Connecting accounts
Connect any IMAP mailbox with an app password. Per-provider settings for Gmail, Fastmail, and iCloud.
Mailhopper connects to your mailbox over IMAP (for reading) and SMTP (for sending). Connect an account under Settings → Connect a new account with your mailbox's IMAP host and port and a provider-generated app password. Mailhopper sets up sending for you, so there's no SMTP to fill in. This works for Gmail, Fastmail, iCloud, self-hosted servers, and any other standards-compliant IMAP provider.
Microsoft/Outlook mailboxes aren't supported. Microsoft requires OAuth and retired IMAP app passwords, so there's no way to connect an Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 mailbox. Mailhopper supports any other IMAP mailbox via app password.
Connect with an app password
Use a provider-generated app password, not your normal login password.
What you need
You don't enter any sending (SMTP) details. Mailhopper works them out from your provider and
uses the standard submission port (587, STARTTLS).
Mailhopper tests the connection before saving. If it fails, double-check the app password and the IMAP host.
Your first two mailboxes are free, no card needed. A third mailbox is on the paid plan; see Plans & billing.
Provider settings
- Turn on 2-Step Verification in your Google account.
- Create an App password (Google Account → Security → App passwords).
- Connect with:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| IMAP host | imap.gmail.com |
| IMAP port | 993 (TLS) |
Also confirm IMAP is enabled in Gmail under Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
One-click sign-in (Gmail, limited rollout)
While Mailhopper completes Google's app-verification review, one-click Gmail sign-in is rolling out to a limited set of accounts. If your account is in the rollout, the connect flow shows a Gmail tile: click it, sign in at Google, and approve access. Mailhopper never sees your Google password. It receives a revocable access token instead, which is encrypted before it's stored, and you can revoke access anytime from your Google account security settings.
If you don't see a Gmail tile, your account isn't in the rollout yet. Connect Gmail with an app password as described above; that always works.
After connecting
Mailhopper backfills your 200 most recent messages in each folder, then keeps a live connection so new messages arrive within seconds. It also syncs your other folders (Sent, Drafts, Junk, Archive, and any custom folders), which appear under Folders in the sidebar. Mail older than the most recent 200 per folder stays in your mailbox on the server. Pull as much of it into Mailhopper as you like, anytime. See Message history.
Removing an account from Mailhopper (Settings → Connected accounts → Remove) deletes only the local copy Mailhopper stored. Your mailbox on the server is never touched.
Organizing your accounts
Under Settings → Connected accounts you can tidy how your mailboxes appear:
- Rename: give an account a friendly display name inline.
- Color: pick a color that marks the account across the sidebar, list, and compose window.
- Reorder: move accounts up and down to set their order in the sidebar.
These are display-only and don't change anything on the server.