I have Outlook 2003. Need to alter POP3 numbers for bt but the incoming one does not work.

Patricia Palmer 0 Reputation points
2026-11-09T13:39:52.72+00:00

Bt have advised me I must change some of my email settings. After doing so I have been able to send emails on the new POP 587 number. The new POP number for incoming mail 995 or 993 do not work.

Windows for home | Other | Email and communications
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Vikki-T 13,945 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-10T10:31:29.3566667+00:00

    Hi Patricia Palmer,

    Since outgoing mail is working on port 587, the remaining issue appears to be specifically with the secure incoming connection.

    Port 995 should only be used when the account is configured as POP3 with SSL enabled. Port 993 is for IMAP, so it will not work simply by changing the port on an existing POP3 account.

    A key consideration is that Outlook 2003 is no longer supported and may not be compatible with the SSL/TLS security currently required by BT. To help confirm whether this is an Outlook compatibility issue, please first check whether you can sign in and receive messages through BT Webmail. If Webmail works, try setting up the account in a currently supported email application using BT’s latest server settings.

    If you have not accessed this mailbox through an email application for an extended period, BT also advises that resetting the BT Email password may restore access for email clients. Before removing or reconfiguring the POP account, please make sure any locally stored messages are backed up.

    The link below directs to a third-party website. Microsoft does not control or maintain this site, so its content and availability may change without notice.

    You can find BT’s current secure email settings here: Securing your email client.

    If the same incoming connection failure occurs in a supported email application, please contact BT and provide the exact error message, as BT controls the mailbox server and its authentication requirements. Thank you so much for your understanding.     

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-11-09T13:40:09.3733333+00:00

    Use 995 only if the account is configured as POP with SSL enabled. Use 993 only for IMAP accounts, not POP.

    For Outlook on Windows, verify the account settings in this order:

    1. Open Control Panel.
    2. Open Mail.
    3. Select Email Accounts.
    4. Select the BT account, then select Change.
    5. Verify the Incoming mail server and Outgoing mail server match the values provided by BT.
    6. Under Logon Information, verify the correct User Name and Password are being used.
      • If the provider requires two-factor authentication, use the generated passcode instead of the regular password.
    7. Select More Settings.
    8. Open the Advanced tab.
    9. Under Server Port Numbers:
      • compare the Incoming server and Outgoing server port numbers with the values from BT
      • if they do not match, change them manually
    10. Compare the encryption type for both incoming and outgoing servers and correct them if needed.
    11. Select OK.
    12. Select Test Account Settings.
    • Green check marks mean the settings are correct.
    • Red markers mean one or more settings are still wrong.

    Key point for the incoming setting:

    • POP commonly uses 110 or 995.
    • IMAP commonly uses 143 or 993.

    If incoming 995 still fails after confirming the account is POP and SSL is enabled, the server name, encryption type, username, or password likely does not match the provider’s required settings. In that case, contact BT and confirm all of these together:

    • incoming server name
    • outgoing server name
    • account type: POP or IMAP
    • incoming port
    • outgoing port
    • SSL requirement
    • username format
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.