如果您曾经手动设置过电子邮件帐户(email account)，则系统会要求您提供电子邮件提供商(email provider)的POP 或 IMAP(POP or IMAP)服务器设置。这些是电子邮件程序在从您的帐户中检索电子邮件之前需要的必要指示。
就像您的地址和密码(address and password)对于您的电子邮件帐户(email account)是唯一的一样，IMAP 和 POP 服务器设置(IMAP and POP server settings)对于每个电子邮件提供商(email provider)都是唯一的。例如， Gmail 的IMAP 服务器(IMAP server)设置与 Yahoo 的不同，而且两家公司的IMAP设置都不同于它们自己的POP 服务器(POP server)设置。
所以，您有两种选择，但您需要哪一种？IMAP 和 POP 和(IMAP and POP)有什么不一样？IMAP比POP好吗？您可以(Can)使用IMAP 和(and )POP，还是必须选择？
以下(Below)是您需要了解的有关IMAP 和 POP(IMAP and POP)的所有信息，包括两者的优缺点以及有关如何使用IMAP 或 POP(IMAP or POP)设置电子邮件的链接。
IMAP 和 POP 的区别(The Difference Between IMAP And POP)
IMAP 代表Internet 消息访问协议。(Internet Message Access Protocol.)POP 代表邮局协议。(Post Office Protocol.)两者都被电子邮件程序用来从电子邮件服务器(email server)下载消息。
因此，无论您使用哪种电子邮件服务(email service)，如果您想从他们的webmail 站点(webmail site)访问您的邮件，您必须使用该服务的特定IMAP 或 POP(IMAP or POP)服务器设置。
但是， IMAP 和 POP(IMAP and POP)之间有一个主要区别。当您通过IMAP进行通信时，电子邮件程序可以直接从服务器管理邮件，包括将电子邮件标记为已读、从服务器中删除它们、在文件夹之间移动电子邮件等等。
您在电子邮件程序(email program)中所做的任何事情也将在电子邮件服务器上完成，因此通过(email server)IMAP连接到该帐户的任何其他电子邮件客户端都将经历这些相同的更改。
POP仅限于下载电子邮件。当您使用POP 电子邮件服务器时，您的电子邮件程序无法像(POP email)IMAP那样将命令发送回服务器。下载消息后，您对它们执行的任何操作都不会反映在服务器上。
如果您删除它们或将它们移动到其他文件夹中，您将只能看到该电子邮件程序中的更改，(that) 而(email program)不是通过网络邮件界面或您使用该电子邮件帐户的任何其他(email account)电子邮件程序(email program)。
我应该使用 IMAP 还是 POP？(Should I Use IMAP Or POP?)
这个决定完全取决于您，但使用IMAP最有意义。
如果您想要最大的灵活性，您应该选择IMAP而不是POP 。您将能够在任意数量的设备上访问您的电子邮件，并使它们全部同步。当您从手机中删除电子邮件时，当您在计算机或平板电脑上查看邮件时，相同的电子邮件也将被删除。在一台设备上发送电子邮件将显示在另一台设备上的已发送框中(sent box)。这对大多数人来说是最有意义的。
但是，如果您的电子邮件提供商(email provider)为您提供有限的电子邮件存储空间(storage space)，则可能首选POP 。考虑一个示例，您只有区区 200 MB 的电子邮件空间。如果您使用IMAP并且希望永久保留所有电子邮件，那么您将很快耗尽空间。
但是，您可以改为使用POP将电子邮件下载到您拥有更多存储空间的计算机上。只要您将电子邮件帐户(email account)设置为在下载电子邮件后将其从服务器中删除，您就永远不会用完服务器上的空间，但也永远不会丢失消息（只要您备份了它们）你的设备）。
如果您喜欢尽可能少的设置，IMAP应该是您的选择。大多数电子邮件提供商默认禁用POP，但保持IMAP 访问处于(IMAP access)打开状态。如果您决定使用POP ，您可能需要先从(POP)Web 浏览器(web browser)进入您的电子邮件设置，以便启用POP 访问(POP access)。
如您所见，选择实际上取决于您和您的情况。您可以选择IMAP的功能，但如果您保留太多电子邮件，可能会导致存储空间不足，或者您可以选择(storage space)POP以确保存储空间永远不会不足，但会错过方便的同步功能。
如何使用 IMAP 或 POP(How To Use IMAP Or POP)
许多现代电子邮件客户端允许您通过 Web登录界面登录(login interface)您的电子邮件，您只需要知道您的电子邮件地址和密码(address and password)。但是，如果您要输入IMAP 或 POP 设置(IMAP or POP settings)，则必须了解其他一些详细信息。
这些是一些常见电子邮件提供商的IMAP 和 POP(IMAP and POP)服务器设置。
SMTP：重要但不同(SMTP: Important But Different)
(POP and IMAP)在设备上设置电子邮件时，POP 和 IMAP并不是您需要了解的唯一电子邮件服务器设置。(email server)前两者用于下载邮件，而SMTP设置用于发送邮件。
如果您的设备上没有配置正确的SMTP 服务器(SMTP server)设置，客户端将不知道如何从您的帐户发送邮件。您下载邮件可能没有问题，但您将无法成功发送新邮件。
大多数电子邮件服务使用SMTP 服务器(SMTP server)，例如smtp.server.com。例如， Gmail 的SMTP 服务器(SMTP server)就是smtp.gmail.com。然而，其他的有点不同，比如 Outlook.com 的：smtp.office365.com。
OTT Explains : What Is The Difference Between POP & IMAP In My Email Account?
