How to set up your business email in Outlook, Gmail and your phone

When to use this

Use this after you have created a mailbox such as accounts@yourbusiness.in on your hosting and want it on Outlook, a phone or the Gmail app. If you have not created the mailbox yet, start with how to create a business email.

IMAP or POP3

	IMAP	POP3
Where mail lives	On the server, synced to every device	Downloaded to one device
Sent and other folders	Synced	Not synced
Good for	Teams, phones plus laptop, webmail	One computer, local archive
Secure port	993 (SSL/TLS)	995 (SSL/TLS)

For sending, the outgoing (SMTP) server uses port 465 with SSL/TLS or 587 with STARTTLS. These port numbers are internet standards; your server may support one or both.

Step 1: find your exact server settings

ODHOST note: Incoming and outgoing server names depend on the server your account is on. Copy them from your control panel or welcome email; do not guess. If they are not shown, ask support through a ticket.

1. Log in to cPanel and open Email > Email Accounts.
2. Click Connect Devices next to the mailbox. cPanel shows the "Mail Client Manual Settings": username, incoming server, outgoing server and ports, with a recommended SSL/TLS section.
3. Note the SSL/TLS settings, not the "non SSL" ones. Menus vary by cPanel version and host configuration.

On Plesk (Windows hosting), open Mail, select the address and look for the mail client settings or the mail server name shown for your domain. Again, use exactly what the panel shows.

Step 2: add the account to your app

App menus change often; these paths were correct at the time of writing.

Outlook for Windows (classic)

1. Open File > Add Account.
2. Type the email address, choose Advanced options, tick Let me set up my account manually, and click Connect.
3. Choose IMAP.
4. Enter the incoming server, port 993, encryption SSL/TLS; outgoing server, port 465 with SSL/TLS or 587 with STARTTLS.
5. Enter the mailbox password and finish.

The new Outlook for Windows and Outlook for Mac follow a similar path under Settings > Accounts > Add account, where you pick IMAP and enter the same values.

Gmail app (Android and iPhone)

1. Open the Gmail app, tap your profile picture, then Add another account.
2. Choose Other, enter the email address, and choose Personal (IMAP).
3. Enter the password, then the incoming server and port 993 with SSL/TLS.
4. Enter the outgoing server and port 465 (SSL/TLS) or 587 (STARTTLS), and keep Require sign in on with the same username and password.

iPhone Mail app

1. Open Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account > Other > Add Mail Account (on older iOS versions, Settings > Mail > Accounts).
2. Fill in name, email, password and description, then choose IMAP.
3. Enter the incoming and outgoing host names and the full email address as username for both.

How to confirm it worked

• Send a test from the new account to a personal address and reply to it.
• Check that the reply appears in the inbox on both your phone and webmail (that proves IMAP sync).
• Confirm the sent message appears in Sent on other devices.

If mail sends but lands in recipients' spam folders, see why emails go to spam.

If it still fails

Most failures are a wrong username (use the full address), a wrong password, or a server name that does not match the certificate. Reset the mailbox password in cPanel Email Accounts to rule out a typo. If it still fails, open a support ticket with:

• The email address (never the password)
• The app and version, and device type
• The exact server names, ports and encryption you entered
• The full error message or a screenshot
• Whether webmail works for the same mailbox

Planning mailboxes for a team? See ODHOST email hosting.