Keep Outlook Email on Server with POP Settings

This guide shows you how to configure Microsoft Outlook so that your emails remain on the mail server after you download them via POP. By default, POP3 downloads messages and deletes them from the server, which can be a problem if you also check email on your phone or another computer. With a simple setting change, you can keep copies on the server for a specified number of days or indefinitely.

What You’ll Need

• Access to your email account’s POP3 server settings (usually provided by your email host).
• Your email account password.
• Outlook desktop application (2016, 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365).
• Administrator rights on your computer if you’re changing an existing account (not always required).

Step-by-Step

1. Open Outlook and go to the File tab in the top-left corner.
2. Click Account Settings and then select Account Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. In the Account Settings dialog box, you’ll see a list of your email accounts. Select the POP3 account you want to modify and click Change.
4. In the Change Account window, click More Settings in the bottom-right corner.
5. Navigate to the Advanced tab. Under the Delivery section, you’ll see a checkbox labeled Leave a copy of messages on the server. Check this box.
6. If you want to keep emails on the server only for a limited time, check the box Remove from server after and set the number of days (e.g., 14). If you want to keep them indefinitely, leave this unchecked.
7. Optional: If you want to remove messages from the server when you delete them in Outlook, check Remove from server when deleted from ‘Deleted Items’. This helps manage server storage.
8. Click OK to close the Internet Email Settings window, then click Next and Finish to save your changes.
9. Restart Outlook for the changes to take full effect.

Common Mistakes

• Not checking the box: The most common mistake is simply forgetting to tick “Leave a copy of messages on the server.” Without it, Outlook will delete emails from the server after downloading.
• Setting too short a retention period: If you set “Remove from server after” to a few days, and you don’t check email on another device within that time, those emails will be lost from the server.
• Confusing POP3 with IMAP: POP3 downloads and typically deletes; IMAP syncs. If you want all devices to always see the same emails, consider switching to IMAP instead of using this workaround.
• Ignoring server storage limits: Keeping emails on the server indefinitely can fill up your mailbox quota. Check your email provider’s storage limits and adjust the retention period accordingly.

Tips

• If you check email on multiple devices, set the retention period to at least 30 days to ensure you don’t miss anything.
• Use the “Remove from server when deleted from ‘Deleted Items'” option to keep your server mailbox tidy without losing emails on your local machine.
• If you’re setting up a new POP account in Outlook, you can apply these settings during the initial setup by clicking More Settings before finishing the wizard.
• Consider using IMAP instead of POP3 if your email provider supports it—it’s more flexible and avoids this issue entirely.

Troubleshooting

Emails are still being deleted from the server: Double-check that the checkbox is ticked and that you clicked OK to save. Sometimes Outlook may not apply the change until you restart it. Also, verify that your email provider’s POP3 server actually supports leaving copies—most do, but some may not.

Outlook says the server doesn’t support this feature: Some email providers (like Gmail) have specific POP settings that must be enabled in the webmail interface. Log in to your email account via a browser, go to settings, and enable POP access and choose “Keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox” (or similar). Then re-configure Outlook.

You see duplicate emails after changing the setting: This happens because messages that were already downloaded are now also on the server. To fix, delete the duplicates on the server via webmail, or set the retention period to a short time so they expire.

Server storage is full: If you keep all emails on the server, you may run out of space. Reduce the retention period or manually delete old emails from the server using webmail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this setting affect emails I’ve already downloaded?

No, it only affects new messages that arrive after you enable the setting. Existing emails that were already downloaded and removed from the server will not be restored.

Can I keep emails on the server forever?

Yes, simply leave the “Remove from server after” box unchecked. However, be aware of your email provider’s storage limits—most free providers have a quota, and if you exceed it, you may not receive new emails.

What’s the difference between POP3 and IMAP?

POP3 downloads emails to your device and (by default) removes them from the server. IMAP syncs emails across all devices, keeping them on the server. IMAP is generally recommended if you access email from multiple devices.

Why would I use POP3 instead of IMAP?

POP3 is useful if you have limited server storage or want to keep all your emails locally on one computer. It also works well if you have a slow internet connection and prefer to read emails offline.

Do I need to change any settings on my email provider’s website?

Some providers (like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook.com) require you to enable POP access in their webmail settings before it works. Check your provider’s help documentation for specific instructions.

Will this setting work on Outlook for Mac?

The steps are similar but the interface differs slightly. In Outlook for Mac, go to Tools > Accounts, select your account, and look for the “Advanced” or “Server” settings to find the option to leave a copy on the server.

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