Send & Receive Hotmail in Thunderbird | Setup Guide

Accessing Hotmail Accounts in Thunderbird

With Microsoft’s enablement of POP3 access for email, users are now able to manage their @hotmail.com, @msn.com, and @live.com accounts through email clients beyond those offered by Microsoft themselves.

Having previously detailed the process of integrating Hotmail with Gmail, this guide will demonstrate how to configure your Hotmail account within the Thunderbird email client.

Setting Up the Account

Begin by launching Thunderbird. Navigate to the "Tools" menu and select "Account Settings".

Within the Account Settings window, locate and click the "Add Account" button, typically found towards the bottom of the interface.

A prompt will appear; select "Email Account" to proceed.

You will then be asked to input your name and the specific Hotmail or Live email address you wish to add to Thunderbird.

Configuring Server Settings

Choose "POP" as the incoming server type. Enter pop3.live.com into the designated "Incoming Server" field. The outgoing server details will be adjusted in a subsequent step.

Specify the incoming username you intend to use for this account.

Assign a descriptive label to the account, such as "Work" or "Home," or simply leave the default setting as is.

Review the account and incoming server information to ensure accuracy. Proceed by clicking "Finish," knowing that the outgoing server settings will be refined later.

Adjusting Incoming Server Security

Under the newly created account, click on "Server Settings." Confirm that the port number is set to 995. Under "Security Settings," select "SSL."

Note: To retain copies of your emails on the Hotmail server, ensure the option "Leave messages on server" is checked.

Configuring Outgoing Server (SMTP)

Next, configure the SMTP settings. In the left-hand menu, under "Local Folders," select "Outgoing Server (SMTP)" and then click the "Add" or "Edit" button.

Enter the following settings:

• Port: 587
• Server: smtp.live.com
• Check TLS
• User Name: youremail@live.com

*It is crucial to input your complete email address in the "User Name" field under "Security and Authentication."

Finalizing Setup and Sending Emails

To compose and send an email using your Hotmail account, simply utilize the "From" drop-down menu within Thunderbird to select the Hotmail account.

Once all settings are correctly configured, you will be able to seamlessly send and receive Hotmail emails within Thunderbird!

Note: Utilizing POP3 in this manner will typically result in the removal of messages from your Hotmail inbox after they are downloaded to Thunderbird.