POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3), IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) are three fundamental protocols used in email communication.
POP3 and IMAP are used by email clients to access emails stored on remote servers. Their main difference is that POP3 downloads emails to your device while keeping them on the server, while IMAP allows users to view, organize, and manage emails directly on the server with full synchronization across all devices.
We have updated the POP3 protocol behavior.
How POP3 works now:
- You connect via POP3 and download emails to your email client
- Your POP3 client shows emails as normal
- Emails remain accessible in webmail at mail.hostinger.com
- If you want to remove emails from the server permanently, you have two options:
- Delete them manually through webmail (mail.hostinger.com)
- Switch to IMAP protocol, which syncs deletions across all devices
On the other hand, SMTP is responsible for sending emails. Together, these protocols are the foundation of sending, receiving, and accessing emails across networks and devices.
All Hostinger’s servers support POP3, IMAP, and SMTP protocols and are enabled by default – make sure to check the guides below on how to use them according to your email service type: