iCloud IMAP and SMTP Settings for Third-Party Email Apps
The short answer
iCloud Mail's incoming server is imap.mail.me.com on port 993 with SSL. The outgoing server is smtp.mail.me.com on port 587. For IMAP, use just the name part of your address — for example, johnappleseed. For SMTP, use the full address including @icloud.com. Both require an app-specific password, not your Apple ID password.
iCloud IMAP and SMTP server settings for third-party email apps — correct hostnames, ports, SSL, and the username rule that trips up most users.
On this page
The correct iCloud IMAP and SMTP server settings for email clients are imap.mail.me.com on port 993 (incoming) and smtp.mail.me.com on port 587 (outgoing). Those two addresses resolve most failed connection attempts on the first try. What causes the remaining failures is a subtler rule: iCloud requires a different username format for incoming and outgoing mail, and your regular Apple ID password is rejected entirely — you need an app-specific password generated at appleid.apple.com.
This page gives you the exact values from Apple's own server settings documentation, the username rule explained once and clearly, what to expect if your address ends in @me.com or @mac.com, how iCloud+ custom domain addresses behave in third-party clients, and how to diagnose the four most common connection errors.
The Short Answer#
Apple publishes these settings on its official iCloud Mail support page. Copy them directly rather than adjusting port or encryption values — Apple's servers are strict about both.
| Setting | IMAP — Incoming Mail | SMTP — Outgoing Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Server | imap.mail.me.com | smtp.mail.me.com |
| Port | 993 | 587 |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS | STARTTLS |
| Username | Name only — example: johnappleseed | Full address — example: [email protected] |
| Password | App-specific password | Same app-specific password |
| Authentication required | Yes | Yes |
| POP3 supported | No | Not applicable |
The Username Rule That Trips Most People Up#
The username difference between IMAP and SMTP is the part most guides omit. For IMAP, Apple expects only the name portion of your address. If your email is [email protected], enter johnappleseed with no domain suffix. For SMTP, Apple requires the full address: [email protected]. Using the wrong format in either field causes an authentication error that looks identical to a bad password.
If your email client uses a single account screen that shares one username field for both protocols, look for a separate outgoing server section and set the SMTP username independently.
All three iCloud address domains — @icloud.com, @me.com, and @mac.com — use the same server names, port numbers, and username rules. They are all the same iCloud Mail account, so the only thing that changes across address types is which domain appears in your From line.
Before You Start#
Three things must be in place before you enter any settings. If the third is missing, every connection attempt will fail with an authentication error before the settings even matter.
- iCloud Mail enabled: on iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, tap your name, select iCloud, and confirm the Mail toggle is on. On Mac, open System Settings, click your Apple ID, and check iCloud Mail. A disabled iCloud Mail account returns a connection error even when all settings are correct.
- Two-factor authentication on your Apple ID: Apple requires 2FA to generate app-specific passwords. Go to appleid.apple.com, sign in, and look under Sign-In and Security. If 2FA is not listed as active, set it up before continuing — the app-specific password option does not appear without it.
- An app-specific password: your regular Apple ID password is refused by iCloud's IMAP and SMTP servers. Sign in to appleid.apple.com, go to Sign-In and Security, select App-Specific Passwords, and click the plus icon. Label it with the client name, then copy the 16-character token immediately — Apple displays it only once.
Each app-specific password is individually revocable
How to Connect iCloud Mail to a Third-Party Email App#
- 1
Generate an app-specific password
Sign in to appleid.apple.com and open Sign-In and Security. Select App-Specific Passwords, then click the plus icon. Enter a label — the name of the email client you are configuring works well. Apple generates a 16-character password in the format xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx. Copy it before closing the dialog; Apple does not display it again.
- 2
Open your email client's account settings
In Thunderbird, go to Account Settings and choose Add Mail Account. In Outlook for Windows, select File then Add Account and proceed to manual setup. In other clients, look for Add Account or Incoming/Outgoing Server settings. Select IMAP as the account type. Do not select POP — iCloud Mail does not support POP connections and a POP setup will fail at the first sync attempt.
- 3
Enter the incoming mail (IMAP) settings
Set the server address to imap.mail.me.com and the port to 993. Select SSL/TLS as the encryption method — not STARTTLS, not None. For the username, enter only the name part of your iCloud address: if your address is [email protected], enter johnappleseed. Paste the app-specific password you generated in step 1.
- 4
Enter the outgoing mail (SMTP) settings
Set the SMTP server to smtp.mail.me.com and the port to 587. Select STARTTLS as the encryption method. Enable SMTP authentication. For the SMTP username, enter your full iCloud email address — for example, [email protected]. This is intentionally different from the IMAP username. Use the same app-specific password for both sides.
