Setup macOS 26 Email last modified 2026-03-28

The purpose of this page is to describe how to setup an OlympusNet email account on a macOS device.
If you’ve earlier setup an account and need to make changes, go to Change macOS 26 Email

Setup macOS Email with IMAP

The instructions below are for an IMAP setup. We can walk you through the POP setup if preferred. The difference between IMAP and POP is explained at POP or IMAP?

Domain customers: use username@your-domain.com wherever janedoe@olympus.net appears.

1. Before getting started, have ready the email password agreed upon with OlympusNet staff.
2. Open the Mail application.
   Select Mail to the right of the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the window.
   Select Settings.
   
   
   
3. In the window that opens titled ‘Accounts’, select + at the bottom left of the window.
   
   
   
4. In the ‘Add Account’ window, enter your email address, then select ‘Continue.’
   
   
   
   
5. A section will be added to the bottom of the ‘Add Account’ window that starts with ‘Choose your provider’.
   At the bottom of that window, select ‘Other Mail Account.’
   
   
6. A window opens titled ‘Add a Mail account’. Fill the empty fields, then select ‘Sign In.’
   
   
   
   
7. Mail doesn’t yet know the names of the Incoming and Outgoing mail servers, so it displays in red:
   Unable to verify account name or password.
   
   1. The User Name: ‘Automatic’ will correctly add your email address so long as the Email Address field is populated.
      Leave User Name: ‘Automatic’ as it is.
      Leave Account Type: ‘IMAP’ as it is. If you wish to set up a POP account, please call.
   2. Fill in both the Incoming and Outgoing Mail Server fields with:
      mail.userservices.net for @olympus.net addresses; for example, janedoe@olympus.net.
      mailc11.megamailservers.com for addresses in your domain, for example, janedoe@example.com.
      Then select ‘Sign In.’
      
      
      
8. The account will verify that it can connect to the Incoming and Outgoing mail servers. If the same ‘Unable to verify account name or password’ error pops up, it’s likely there’s a typo in one of the fields, typically the password. Retype the password if you don’t find typos elsewhere and resubmit.
   
9. After the verification succeeds, a popup opens showing that both Mail and Notes are enabled by default.
   Apple’s Notes app is most useful.
   Select Done.
   
   
   
10. The Accounts Window opens again, revealing your newly setup email account labeled ‘Olympus.’
    Select ‘Olympus’ and confirm that the Status is ‘Online.’
    If you’ll set up multiple mailboxes, consider changing the name ‘Olympus’ to something more meaningful. To do so, change the ‘Description’ field in the Accounts/Account Information window.
11. Next we’ll change the Incoming Mail Server port from 143 to 993.
    1. In the Accounts window select ‘Server Settings.’
    2. Under ‘Incoming Mail Server’, deselect ‘Automatically manage connection settings.’
    3. Change ‘Port’ from 143 to 993. Leave ‘Use TLS/SSL’ enabled.
    4. Re-enable ‘Automatically manage connection settings.’
12. Select ‘Save’ in the bottom right of the Accounts window. Mail will verify that it connects to the server.
    If ‘Unable to verify account name or password’ pops up, check your entries, particularly your password, then ‘Save’ again.
    If the error persists, close the ‘Accounts’ window, then follow the intructions in point 14.
13. Finally, verify that the email account you’ve just set up works by sending an email from the device you’ve been working with to your newly set up email account.
14. If errors persist, follow the instructions at
    Change macOS 26 Email
    

Archive Significant Email to Local On My Mac Mailboxes

Consider archiving significant email to your laptop or desktop computer in local On My Mac mailboxes. Those mailboxes are not connected to the mail server. They are under your control and only you can delete their contents. Think of On My Mac mailboxes as storage bins for email, not as conventional email accounts.

IMAP mail is synchronized between the server and IMAP mailboxes, not On My Mac mailboxes. If mail is deleted on the server or any IMAP mailbox, it is deleted from all of your IMAP mailboxes.

Backup your Computer and its Email if they’re valuable.

See Back up your Mac with Time Machine at https://support.apple.com/en-us/104984