Email clients are simply programs or apps that collect your emails for you, saving you the trouble of having to log in to your email accounts. Setting up any email client can be a little finicky, but once you get them working, they provide a consistent, easy to use way of sending and receiving email messages.
Both Windows 10 and 11 have an email client built into them. It’s called the Windows Mail App.
In this guide, we’ll go through the basics of how to set up the Windows Mail app.
How To Set Up Windows Mail App.
To start using the Mail app, you’ll need to set it up with your email account details (email address and password). Generally speaking, that’s all you’ll need to do, especially if you’re using one of the better-known email services, such as Gmail or Yahoo etc.
In Windows 10 you can usually find the Windows Mail app on both the Taskbar and as a live tile on the Start panel. Click either to launch it.
If you can’t see it, then click the Start button and type “windows mail “
You’ll see it appear at the top of the menu. Left-click it to start it up.
It’s exactly the same if you’re using Windows 11. The Mail app is usually on the Taskbar and the Start menu. Click either to launch it.
Just as with Windows 10, sometimes the Mail app gets unpinned from the Taskbar and Start menu, so if you can’t see it, click the Start button and then type “mail” into the search box.
When the Mail appears, left-click it once to launch it.
Setting Up An Email Account In Windows Mail.
The first time that you run the Mail app, it’ll ask you for your email account details so that it can log in and start downloading your messages.
From this point on, it’s pretty much the same on both Windows 10 and 11.
To help the Mail app set itself up, you’ll need to click on which type of email account you’ve got.
Click Outlook.com if you have any sort of Microsft email account, eg. @Outlook.com, @Live, @Hotmail or @msn
Click Google for email addresses ending @Gmail or @ Googlemail.
Click Yahoo for @Yahoo email accounts.
Click iCloud for Apple-related email accounts
And click Other account POP, IMAP for any other email account (such as @BTInternet, @Sky, @TalkTalk etc).
Enter Your Details.
After clicking your choice of email account, you’ll see a series of windows where you can add your email account details and allow the Windows Mail app to access your account.
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The display name tells the recipient of your emails who sent them. If you’d like it to appear as just your first name (such as Dave), then simply type that in.
If you’d like them to show you’re full name (such as Dave Dagenham), type that in. Or if you want to be really formal Mr Dagenham.
The Windows Mail App Is Setup.
If all is good, then the Windows Mail app will begin downloading all your emails.
This can take quite some time if you’ve got a lot of mail and/or a slow Internet connection.
How To Add A Second Email Account.
One of the best things about using an email client like Windows Mail is that you can add several accounts to it. So if you’ve got a Yahoo email account, and a Gmail account, you can add them both. All your emails are in one place.
To add another email account to the Windows Mail app, click the ACCOUNTS option over on the left-hand side.
Then click ADD ACCOUNT on the menu on the right-hand side.
Now you go through the whole process again to add your second account.
Choose your second email account type, add in your details and so on.
Windows Mail App Manual/Advanced Setup.
If you’re using one of the main email service providers, then provided you’re filling in your details correctly, the Windows Mail app will generally set up your account with a minimum of fuss.
However, sometimes it just doesn’t seem to want to work. If you’re really having problems, and you’re definitely typing your email address and password correctly, then you can try setting Mail up manually.
To set up Windows Mail manually you’ll need to find the email settings that your provider uses. It’s not difficult, but can be confusing if you’ve never done anything like this before.
Open your browser and then search Google for the email settings for your account.
As an example, if you were trying to set up a Talk Talk email account, you might search for “Talk Talk email settings”.
Equally, for Sky ” Sky email settings”.
Usually, email providers will have dedicated help pages with the settings that you’ll need. You just have to find those pages.
IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Port Numbers & Security.
When you’re trying to set up Windows Mail manually, you’ll need to enter the settings for IMAP or POP3, SMTP, the port numbers and security that your email provider uses.
The first thing to do is to decide whether you want to collect your emails using IMAP or POP3.
As a general rule, choose IMAP. Most email providers prefer you to use IMAP over POP3, as you can see in this example from TalkTalk.
They have their IMAP settings recommended and typed in bold.
It has to be said that not all providers lay the information out in an easy to read table like this What you’re looking for is the Incoming server address (or name),
The type of security or encryption that they use and the port number.
Then you’ll need the same info for the Outgoing server, ie server address, encryption and port number.
Armed with the relevant information, start the Windows Mail app. This time, click the ADVANCED SETUP option.
Now you’ll get a form to fill in.
At the top of the page, enter your email address and password, username and display name etc.
Incoming Mail Server.
In the INCOMING EMAIL SERVER box, enter the address for your incoming mail server.
In this example, we’re using TalkTalk.
Be sure to type the address accurately. Or better still, copy and paste it.
For the account type, choose IMAP.
Outgoing Mail Server.
Enter the OUTGOING (SMTP) EMAIL SERVER settings.
Again be accurate or copy and paste.
And that should be it. Click SIGN IN at the bottom of the window.
Depending on what extra protection your email provider has in place, you may need to allow Windows to access your account, but other than that, you should be up and running.
If Windows Mail Still Can’t Connect To Your Account.
This can be a real issue and it’s usually down to the Windows Mail App trying to connect to your email account provider using the wrong port numbers.
What’s supposed to happen, after you’ve (correctly) filled in your details and the incoming/outgoing server info, is Windows Mail will query your email service and obtain the correct port numbers to use.
Unfortunately, some providers are better than others at implementing this system.
And Windows Mail doesn’t provide any way to manually change the port numbers. So if, after checking and re-checking your details, the Mail app still doesn’t connect to your email account, you’ve had it.
You are stuck.
My best advice here is to cut your losses and give up with Windows Mail. Don’t spend hours and hours trying to make it work. There are other email clients that you could use. I really don’t like giving up like this, but without any means of checking and changing the port numbers, there really isn’t much else you can do.
Conclusion.
In my opinion, accessing your email using an email client, such as Windows Mail, is much better than using webmail, especially if you’ve got more than one email account.
Once you’re set up, then starting a single program will bring in all your emails from all your accounts. No more logging in and out of various webmails.
Another issue is that each email service has its own layout. So Yahoo looks different from Gmail which looks different from Outlook.com etc. Although they all usually offer the same functions, finding the buttons to launch those functions can be a nightmare. Print, send. reply, block and delete are functions we always need to find and are never in the same place on Yahoo as they are on Gmail etc.
But if you’re using an email client, then the layout is always the same. Once you’ve found them, they will always be in the same place, regardless of whether you’re reading an email from Yahoo, Gmail or anywhere else.
Although Windows Mail is not by any means a great email client, it does, generally, work. It’s pretty reliable and although it lacks some features of the more fully fledged email programs, it’s already installed on your computer, so why not use it?
At Home Computer Guides.
These easy to follow guides aren’t part of the course, rather, they are standalone guides. They extend beyond the basics that we’re covering on the course.
