{"id":111298,"date":"2026-10-29T13:07:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T13:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glossary\/outlook\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T19:08:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T19:08:23","slug":"outlook","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"Outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Outlook is Microsoft’s email service: a free webmail<\/a>, Outlook.com, and an app for reading your email<\/a> on your computer or phone.<\/p>\n\n

Here’s how to sign in, how to create an account, the settings to use it in other programs and when it suits you better than Gmail.<\/p>\n\n

What is Outlook?<\/h2>\n\n

“Outlook” can mean three things. Outlook.com<\/strong> is the free webmail you open in your browser. The Outlook app<\/strong> is free for Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone. And classic Outlook<\/strong> is the desktop program that comes with Microsoft 365.<\/p>\n\n

Addresses can end in @outlook.com, @outlook.es, @hotmail.com or @live.com. They are all Microsoft accounts and work the same way.<\/p>\n\n

What about Hotmail? It’s the same service. Microsoft merged it into Outlook.com in 2013, and old Hotmail<\/a> addresses still work.<\/p>\n\n

How do you sign in to your Outlook email?<\/h2>\n\n

From your browser it takes less than a minute:<\/p>\n\n

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  1. Go to outlook.com and click “Sign in”.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Enter your full address.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Enter your password or the code Microsoft sends you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. You’ll land in your inbox<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
    \"How<\/figure>\n\n

    At work, with Microsoft 365, the sign-in address is outlook.office.com. You sign in with the account your company gives you.<\/p>\n\n

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    Do you send your newsletters from Outlook?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With Mailrelay you reach your whole list without the daily limits of a personal mailbox, with statistics and automatic unsubscribes. Free account with up to 80,000 emails a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    How do you create a free Outlook account?<\/h2>\n\n

    On outlook.com, click “Create free account”. Choose the name of your new address and the domain (@outlook.com, @outlook.es or @hotmail.com), create a password and fill in your details. Microsoft may ask for a mobile number or an alternative email to recover the account.<\/p>\n\n

    A tip for your email address<\/a>: keep it simple, without accents or random numbers. If it’s for your business, a corporate email<\/a> with your own domain is better.<\/p>\n\n

    Outlook IMAP, POP and SMTP settings<\/h2>\n\n

    To read your email in another email client<\/a>, use Microsoft’s official settings:<\/p>\n\n

    Setting<\/th>IMAP<\/th>POP<\/th>SMTP<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Server<\/td>outlook.office365.com<\/td>outlook.office365.com<\/td>smtp-mail.outlook.com<\/td><\/tr>
    Port<\/td>993<\/td>995<\/td>587<\/td><\/tr>
    Encryption<\/td>SSL\/TLS<\/td>SSL\/TLS<\/td>STARTTLS<\/td><\/tr>
    Authentication<\/td>OAuth2 (modern)<\/td>OAuth2 (modern)<\/td>OAuth2 (modern)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

    Two things often cause problems. First: IMAP<\/a> and POP3<\/a> access is turned off by default. Turn it on in Settings > Mail > Forwarding and IMAP.<\/p>\n\n

    Second: since September 16, 2024, Microsoft only accepts modern authentication (OAuth2).<\/p>\n\n

    Programs that only ask for a username and password, such as 2016 versions or a misconfigured Thunderbird, stop connecting. In Thunderbird, switch authentication to OAuth2 for both the incoming server and SMTP<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    New Outlook and classic Outlook: what changes?<\/h2>\n\n

    Microsoft is moving everyone to the new Windows app<\/strong>, based on the web version. It replaced the Windows Mail and Calendar apps, which stopped working on December 31, 2024.<\/p>\n\n

    The classic version<\/strong> is still available with Microsoft 365, supported until at least 2029. If you use add-ins or PST files, you’re better off sticking with it for now.<\/p>\n\n

    How much storage does Outlook have?<\/h2>\n\n

    A free account has 15 GB for email<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

    Attachments<\/a> count separately, against the 5 GB of free cloud storage shared with OneDrive. With Microsoft 365 the mailbox goes up to 100 GB.<\/p>\n\n

    If it fills up, you can’t send or receive. The trash empties itself after 30 days, and junk mail<\/a> after 10.<\/p>\n\n

    Outlook or Gmail? Which one suits you<\/h2>\n\n

    Both are free and reliable, so the choice depends on the tools you already use.<\/p>\n\n

    If you\u2026<\/th>Go with<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Work with Word, Excel and Teams<\/td>Outlook<\/td><\/tr>
    Use Android and Google services<\/td>Gmail<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
    Want more space without paying<\/td>Gmail (15 GB shared with Drive and Photos) or Outlook (15 GB for email only)<\/td><\/tr>
    Need an address for your business<\/td>Neither: email on your own domain, such as Google Workspace<\/a> or Microsoft 365<\/td><\/tr>
    Want to send a newsletter<\/td>Neither: an email marketing tool<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

    Can you use Outlook to send newsletters?<\/h2>\n\n

    For a few recipients, yes. You can do a mass email in Outlook<\/a> with Word’s mail merge.<\/p>\n\n

    But there’s a ceiling. Microsoft limits daily recipients, and large sends from a personal account end up blocked (see the sending limits<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n

    You also won’t get open or click statistics, or automatic unsubscribes.<\/p>\n\n

    \"Sending<\/figure>\n\n

    And if you put everyone in CC, each contact sees everyone else’s address. BCC<\/a> prevents that, but doesn’t solve the rest. Above a certain volume, Microsoft requires you to authenticate your domain<\/a>, just like Gmail and Yahoo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    How Mailrelay helps<\/h2>\n\n

    With Mailrelay you send your newsletters to your whole list from your own address and with an authenticated sending domain<\/a>, without the daily caps of a personal mailbox.<\/p>\n\n

    The free account<\/a> includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts.<\/p>\n\n

    You get a visual editor, automations, open and click statistics and automatic handling of unsubscribes and bounces, with human support on every plan. Details on our pricing<\/a> page.<\/p>\n\n

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    Move from Outlook to an email marketing tool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Templates, automations and statistics, with human support on every plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Try Mailrelay for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    Outlook FAQ<\/h2>\n\n

    These are the most common questions.<\/p>\n\n

    Is Outlook free?<\/h3>\n\n

    Yes. Outlook.com and the app are free. You only pay if you want Microsoft 365, with more storage and the classic version.<\/p>\n\n

    Are Outlook and Hotmail the same thing?<\/h3>\n\n

    Yes. Hotmail has been part of Outlook.com since 2013, and @hotmail.com addresses are used on the same website.<\/p>\n\n

    What is the website to sign in to Outlook?<\/h3>\n\n

    For personal accounts, outlook.com. For work accounts with Microsoft 365, outlook.office.com.<\/p>\n\n

    Why can’t I set up my email in another program?<\/h3>\n\n

    It’s almost always for one of two reasons: IMAP or POP access is turned off, or the program doesn’t support OAuth2. Turn on access in the settings and use a version that supports modern authentication.<\/p>\n\n

    Can I change my Outlook address?<\/h3>\n\n

    You can’t change it, but you can add an alias: a new address on the same account, with the same mailbox and the same contacts.<\/p>\n\n

    Related posts<\/h2>\n\n