- 5
Test the connection in both directions
Most clients offer a verify or test button in the account wizard. Use it. If setup succeeds, send a test message from an outside account to your iCloud address and confirm it arrives in the client. Then reply through the new account and confirm the reply reaches the other end. Testing both directions avoids discovering a send failure hours later.
Settings by Client and Platform#
The server values are the same everywhere, but each client structures its configuration screen differently. The most common mismatch: Outlook's account wizard pre-fills the SMTP username with the IMAP value, which is the name-only form — and iCloud's SMTP server requires the full address.
If you use Apple Mail on macOS or iOS, you do not need to enter any of these settings manually. Apple Mail auto-configures iCloud Mail when you sign in with your Apple ID through the operating system. The manual path applies when you are using a non-Apple client, setting up a second @me.com or @mac.com address manually, or troubleshooting a broken connection.
| Client | IMAP port / encryption | SMTP port / encryption | Username note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Mail (macOS / iOS) | 993, SSL/TLS — auto on sign-in | 587, STARTTLS — auto on sign-in | Sign in with Apple ID; no manual server entry needed |
| Outlook for Windows | 993, SSL/TLS — enter manually | 587, STARTTLS — enter manually | SMTP username must be full address; Outlook may pre-fill the name-only form |
| Outlook for Mac | 993, SSL/TLS — enter manually | 587, STARTTLS — enter manually | Wizard defaults to Exchange account type; switch to IMAP manually |
| Mozilla Thunderbird | 993, SSL/TLS | 587, STARTTLS | Choose STARTTLS on 587 for SMTP — not SSL/TLS, which belongs on 993 |
| Android mail apps | 993, SSL/TLS | 587, STARTTLS | If name-only IMAP username fails, try the full @icloud.com address as a fallback |
What to Do When iCloud Mail Won't Connect#
Most connection failures have a single cause and a direct fix. Work through this list from top to bottom — the first match is almost always the answer.
- Authentication failed or username or password incorrect: nearly always means you used your Apple ID password instead of an app-specific password. If you did generate one and it is still rejected, the token may have been revoked automatically — iCloud revokes app-specific passwords in some circumstances after an Apple ID password change. Generate a fresh one at appleid.apple.com and retry. Also confirm the IMAP username is the name-only form (johnappleseed) and the SMTP username is the full address ([email protected]).
- IMAP server not responding or cannot connect: the port or encryption type is wrong. Port 993 requires SSL/TLS specifically. STARTTLS on port 993 will hang; port 143 is unencrypted and Apple blocks it. Confirm your client is set to imap.mail.me.com, port 993, SSL/TLS. If settings are correct and the connection still times out, test from a different network — some corporate firewalls block outbound IMAP on port 993.
- SMTP sends fail with a relay or authentication error: the SMTP username is in the name-only form instead of the full address. Open the outgoing server settings panel specifically and set that username to the full address — [email protected], not johnappleseed. This is a separate field from the IMAP username in most clients.
- iCloud+ custom domain address not connecting directly: iCloud+ custom domain email routes through your primary iCloud Mail account. There is no separate IMAP server for custom domain addresses. In a third-party client, authenticate using your primary @icloud.com credentials. Mail sent to your custom domain address is delivered to the same inbox and arrives through that IMAP connection. Sending from your custom domain address in a third-party client depends on whether that client supports setting a custom From field with a separate SMTP identity — this is a client feature, not an iCloud one.
iCloud does not support POP3
A Faster Way to Manage Your iCloud Inbox#
The settings above are the permanent reference for connecting any client to iCloud Mail. Once the connection is working, the volume problem remains — every message that arrives still needs sorting, a priority call, and often a reply.
AI Emaily connects to iCloud Mail using the same IMAP and SMTP path and handles the server configuration for you during onboarding. On top of the connection it adds a triage layer: incoming threads are categorized and surfaced by priority, replies are drafted in a voice defined through a user-set Context brain and per-client profiles, and nothing sends without your explicit approval when running in Copilot mode. You can connect iCloud alongside Gmail, Outlook, or any IMAP account into one unified inbox. We build AI Emaily.
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Written by
Nafiul HasanNafiul Hasan is an entrepreneur and AI automation system builder with 10+ years of experience turning messy, manual workflows into reliable automated systems. He designs and ships AI enterprise solutions end-to-end — the agent logic, the data plumbing, and the product people actually use — and founded AI Emaily to give busy professionals their attention back. He writes here from the builder's seat: what works, what breaks, and how to put AI to work without giving up control.