Finding the correct Rediffmail email settings is the first step to accessing your account from a desktop or mobile email client. Rediffmail is a long-standing and popular webmail service that provides millions of users with free email accounts. To connect your Rediffmail address to an application like Outlook, Thunderbird, or your phone’s native mail app, you need to configure the server settings manually. This guide provides the official POP3 and SMTP details you need for a successful setup.
What Are the Official Rediffmail Server Settings?
To connect any third-party application to your Rediffmail account, you must input the correct server information for receiving and sending mail. It is essential to understand the type of access Rediffmail provides to its users, as this directly impacts how your email will behave in the client.
A Critical Note: POP3 vs. IMAP Access
It is important to understand the difference between email protocols. Standard, free Rediffmail accounts primarily offer POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) access for use in email clients. POP3 is designed to download your emails from the server to a single device. By default, it may delete the messages from the server after downloading them.
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), which synchronizes your emails and folders across multiple devices, is typically a feature of Rediffmail’s premium subscription service, Rediffmail Pro. For most free users, POP3 is the only available option for client-based access.
Rediffmail POP3 Settings for Incoming Mail (Free Accounts)
These are the settings required to receive emails from your standard Rediffmail account.
- Server:
pop.rediffmail.com - Port:
995 - Encryption:
SSL/TLS - Username: Your full Rediffmail email address (e.g.,
username@rediffmail.com)
Rediffmail SMTP Settings for Outgoing Mail
These settings are used to send emails from your Rediffmail address through the email client. SMTP authentication is mandatory.
- Server:
smtp.rediffmail.com - Port:
465or587 - Encryption: Use
SSL/TLSwith port 465. UseSTARTTLSwith port 587. - Authentication: Required (use your full email address and password)
Rediffmail Pro IMAP Settings (Paid Accounts)
If you are a subscriber to the paid Rediffmail Pro service, you can use the more advanced IMAP protocol to sync your email. These settings will not work for free accounts.
- Server:
imap.rediffmail.com - Port:
993 - Encryption:
SSL/TLS
How to Configure Rediffmail on Desktop Clients
A manual setup is required to configure your Rediffmail account on desktop applications. Paying close attention to the details, especially selecting the correct protocol (POP3), is key to a successful connection.
Setting Up Rediffmail in Microsoft Outlook
Outlook’s manual setup wizard allows you to specify that you are using a POP3 account.
First, open Outlook and navigate to File > Add Account. Enter your Rediffmail email address. Click “Advanced options” and check the box for “Let me set up my account manually.” Click “Connect,” and on the next screen, choose POP.
You will now be on the POP Account Settings screen. For Incoming mail, enter the server pop.rediffmail.com and the port 995. Check the box that says “This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL/TLS).” For Outgoing mail, enter the server smtp.rediffmail.com and port 465, and select SSL/TLS for encryption. Click “Next,” enter your password, and click “Connect.” Crucially, in the advanced settings, you should enable the option to “Leave a copy of messages on the server.”
Configuring Rediffmail in Mozilla Thunderbird
Thunderbird is a flexible client, but its automatic setup may not find the correct settings for Rediffmail, requiring manual intervention.
Open Thunderbird and start the account setup process. Enter your name, full email address, and password, then click “Continue.” Thunderbird will try to configure the account. It will likely fail or suggest incorrect settings. Click the “Manual config” button.
On the manual configuration screen, for the Incoming protocol, select POP3. The server hostname should be pop.rediffmail.com, the port 995, and the SSL setting SSL/TLS. For the Outgoing protocol (SMTP), the server is smtp.rediffmail.com, the port is 465, and SSL is SSL/TLS. Ensure Authentication is set to “Normal password” for both. Click “Done” to finalize the setup.
Integrating Rediffmail with Apple Mail on macOS
On a Mac, you must add the account manually through the System Settings panel.
Open System Settings and go to Internet Accounts. Click “Add Other Account…” and then select “Mail Account.” Enter your name, email address, and password, then click “Sign In.” The system will report that it cannot verify the account.
This is expected. On the manual entry screen, ensure your full email address is the User Name. For Account Type, you must select POP. For the Incoming Mail Server, enter pop.rediffmail.com. For the Outgoing Mail Server, enter smtp.rediffmail.com. Click “Sign In” again. The system will verify the POP3 and SMTP settings and add your account to Apple Mail.
How to Set Up Rediffmail on Mobile Devices
Configuring Rediffmail on a mobile device follows a similar manual process. It is vital to manage the POP3 settings correctly to avoid losing access to your emails.
Adding Your Rediffmail Account to an iPhone or iPad
iOS requires a completely manual setup for Rediffmail accounts.
Open the Settings app and go to Mail > Accounts > Add Account. Choose “Other,” then “Add Mail Account.” Enter your name, email address, and password. Tap “Next.”
On the next screen, ensure POP is selected at the top. For the Incoming Mail Server, the Host Name is pop.rediffmail.com. For the Outgoing Mail Server, the Host Name is smtp.rediffmail.com. You must enter your full email address and password for both the incoming and outgoing sections. Tap “Save” to complete the process. After setup, go into the advanced settings for the account and check the “Delete from server” option to ensure emails are not immediately removed from webmail.
Setting Up Rediffmail on an Android Device
The following steps use the Gmail app on Android as an example.
