Setting up your email on phones and desktop apps

IN SHORT

Set up Flashcloud email on any phone or desktop app using IMAP, not POP3, so your inbox stays in sync across devices. Incoming server is mail.yourdomain.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS, outgoing is port 465 SSL/TLS (or 587 STARTTLS), and the username is always your full email address.

You can read and send your Flashcloud email from the built-in app on your phone or from a desktop client like Outlook or Apple Mail. This guide covers the general setup that works in any app, plus short notes for the most common ones.

Before you start

Create the mailbox first if you haven't. Mailboxes are made per domain from the portal, under Services and the Email tile. Have your full email address and its password ready. For all of the settings below, come straight from Email server settings, which is the source of truth for hostnames and ports.

Use IMAP, not POP3

If you check email on more than one device, choose IMAP. Messages stay on the server, so reading or deleting on your phone shows the same on your laptop, and everything is backed up nightly by us. POP3 downloads mail to one device and removes it from the server, so your phone and laptop end up out of sync. For the full comparison, see POP3 vs IMAP.

The general flow (works in any client)

Most apps offer auto-detect first. Enter your name, full email address, and password, and let the app try. If it can't find the settings, add the account manually and pick "Other" or "Other account", then enter these values:

Incoming (IMAP): server mail.yourdomain.com, port 993, security SSL/TLS.
Outgoing (SMTP): server mail.yourdomain.com, port 465 with SSL/TLS (or port 587 with STARTTLS if 465 is blocked).
Username: your full email address, such as you@yourdomain.com, on both incoming and outgoing.
Password: the one you set when creating the mailbox.
Outgoing authentication: turn it on, using the same username and password.

Replace yourdomain.com with your own domain. If your domain isn't pointed at our hosting yet, use the alternative hostname mail.your-server-hostname.flashcloud.com instead; your service detail page under Services shows the exact value. Switch back to mail.yourdomain.com once DNS propagates.

Common gotchas

Use the full email address as the username. Only the part before the @ will fail to authenticate.
Match the port and security exactly. IMAP is 993 with SSL/TLS; SMTP is 465 with SSL/TLS or 587 with STARTTLS. A mismatched pairing is the most common reason setup fails.
If mail arrives but won't send, see Why can't I send email?

Per-app notes

iPhone (Apple Mail)

Go to Settings, then Mail, then Accounts, then Add Account, then Other, then Add Mail Account. Enter your name, email, and password. If auto-detect fails, choose IMAP and enter the incoming and outgoing values above.

Android (Gmail app)

Open the Gmail app, tap your avatar, then Add another account, then Other. Enter your full email address, choose Personal (IMAP), then enter the password and the incoming and outgoing settings above.

Outlook

Add the account and enter your email. If Outlook doesn't detect the settings, choose IMAP as the account type and enter the incoming and outgoing values above, with your full email address as the username.

Apple Mail on Mac

Open System Settings, then Internet Accounts, then Add Account, then Other, then Mail account. Enter your name, email, and password. If it can't configure automatically, enter the IMAP and SMTP values above manually.

Test it

Send a message from your new account to a personal address, then reply back to confirm both directions work. Prefer a browser instead of an app? See Accessing your email through webmail.

Common questions

Should I use IMAP or POP3?

Use IMAP. It keeps messages on the server so your phone, laptop, and any other device stay in sync, and everything gets backed up nightly. POP3 downloads mail to one device and removes it from the server, which is why phones and laptops fall out of sync.

What are the incoming and outgoing mail server settings?

Incoming (IMAP): mail.yourdomain.com, port 993, SSL/TLS. Outgoing (SMTP): mail.yourdomain.com, port 465 with SSL/TLS, or port 587 with STARTTLS if 465 is blocked. Use your full email address as the username on both.

Why won't my email app authenticate?

The most common cause is using only the part before the @ as your username instead of the full email address. The second most common cause is a mismatched port and security setting: IMAP needs 993 with SSL/TLS, SMTP needs 465 with SSL/TLS or 587 with STARTTLS.

My domain isn't pointed at Flashcloud yet, what server do I use?

Use the alternative hostname mail.your-server-hostname.flashcloud.com instead of mail.yourdomain.com. You'll find the exact value on your service detail page under Services, and you can switch to mail.yourdomain.com once DNS propagates.

Mail arrives but I can't send, what's wrong?

This is almost always an outgoing authentication or port issue rather than an incoming one. Check that outgoing authentication is turned on with your full email address and password, and see the dedicated troubleshooting guide for sending problems.