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This guide walks you through setting up your hosting email account on desktop programs like Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird, as well as on your mobile phone. It also explains how to access your emails from anywhere through your web browser.
1. The easy way first: Webmail
You can access your emails from any device with an internet connection — no setup required. Just open your browser and go to:
https://webmail.your-server.de/
Use your full email address (e.g. info@yoursite.com) as the username and enter your password. This is handy when you're away from your office, using someone else's computer, or simply don't want to set anything up.
2. POP3 or IMAP? Which one should I choose?
During setup, you'll be asked to pick between IMAP and POP3. The difference is simple:
| IMAP (Recommended) | POP3 |
|---|---|
| Emails stay on the server. | Emails are deleted from the server after being downloaded. |
| Phone, computer, tablet... You see the same inbox on every device. | You only see emails on the device that downloaded them. |
| An email read on one device shows as read on all others. | No synchronization between devices. |
| Folders, drafts, and sent items are identical on every device. | Server space stays free since emails move to your local computer. |
Our recommendation: If you use more than one device (most people do), pick IMAP. Only choose POP3 if you manage email from a single computer and don't want to keep a backup on the server.
3. Server settings (everything you need in one place)
Keep these details handy during setup. The information you need is the same regardless of which email program you use.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Username | Your full email address (e.g. info@yoursite.com) |
| Password | The email password we provided you |
| Incoming server (IMAP) | mail.your-server.de — Port: 993 — Encryption: SSL/TLS |
| Incoming server (POP3) | mail.your-server.de — Port: 995 — Encryption: SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing server (SMTP) | mail.your-server.de — Port: 587 — Encryption: STARTTLS |
| SMTP authentication | Must be enabled (same username and password as the incoming server) |
Important: The server address must be entered exactly as mail.your-server.de. Do not use your own domain name — this value is the same for all customers.
4. Setup instructions by program
Microsoft Outlook (Windows)
- Open Outlook and click the File menu.
- Click Add Account.
- Enter your email address. Under Advanced options, tick "Let me set up my account manually".
- Choose IMAP and enter the server settings shown above.
- Enter your password and complete the setup.
If folders don't display correctly: Go to Account Settings > More Settings > Advanced > Folders, and enter INBOX in the "Root folder path" field. In newer Outlook versions, you can reach this setting with the keyboard shortcut CTRL + ALT + S.
Apple Mail (Mac)
- Open the Mail app and select Mail > Add Account from the top menu.
- Choose "Other Mail Account" and continue.
- Enter your name, email address, and password.
- If the system can't auto-detect, choose IMAP as the account type.
- Enter mail.your-server.de as both the incoming and outgoing server.
- Use your full email address as the username, then complete the setup.
iPhone / iPad
- Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account.
- Choose "Other", then "Add Mail Account".
- Fill in the Name, Email, Password, and Description fields.
- Make sure the IMAP tab is selected at the top.
- Enter mail.your-server.de as both incoming and outgoing server.
- Use your full email address as username and your mail password on both servers.
- Tap Save in the top right.
Android (Gmail app)
- Open the Gmail app and tap the profile picture in the top right.
- Choose "Add another account" > "Other".
- Enter your email address and tap Manual setup.
- Choose IMAP and enter your password.
- Enter mail.your-server.de as both incoming and outgoing server, then complete the setup.
Mozilla Thunderbird
- Open Thunderbird and go to Account Settings > Account Actions > Add Mail Account.
- Enter your name, email, and password, then click Continue.
- Thunderbird will try to detect the settings automatically. If it can't, or if it detects them incorrectly, click Configure Manually.
- Enter the server settings shown above and click Done.
5. Common problems
I can receive emails but I can't send
The most common cause is that SMTP authentication is turned off. Open your account settings and make sure the "My outgoing server requires authentication" option (or similar) is enabled. Use port 587 (STARTTLS) or 465 (SSL). Don't use port 25 — most internet providers block it.
Connection times out
Your router or office network may have a "trusted mail servers" list. You may need to add mail.your-server.de to that list, or check your firewall settings. Antivirus programs with email scanning features can also cause problems; try temporarily disabling that feature.
I don't know which port to choose
For sending, use 587 (STARTTLS) — it's the standard port and works everywhere. If that doesn't work, try 465 (SSL). For receiving, use 993 if you're on IMAP or 995 if you're on POP3.
Are my emails end-to-end encrypted?
Emails are transmitted to our server over an encrypted connection, but for true end-to-end encryption the message content itself must be encrypted for the recipient. You can configure this yourself through the OpenPGP or S/MIME settings in programs like Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or Outlook.
Need help?
If you're still having trouble after following this guide, just get in touch with us. Sending us a screenshot of the error message and the name of the program you're using helps us respond more quickly.
