Using AOL and AIM mail: Difference between revisions

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(added link to aol mail extension)
(REVERT part of http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.php?title=Using_AOL_Mail_with_Mozilla&diff=next&oldid=28954)
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{| border="1" rules="1" cellpadding="5"
{| border="1" rules="1" cellpadding="5"
| '''Incoming server (IMAP)''' ||  imap.aol.com or imap.aim.com
| '''Incoming server (IMAP)''' ||  imap.aol.com
|-
|-
| Port || Leave it to be set automatically: 143 (993 for SSL)
| Port || Leave it to be set automatically (993 for SSL)
|-
|-
| Security Settings/connection || Select either Never or SSL (AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it)
| Security Settings/connection || AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it
|-
|-
| Security Settings/Use secure authentication || Do not check; AOL does not support this; see Note, below.
| Security Settings/Use secure authentication || Do not check; AOL does not support this; see Note, below.
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| Username || Your screen name
| Username || Your screen name
|-
|-
| '''Outgoing Server (SMTP)''' || smtp.aol.com or smtp.aim.com
| '''Outgoing Server (SMTP)''' || smtp.aol.com
|-
|-
| Username || Your screen name
| Username || Your screen name
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| Security/connection || AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it; use port 465 in this case.   
| Security/connection || AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it; use port 465 in this case.   
|-
|-
| Port || 587 ( 465 for SSL)
| Port || 587 (but 465 for SSL)
|-
|-
|Description Name || Whatever you wish
|Description Name || Whatever you wish
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:You cannot manually add messages to the Inbox or Sent Items folders. Messages will be added to those folders after messages have been sent and received by the AOL server. You should probably use [[Local Folders]] if you want to store sent mail, email drafts, and templates. You can configure this under the account settings by selecting "Copies & Folders" under Account Settings.  However, if you use Thunderbird/Mozilla (not AOL webmail or the AOL mail client) to create folders with different names (e.g. Drafts--Tbird and Sent--Tbird) and change your "Copies & Folders" account settings appropriately, you may be able to get Thunderbird to save drafts and sent mail in them; I did.
:You cannot manually add messages to the Inbox or Sent Items folders. Messages will be added to those folders after messages have been sent and received by the AOL server. You should probably use [[Local Folders]] if you want to store sent mail, email drafts, and templates. You can configure this under the account settings by selecting "Copies & Folders" under Account Settings.  However, if you use Thunderbird/Mozilla (not AOL webmail or the AOL mail client) to create folders with different names (e.g. Drafts--Tbird and Sent--Tbird) and change your "Copies & Folders" account settings appropriately, you may be able to get Thunderbird to save drafts and sent mail in them; I did.
'''Note''': If you enable SSL, your password and email content is protected while in transit ''between you and AOL's servers'', but enabling SSL '''won't''' cause mail to be protected while in transit between AOL's servers and other mail servers.


'''AIM account:'''
'''AIM account:'''
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* [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=624049#624049 Easy AOL for Thunderbird 1.5 instructions in a Thunderbird Support forum thread]
* [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=624049#624049 Easy AOL for Thunderbird 1.5 instructions in a Thunderbird Support forum thread]
* [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=457820&highlight= Easy AOL for Thunderbird 2.0 instructions in a Thunderbird Support forum thread]
* [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=457820&highlight= Easy AOL for Thunderbird 2.0 instructions in a Thunderbird Support forum thread]
* [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/4860 AOL mail extension] "adds toolbar buttons that give users of the AOL mail system access to features that have only been available via the AOL specific client."
 
[[Category:E-mail account setup (Thunderbird)]]
[[Category:E-mail account setup (Thunderbird)]]
[[Category:Mozilla Suite]]
[[Category:Mozilla Suite]]

Revision as of 23:39, 3 November 2007

AOL mail, AIM mail, and Compuserve mail all use AOL's IMAP server. Netscape mail accounts have been migrated to AIM mail. The main difference between the different versions of "AOL mail" is that a AOL account imposes the most restrictions on what you can do with the IMAP server and a AIM account the least. The IMAP server does not support AOL-only features such as AOL Return Receipts and checking a message's status.

Create a new account in Mozilla Suite or Thunderbird and choose IMAP as your server type. Then, use the following information to complete the fields:

Incoming server (IMAP) imap.aol.com
Port Leave it to be set automatically (993 for SSL)
Security Settings/connection AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it.
Security Settings/Use secure authentication Do not check; AOL does not support this; see Note, below.
Username Your screen name
Outgoing Server (SMTP) smtp.aol.com
Username Your screen name
Security/connection AOL supports SSL, so you should probably use it; use port 465 in this case.
Port 587 (but 465 for SSL)
Description Name Whatever you wish

You will be asked for the password when you connect for the first time.

AOL account:

You cannot manually add messages to the Inbox or Sent Items folders. Messages will be added to those folders after messages have been sent and received by the AOL server. You should probably use Local Folders if you want to store sent mail, email drafts, and templates. You can configure this under the account settings by selecting "Copies & Folders" under Account Settings. However, if you use Thunderbird/Mozilla (not AOL webmail or the AOL mail client) to create folders with different names (e.g. Drafts--Tbird and Sent--Tbird) and change your "Copies & Folders" account settings appropriately, you may be able to get Thunderbird to save drafts and sent mail in them; I did.

Note: If you enable SSL, your password and email content is protected while in transit between you and AOL's servers, but enabling SSL won't cause mail to be protected while in transit between AOL's servers and other mail servers.

AIM account:

AIM doesn't have any of the AOL account restrictions. It will add a "Saved Mail" and "Spam" folder and any inbox child folders are displayed as peers rather than child folders.


Country server addresses:-

UK imap.uk.aol.com & smtp.uk.aol.com

Canada imap.ca.aol.com & smtp.ca.aol.com

Australia imap.au.aol.com & smtp.au.aol.com

Mexico imap.mx.aol.com & smtp.mx.aol.com

Argentina imap.ar.aol.com & smtp.ar.aol.com

Brazil imap.br.aol.com & smtp.br.aol.com

France imap.fr.aol.com & smtp.fr.aol.com

Germany imap.de.aol.com & smtp.de.aol.com

Japan imap.jp.aol.com & smtp.jp.aol.com

USA imap.aol.com & smtp.aol.com

See also

External Links