If you’ve ever set up an email account manually, then you’ve beеn asked for your email provider’s POP or IMAP ѕerver settings. These are necessary directions that the email program needѕ before it cаn retrieve emaіl frоm your accоunt.
Just like how your address and password are unique to your email account, IMAP and POP server settings are unique to every email provider. Gmail’s IMAP server settings, for example, are different from Yahoo’s, and both company’s IMAP settings are different from their own POP server settings.
So, you have two options, but which one do you need? What is the difference between IMAP and POP? Is IMAP better than POP? Can you use IMAP and POP, or do you have to choose?
Below is everything you need to know about IMAP and POP, including the benefits and disadvantages of both and links on how to set up your email using IMAP or POP.
The Difference Between IMAP And POP
IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. POP stands for Post Office Protocol. Both are used by an email program to download messages from the email server.
So regardless of the email service you use, if you want to access your mail away from their webmail site, you must use the service’s specific IMAP or POP server settings.
However, there’s a major difference between IMAP and POP. When you’re communicating via IMAP, the email program can manage the messages directly from the server, including marking the emails as read, deleting them from the server, moving emails between folders, and more.
Anything you do in the email program will also be done on the email server, so any other email client that’s connected to that account over IMAP will experience those identical changes.
POP is limited to downloading the emails only. When you’re using POP email servers, your email program can’t send commands back to the server like IMAP can. Once messages have been downloaded, anything you do to them isn’t reflected on the server.
If you delete them or move them into other folders, you’ll see the changes in that email program only, not through the webmail interface or on any other email program you use with that email account.
Should I Use IMAP Or POP?
This decision is completely up to you, but it makes the most sense to use IMAP.
You should pick IMAP over POP if you want maximum flexibility. You’ll be able to access your email on as many devices as you want, and have them all be synchronized. When you delete an email from your phone, the same email will be removed when you check your messages on a computer or on your tablet. Sending an email on one device will show up in the sent box on another device. This makes the most sense for most people.
However, if your email provider gives you limited storage space for emails, POP might be preferred. Consider an example where you have a measly 200 MB of email space. If you use IMAP, and you want to keep all of your emails forever, you’ll quickly run low on space.
However, you could instead use POP to download the emails to your computer where you have more storage. As long as you set up your email account to remove emails from the server after they’ve been downloaded, you’ll never run out of space on the server but will also never lose a message (so long as you have them backed up on your device).
If you prefer as little setup as possible, IMAP should be your choice. Most email providers disable POP by default but leave IMAP access open. If you decide to use POP, you might need to go into your email settings from a web browser first so that you can enable POP access.
As you can see, the choice really is up to you and your situation. You can choose IMAP for its features but possibly run low on storage space if you keep too many emails, or you can choose POP to never run low on storage but miss out on the handy syncing features.
How To Use IMAP Or POP
Many modern email clients let you log into your email through a web login interface where all you need to know is your email address and password. But if you’re entering IMAP or POP settings, you have to know some other details.
These are the IMAP and POP server settings for some common email providers.
SMTP: Important But Different
POP and IMAP aren’t the only email server settings you need to know when setting up email on a device. While the former two are for downloading mail, SMTP settings are for sending mail.
If you don’t have the right SMTP server settings configured on your device, the client won’t know how to send mail from your account. You might have no problem downloading mail, but you won’t be able to successfully send new messages.
Most email services use an SMTP server like smtp.server.com. Gmail’s SMTP server, for example, is simply smtp.gmail.com. However, others are a little different, like Outlook.com’s: smtp.office365.com.
