IMAP is a two-way communication protocol in which changes are made to local mail sent to the server. Basically, the contents of the e-mail remain on the server. The IMAP protocol is recommended by email providers like Gmail over POP3.
In IMAP, e-mail is stored on a server. when you will check email, local mail will contact the server to display the email message. So that the e-mail message files remain on the server and are not downloaded to local e-mail.
Default IMAP port
- Port 143 - Unencrypted port
- Port 993 - SSL / TLS port, another name for IMAPS
Pros of Using IMAP
- You can access your email from anywhere via different devices.
- Email can be accessed via a web browser without an email application.
- You only download the messages you want to open, so you don't have to wait for all of them to download.
- Attachments are not automatically downloaded by IMAP, so email can be accessed faster. You can also select specific attachments that you want to open.
The large number of mobile users today has resulted in more use of IMAP. This is because the files of the e-mail messages are stored on the server and you only have to access them.
Disadvantages of Using IMAP
- There are several hosting services that do not support IMAP.
- Email is stored on the server thus reducing disk space hosting.
- Email with IMAP can only be accessed when connected to the internet.
Conclusion
We hope that by now you have a better understanding of the protocol on email and the ports used with a little explanation about what SMTP, POP3 and IMAP are. You have also seen that POP3 and IMAP have basically the same function, and only have slight differences.
In IMAP, e-mail content is stored on the server. Meanwhile, POP3 downloads all emails to the computer. On the other hand, we've covered the default ports for SMTP, POP3 and IMAP.
