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iPhone Email Client (using IMAP)

There are two ways to configure your iPhone Mail application to sync to your Stanford email account—using an ActiveSync connection or using a standard IMAP connection. An ActiveSync connection pulls in your calendar and contacts in addition to your email. An IMAP connection can sync email messages only.

The iPhone can sync email messages to any number of IMAP accounts but it can only sync to one ActiveSync (Exchange or Zimbra) account at a time.

These instructions configure the iPhone Mail application to use a standard IMAP connection for mail transfer. Instructions for configuring the Mail application to use ActiveSync are also available.

Configuring the iPhone mail client to work with Stanford Email (using IMAP)

Press the Home button to access the Home screen. Then:

  1. Tap the Settings icon.
  2. Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
  3. Tap Add Account.
  4. Tap Other.
  5. Tap Add Mail Account.
  6. Enter the following values for your new account:
    • Name: your full name and as you would like it to appear on outgoing messages
    • Address: your @stanford email address
    • Password: your SUNet ID password.
    • Description: the default is "Stanford" but you can label this account anything you wish
  7. Tap Next in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  8. In the next screen, IMAP should be selected by default. Scroll down and enter the following values for your Incoming Mail Server:
    • Host Name: sunetid.pobox.stanford.edu (replacing “sunetid” with your own SUNet ID)
    • User Name: your SUNet ID
    • Password: this field is pre-populated with your SUNet ID password from step 6.
  9. Scroll down and enter the following values for your Outgoing Mail Server:
    • Host Name: smtp.stanford.edu
    • User Name: your SUNet ID
    • Password: your SUNet ID password
  10. Tap Next.
  11. When Mail has finished verifying your account settings, tap Save. You will return to the Mail, Contacts, Calendars configuration screen.
  12. Tap your new account.
  13. Tap Account.
  14. Scroll down to Outgoing Mail Server and tap SMTP.
  15. Tap the entry for smtp.stanford.edu and verify the following settings:
    • Use SSL: ON
    • Server Port: 465
  16. Tap Done and then tap Account.
  17. Scroll down to Outgoing Mail Server and tap Advanced.
  18. Scroll down and verify the following Incoming Settings:
    • Use SSL: ON
    • Authentication: Password
    • Server Port: 993
    You can also choose to store special folders on the IMAP server using the Mailbox Behaviors settings on this screen.
  19. Tap Account and then tap Done.

When finished, press the Home button and tap the Mail icon to test your settings. If you entered anything incorrectly you may receive a generic error message. Check your settings or try re-entering your password (the source of most errors).

Last modified November 27, 2012