Open the Gmail app, tap your profile icon, and choose “Add another account.” Select “Other.” Enter your email address and tap “Manual setup.” Choose POP3 as the account type and enter your password.
On the “Incoming server settings” screen, confirm the server is pop.rediffmail.com. Tap “Next.” On the “Outgoing server settings” screen, confirm the SMTP server is smtp.rediffmail.com and that “Require sign-in” is enabled. Tap “Next.” In the final step, you will see an option for “Delete emails from server.” It is highly recommended to set this to “Never” to avoid losing emails.
Troubleshooting Common Rediffmail Setup Issues
Most setup problems with Rediffmail are related to the POP3 protocol or incorrect server details. Here’s how to solve the most frequent issues.
Why Can’t I Find IMAP Settings?
Users often look for IMAP settings because they want to sync email across their phone and computer. However, for Rediffmail, IMAP access is typically a premium feature. If you have a free Rediffmail account, you must use the POP3 settings. If you attempt to use IMAP server names, the connection will fail. If email synchronization is a critical need, you may have to consider upgrading to a Rediffmail Pro account.
Solving “Cannot Send Mail” (SMTP) Errors
If you can receive emails but are unable to send them, the problem lies with your SMTP configuration. The most common cause is that SMTP authentication is not enabled. Go back into your client’s settings and ensure that the option “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” is checked. Also, confirm you are using your full email address and password. If it still fails, try the alternative SMTP port. Change from port 465 (SSL/TLS) to 587 (STARTTLS).
Managing Emails with POP3: The “Leave on Server” Option
This is the most critical concept for POP3 users. By default, POP3 was designed to download an email and then delete it from the server. If you do not change this setting, the first device you check your email on (e.g., your desktop Outlook) will download and delete everything, leaving nothing for your phone to retrieve. To prevent this, you must find the advanced settings for your account in your email client and check the box that says “Leave a copy of messages on the server.” This ensures your emails remain accessible from the Rediffmail web interface and other devices.
Rediffmail in the Global Webmail Context
Rediffmail has been a significant player in the webmail landscape for many years, holding its own among a wide variety of global competitors.
A Long-Standing Webmail Provider
Founded in 1996, Rediff.com is one of the pioneering internet portals, offering news, entertainment, shopping, and email services. Its email service, Rediffmail, quickly became one of the most popular free email options for millions of users. You can learn more about its history on Rediff. Rediff has a diverse portfolio of online services.
- Rediff News
- Rediff Shopping
- Rediffmail NG
- Rediff Bol
How Rediffmail Compares to Other Providers
Rediffmail’s model of a free, ad-supported service with an optional pro tier is common in the industry. It competes with other international free services like those in guides for Mail.com email settings and Seznam email settings. However, it differs significantly from business-oriented platforms like the one detailed in these Zoho email settings, which are part of a larger suite of productivity tools and do not have an ad-supported free tier for custom domains.
The Choice Between Free and Premium Email
Choosing an email provider often comes down to balancing cost against features and privacy. Free web-based email providers like Rediffmail, or those in an AOL Mail overview and Yahoo Mail guide, offer a valuable service at no monetary cost. The trade-off is often exposure to advertising and more limited features (like the lack of IMAP in Rediffmail’s free tier). Premium services offer an ad-free experience, better features, and often stronger privacy policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does the free version of Rediffmail support IMAP for syncing emails across devices?
No, the standard free Rediffmail service primarily provides POP3 access for use in third-party email clients. The POP3 protocol is designed to download emails to a single device and does not synchronize folders or read/unread status. The IMAP protocol, which is necessary for syncing email across multiple devices, is typically a feature of the paid Rediffmail Pro subscription.
2. After setting up Rediffmail in Outlook, my emails disappeared from the webmail inbox. How do I fix this?
This is a common issue with the POP3 protocol. Its default behavior is to download emails from the server and then delete them. To prevent this, you must go into your account settings in Outlook, find the “Advanced” settings tab, and check the box that says “Leave a copy of messages on the server.” You can also set it to remove messages from the server after a certain number of days to manage your mailbox size.
3. I can receive emails from Rediffmail but cannot send them. What’s wrong?
This is a classic SMTP configuration problem. First, check that the outgoing server is smtp.rediffmail.com. Second, and most importantly, ensure that the option “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” is enabled in your client’s settings and that it is configured to use your full email address and password. Finally, if port 465 with SSL/TLS does not work, try using the alternate port 587 with STARTTLS encryption.
4. How do I find the settings for Rediffmail Pro?
For Rediffmail Pro, the paid subscription service, the POP3 and SMTP settings are the same as the free version (pop.rediffmail.com and smtp.rediffmail.com). The key difference is that the Pro plan also enables IMAP access. The server setting for IMAP is imap.rediffmail.com, the port is 993, and the encryption method is SSL/TLS.
5. Is it possible to use a Rediffmail account in the Gmail app on my phone?
Yes, you can configure your Rediffmail account in the Gmail mobile app. When adding a new account, choose “Other,” and then proceed with the manual setup. You must select POP3 as the account type and enter the pop.rediffmail.com server settings. You will also need to configure the smtp.rediffmail.com settings to be able to send mail from your Rediffmail address within the app.
