your account, see the next section in this article.
Add more email accounts
- On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
- In the lower-left corner of the Accounts dialog box, click Add , and then click E-mail.
- Enter your email address and password, and then click Add Account.If the Add Account button is unavailable
- Enter the information about your account, including the following required fields: User name, Type, Incoming server, and Outgoing server. If your email service requires Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for either the incoming or outgoing server, select the Use SSL to connect check box for that server.
- Use the information from table below for Outlook.com accounts:
FieldsPOPIMAPIncoming serverpop3.live.comimap-mail.outlook. comPort for the incoming server995993Outgoing serversmtp.live.comsmtp-mail.outlook.comPort for the outgoing server587587When the process of adding the account is complete, the account appears in the left pane of the Accounts dialog box, and Outlook begins downloading your messages.Notes:- Your email service provider may require you to enable POP or IMAP access through its Web site before you can use the account in Outlook.
- If you add a POP account and another type of account, messages from the POP account appear in the Inbox under On My Computer in the folder list.
- With POP and IMAP email accounts, email messages are the only items that are synchronized between Outlook and the mail server. Other items that you create in Outlook — such as contacts, calendar events, tasks, and notes — are stored on your computer, not on the mail server.
- To delete an account, in the left pane of the Accounts dialog box, select an account, and then click Delete . When you delete a POP account, existing messages from that account remain in Outlook, but no further messages are downloaded or sent. When you delete an IMAP account, all messages from that account are deleted from Outlook, but any copies of messages that you have on the server remain there. Items other than messages, such as contacts and events, are not affected when you delete a POP or IMAP account.
Try the latest version of Outlook
The latest version of Outlook for Mac makes it a breeze to add email accounts with just a username and password.
See Also
There are many different types of email accounts you can add to Outlook, including Office 365, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and Exchange accounts.
Some third-party email providers, like Gmail, Yahoo, and iCloud, require you to change some settings on their websites before you can add these accounts to Outlook.
- Select File > Add Account.
- What you see next depends on your version of Outlook.For Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2010Enter your name, email address, and password, and click Next.
- If prompted, enter your password again, then select OK > Finish to start using your email account in Outlook.
Outlook won't accept my password
Outlook Manual Setup Machine
- Select your email account
- Go to Gmail from your browser, then select the Google apps icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Select My Account. Under Sign-in & security, select Signing in to Google.
- Under Password & sign-in method, if 2-Step Verification is OFF, click the > next to OFF. Otherwise, skip to step 4.
- On the first screen, click CONTINUE.
- If prompted, enter your Gmail password and then click NEXT.
- Enter your phone number and select whether you want to receive your verification codes by text message or a phone call. Then click NEXT.
- Enter the code you received and click NEXT.
- Click TURN ON to finish setting up 2-step verification.
- Return to the previous screen by clicking the left arrow at the top of the screen next to 2-Step Verification.
- Under Password & sign-in method, select App passwords.
- Enter your Google password and then select Sign in. At the bottom of the next screen, select Mail and Windows Computer from the drop-down lists, then select Generate.
- Google will display an app password for you. Copy this password (without the spaces) and enter this password when Outlook prompts you for a password.
- Go to https://outlook.com, click your initials in the upper right, and then select View Account.
- Under Security, select Update.
- Under More security options, select Explore.
- Scroll down to the app passwords section, and then choose Create a new app password.
- Your app password will be displayed on the next screen. Make a note of this password, as you'll need it when you add your account to Outlook.
- Use the instructions at the beginning of this article to add your account to Outlook, but when Outlook asks for your password, enter your app password.
- Go to the Yahoo website from your browser and select the settings icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Select Account info > Account security. You may need to sign in again.
- If Two-step verification isn't turned on, you'll need to do that before you continue. Then select Manage app passwords.
- Select Outlook Desktop from the drop-down list, and then select Generate.
- Yahoo will display an app password for you. Copy this password (without the spaces) and enter this password when Outlook prompts you for a password.
- Go to the Apple ID website from your browser and enter your Apple ID and password.
- If you've already turned on two-factor authentication, you'll receive a code on one of your devices. Enter this code to continue. Otherwise, turn on two-factor authentication.
- In the Security section, under APP-SPECIFIC PASSWORDS, select Generate Password...
- Enter a name for your password, such as Outlook, and select Create.
- Apple will display an app password for you. Copy this password (without the spaces) and enter this password when Outlook prompts you for a password.
Add a new account quickly
- Select Outlook > Preferences > Account.
- Click the plus (+) sign > New Account.
- Type your email address > Continue.
- Type your password > Add Account. (Your screen might look different from this one depending on the account you're adding.)
- If adding a Yahoo, or other IMAP or POP account, you might be taken to those sites and asked to allow Outlook to access your mail, contacts, and calendars. Click Allow to continue.
- If you are adding Gmail, you will get a prompt within Outlook to sign-in to your Google account. This is for users who are on Build 16.15.18070902 and higher.Have you already added your Gmail account to Outlook then see, Improved authentication for existing Gmail users.
- Select Done to start using Outlook 2016 for Mac.
Improved authentication for existing Gmail users
- Select Sign in to Google.
- Choose an account.
- You will be asked to allow Outlook to access your mail, contacts, and calendars. Choose Allow.
- You will be asked to return back to Outlook. Choose Allow.
- Select Done to start using Outlook 2016 for Mac.
Update your email settings in Outlook for Mac
- Select Tools > Accounts.
- Select the email account you want to change.
- Update your account description, personal information, username and password, or other settings, depending on the type of account you're editing.
- When finished with your updates, select OK.
Add more accounts
- Select Tools > Accounts.
- Click the plus (+) sign > New Account.
- Enter the email address of the account.
- Follow the prompts to complete the account setup.
Set up two-factor authentication for Gmail
- Go to Gmail from your browser, then select the Google apps icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Select My Account. Under Sign-in & security, select Signing in to Google.
- Select 2-Step Verification and follow the prompts.
Set up two-factor authentication for Yahoo
- Go to the Yahoo website from your browser and select the settings icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Select Account info > Account security. You may need to sign in again.
- If Two-step verification isn't turned on, you'll need to do that before you continue. Then select Manage app passwords.
- Select Outlook Desktop from the drop-down list, and then select Generate.
- Yahoo will display an app password for you. Make a note of this password (without the spaces) and use this as the password when adding a new account to Outlook.
Set up two-factor authentication for iCloud
- Go to the Apple ID website from your browser and enter your Apple ID and password.
- If you've already turned on two-factor authentication, you'll receive a code on one of your devices. Enter this code to continue. Otherwise, turn on two-factor authentication.
- In the Security section, under APP-SPECIFIC PASSWORDS, select Generate Password...
- Enter a name for your password, such as Outlook, and select Create.
- Apple will display an app password for you. Make a note of this password (without the spaces) and use this as the password when adding a new account to Outlook.