What happened to Windows Mail
- Microsoft ended support for Mail and Calendar for Windows on 31 December 2024.
- After that date the Mail app stopped sending and receiving email.
- For your calendar, Metre2 Calendar is a free replacement for Windows Calendar.
Will I lose my old emails?
It depends how the account was set up:
| Account type | Where your mail is | What happens in a new app |
|---|---|---|
| IMAP (most accounts today) | On your provider's server | Everything appears again, folders included |
| POP3 | Downloaded to the PC, often removed from the server | Only what's still on the server comes back. Anything that only existed inside the old Mail app may be lost |
If you used POP3, check your provider's webmail to see what's still on the server before you remove the old app.
What you need before you start
- Your full email address.
- Your email password, or an app password if your provider asks for one (see below).
- Your provider's server settings - only if the app can't find them. Most apps look them up from your address.
| Provider | Incoming (IMAP) | Outgoing (SMTP) | App password? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | imap.gmail.com, port 993, SSL | smtp.gmail.com, port 465, SSL | Yes |
| iCloud Mail | imap.mail.me.com, port 993, SSL | smtp.mail.me.com, port 587, STARTTLS | Yes |
| Yahoo Mail | imap.mail.yahoo.com, port 993, SSL | smtp.mail.yahoo.com, port 465, SSL | Yes |
| BT Email | mail.btinternet.com, port 993, SSL | mail.btinternet.com, port 465, SSL | Sometimes |
| Sky Mail | imap.tools.sky.com, port 993, SSL | smtp.tools.sky.com, port 465, SSL | If two-step verification is on |
| Virgin Media Mail | imap.virginmedia.com, port 993, SSL | smtp.virginmedia.com, port 465, SSL | No |
| TalkTalk Mail | imap.talktalk.net, port 993, SSL | smtp.talktalk.net, port 465, SSL | No |
Providers do change these from time to time; their own help pages have the current settings.
App passwords, explained
An app password is a separate password your provider makes for one email app. It means the app never sees your main password, and you can cancel it at any time.
- Gmail: turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account, then go to myaccount.google.com/apppasswords, type a name and press Create. Paste the 16-letter password into the app.
- iCloud: sign in at account.apple.com, open Sign-In and Security > App-Specific Passwords and press +.
- Yahoo: open Account Info > Account Security and choose Generate app password.
Outlook.com and Hotmail accounts work differently: Microsoft no longer accepts passwords from email apps for them, so they need Microsoft sign-in, which this guide doesn't cover.
IMAP or POP3?
| IMAP | POP3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Where mail lives | On the server, copied to each device | Downloaded to one device |
| Phone and PC in step | Yes - read on one, read on both | No |
| Folders | Synced | Inbox only |
| Choose it when | Almost always | Your provider only offers POP3, or you want mail off the server |
Setting up Metre2 Mail
- Install Metre2 Mail from the Microsoft Store.
- Type your email address. For most providers the server settings are filled in for you.
- If your provider needs an app password, the app shows the steps for that provider.
- Paste the password. It's kept in Windows' own secure credential store, not in a settings file.
- Your folders appear and new mail arrives as it lands (push email over IMAP).
One account is free, with conversations, search, drafts, signatures, attachments and notifications. Mail Pro, a one-off £9.99 upgrade, adds more accounts in one combined inbox, rules, templates, send later, snooze and export.