Accessing, storing, and retrieving your email content is serious business. and serious business requires one to make a conscious decision.
Luckily for us, we have options to choose from, and these options are called imap and pop3.
so, let’s get straight to the point: which one should you choose?
what is pop3 vs. imap?
First of all, both imap and pop3 are email protocols that have been designed to get emails from the server.
In a nutshell, the emails you receive as a two-part system: the first part is the email client (a program/application that you install on a computer or smartphone) and the second part is the server of e-mail.
Now, for these two parts to work in sync, both server and client must agree on a common protocol or standard. and these standards are called pop and imap, as they represent a set of common demands that help email clients and email servers understand each other.
Now, don’t get confused by these names. Let’s take a look at what each protocol stands for, what pop3 vs. imap means, and how they work:
what is pop3 & how does it work?
The name pop stands for post office protocol. and pop3 simply means the third version of pop. the names pop and pop3 can be used interchangeably. recently, pop4 was also introduced. however, it appeared only as a mini-extension to pop.
pop has been around since l985, going through multiple updates and versions over the years. basically, it’s an older protocol designed for the simple purpose of getting email from the server through a single email client and then removing it from the server.
This is how pop works:
express words through some commands that are passed between the email client and the email server. below, I’ll walk you through each of those commands and how the whole process works.
- pop command used: user, pass, apop:
First, an email client connects to the server, authenticating itself via a password and username that you enter in your account settings. once you’re logged in, the server mailbox is locked, so it can’t be accessed from another device or computer; a pop protocol here ensures that another connection is allowed while the current one is being used.
In simple words, the lock prevents two different computers from accessing mailboxes at the same time.
- popup commands used: stat, list, uidl, top:
pop then examines the message streams offered by the server and identifies those that are new. pop can only parse the content of the message in your inbox folder.
- popup commands used: retr, top:
Once a new message list is established, the email client continues to download one message at a time.
- popup commands used: delete, exit
at the end of the session, and depending on the option configured by the user, messages are set to delete after a few days from the server.
what is imap & how does it work?
imap (Internet Message Access Protocol) is one of the main protocols for retrieving emails. compared to pop, it is a younger version of the protocols (developed in 1986), with four major revisions and updates made over the years.
Like pop, the names imap and imap4 can be used interchangeably. however, imap is more commonly used.
one of the main differences between pop and imap is that, unlike pop, imap does not prevent other computers or clients from connecting > at the same time. In simple words, it allows for multiple connections that eventually sync between devices.
This is how imap works:
- imap commands used: login:
First, an email client connects to a server and authenticates itself via login credentials, thus establishing a connection between the mail server and the client.
- used imap commands: select:
At this point, the email client chooses the folder it wishes to access (these folders can be Inbox, Trash, Trash, Outbox, and any other folder available in the server).
- imap commands used: idle, select, search, search:
Messages are now fetched from selected folders and cached on the device (for example, the list of new emails is added with headers, pre-headers and more).
- image commands used: copy, move, store, delete:
Next, all user-initiated actions are performed, whether they are marked as read, archived, deleted, and sent. so if you delete a message, the deletion happens instantly and the change is synced to each device at the same time.
difference between pop3 and imap:
Now that you know how each of these systems works, let’s do a quick review of the main differences between pop3 and imap:
pop3
map4
- in pop3, emails are downloaded to a local device instead of the server.
- In the case of imap, emails are stored on a server and synchronized between devices.
- because emails are saved on a local device, changes made to emails are not displayed on other devices
- any changes made to emails or general settings are synced across all devices
- Because the emails are on a local device, they cannot be accessed from a different device.
- multiple devices can access emails simultaneously
- In order to read email, one must download them first.
- email headers can be read without downloading the entire content
- if you want to read an email, downloaded emails do not require an internet connection
- Internet connection is required all the time
- pop is simpler and less error prone.
- Compared to pop, imap is a bit more complex.
Is gmail pop3 or imap?
Google’s Gmail runs primarily on the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) system. however, it also offers access to the popup mail server if you check.
In short, gmail offers both. your pop and imap server handle emails in different ways. therefore, you can choose the protocol that works best based on your work environment, the type of access you require, or the devices you have.
if you primarily access mail from the web version of gmail, then the imap protocol works best. stores all mail messages and folders on the server. this means that all your changes (that you make from different devices) are synced across all devices.
However, if you access emails from a specific device or don’t have internet connection all the time, then gmail’s pop3 protocol is better. this way all your emails will be downloaded from the mail server to the device you are using and the messages will be deleted from the server.
how to enable a gmail account using pop3 and imap?
To enable imap or pop3, you need to configure it from settings. this is how it can be processed with the configuration:
- First, go to “settings” by clicking the “gears” icon in the upper right corner of your desktop/application screen.
- In the settings, click the “forwarding and pop/imap” option from the dropdown menu.
- under pop/imap, you can choose between the “imap access” or “popup download“.
- leave the other settings to the default selections and save the changes.
how to configure gmail using pop3 & imap?
gmail map settings
- login to gmail with your login username and password.
- click the gear icon (settings button) on the top right and select settings
- click on ‘forwarding and imap.’
- select ‘enable pop for all mail‘ or ‘enable pop for mail that arrives from now on ‘.
- save changes
gmail popup settings
- login to gmail with your login username and password.
- click the gear icon (settings button) on the top right and select settings
- click on ‘forwarding and pop‘.
- select ‘enable pop for all mail‘ or ‘enable pop for mail that arrives from now on ‘.
- save changes
conclusion:
which protocol is better pop3 or imap?
Now that you know the main differences between pop3 and imap gmail, you may be wondering which one to choose. Elaborating more on , below are some recommendations as to why to choose what:
choose image if:
- you use gmail from several devices (wearables, smartphones, computers and laptops).
- you always have a stable internet connection that enables faster synchronization of all your emails and message content.
- has adequate storage space to store your emails
- want have a backup of all your data in the cloud
choose pop3 if:
- don’t have a stable internet connection
- use gmail only from one device and doesn’t require access from multiple devices
- you don’t have enough cloud storage
- are concerned about third-party access to your cloud storage
For most users, imap is a more suitable option. pop3 was a perfect choice in those days when a stable and fast internet connection was a luxury.
These days, we’re hardly limited to one device to search our emails. so if you compare imap vs pop3 or pop vs imap gmail, imap is a better choice. Sync across multiple devices, automatic backup, and remote access – all the benefits you get only through an IMAP connection.
However, when you compare gmail pop3 to gmail imap, each has little pros or cons to each other. therefore, the choice must really be in accordance with your preferences and needs.