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Trying to change existing Thunderbird and GMail account to use IMAP instead of POP3

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  • Last reply by Richard

Richard
Richard
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Got my first smartphone (Android) and now check Gmail with the smartphone AS WELL AS with Thunderbird on my PC. I understand that POP is only suitable for accessing Gmail with one device. So, I understand that I should switch to IMAP for incoming messages. I made the instructed changes to my Gmail settings, but when I go to the Thunderbird settings, there seems to be no way to change the POP3 label in that section of the settings, and I am getting an error message when I try to use Thunderbird (on my PC) to download my messages from Gmail:

An error occurred with the POP3 mail server. Mail server imap.gmail.com responded:

(That is the whole error message -- there is nothing after the colon.)

Thanks for reading and for any suggestions. I like Thunderbird and would like to continue using it.

Got my first smartphone (Android) and now check Gmail with the smartphone AS WELL AS with Thunderbird on my PC. I understand that POP is only suitable for accessing Gmail with one device. So, I understand that I should switch to IMAP for incoming messages. I made the instructed changes to my Gmail settings, but when I go to the Thunderbird settings, there seems to be no way to change the POP3 label in that section of the settings, and I am getting an error message when I try to use Thunderbird (on my PC) to download my messages from Gmail: An error occurred with the POP3 mail server. Mail server imap.gmail.com responded: (That is the whole error message -- there is nothing after the colon.) Thanks for reading and for any suggestions. I like Thunderbird and would like to continue using it.

Chosen solution

You can't change from POP to IMAP just by changing the settings - you have to add the account as IMAP. First, copy the existing POP mail to subfolders of Local Folders, then remove the POP account, then add it as IMAP.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Convert_a_POP_account_to_a_IMAP_account

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All Replies (2)

sfhowes
sfhowes
  • Top 25 Contributor
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Seçilmiş Həll

You can't change from POP to IMAP just by changing the settings - you have to add the account as IMAP. First, copy the existing POP mail to subfolders of Local Folders, then remove the POP account, then add it as IMAP.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Convert_a_POP_account_to_a_IMAP_account

Richard
Richard Question owner
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Thanks - seems to have done the trick. I appreciate the help.