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Set Up Hostinger Email: Choose IMAP or POP3 and Configure DNS

Find Hostinger Email’s server settings, choose IMAP or POP3, add the account to an app, and configure the domain’s mail DNS at the provider managing its active zone.
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For Hostinger Email, use imap.hostinger.com with SSL on port 993 for incoming IMAP, or pop.hostinger.com with SSL on port 995 for incoming POP3. Send mail through smtp.hostinger.com with SSL on port 465; if that encryption setting fails, try TLS/STARTTLS on port 587. Before entering these details, check hPanel: a domain may use Hostinger Email, Titan Email, or Google Workspace, and each service has different settings.

What are the Hostinger IMAP, POP3, and SMTP settings?

These are the settings Hostinger publishes for Hostinger Email. Use your complete email address and mailbox password when the app asks for login credentials.

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Purpose Server Encryption Port
Incoming IMAP imap.hostinger.com SSL 993
Incoming POP3 pop.hostinger.com SSL 995
Outgoing SMTP smtp.hostinger.com SSL 465
Alternate outgoing SMTP smtp.hostinger.com TLS or STARTTLS 587

Hostinger lists port 587 as an alternative if SMTP encryption on port 465 causes trouble. Keep the same SMTP server name and change the encryption and port together. Hostinger’s application and device setup guide provides the published settings and links to instructions for common apps.

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Check your email service before setting up an app

In hPanel, open Emails and identify the service attached to your domain. Hostinger plans may be paired with Hostinger Email, Titan Email, or Google Workspace. The settings above apply to Hostinger Email only; do not enter them for a mailbox hosted by another service. Hostinger explains how to identify the service in its setup guide.

Before adding the account, confirm the mailbox exists and that you have its full address and current mailbox password. Also check that the domain is connected to the mail service and that its MX records are correct. These are prerequisites Hostinger identifies for client setup.

Choose IMAP or POP3

Both IMAP and POP3 are incoming-mail protocols. SMTP is used to send outgoing mail, regardless of which incoming protocol you choose.

Protocol How it works Choose it when
IMAP Works with mail stored on the server and synchronizes messages and changes across devices. You want the same mailbox view on multiple devices.
POP3 Downloads messages into the client. Under Hostinger’s current behavior, downloaded messages remain accessible in webmail; deleting a message permanently requires deleting it through webmail. You prefer downloading messages into a client and understand how Hostinger handles deletion.

Hostinger’s IMAP and POP3 explanation describes these protocol behaviors. In particular, do not assume that downloading through POP3 automatically removes messages from webmail. With IMAP, deletions synchronize across devices.

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Set up Hostinger Email in an email app

  1. Identify the service: In hPanel, open Emails and verify that the domain uses Hostinger Email rather than Titan Email or Google Workspace.
  2. Confirm the mailbox: Make sure the mailbox exists and have its complete address and password ready.
  3. Check domain and mail DNS: In hPanel, open the domain’s Domain settings. Resolve any connection or MX warnings before configuring the app.
  4. Add the account: In your email app, choose manual or advanced account setup if automatic detection does not work. Enter the matching incoming settings from the table above, then enter smtp.hostinger.com as the outgoing server with its matching encryption and port. Use the full email address as the account name if requested.
  5. Test sending and receiving: Send a test message and check for new mail. If SMTP reports an encryption problem on SSL port 465, change the outgoing connection to TLS/STARTTLS on port 587.
  6. Recheck hPanel: If mail still does not work after DNS changes, check the domain’s settings and status there.

Hostinger links from its setup page to instructions for mobile devices, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Gmail, and WordPress integrations.

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Where do I add Hostinger MX and other DNS records?

Add records at the provider that manages your domain’s active DNS zone—not necessarily the company where you bought the domain. If the domain uses external nameservers, make the changes at that external DNS provider. Hostinger’s manual procedure is intended for domains that are not using Hostinger nameservers. To find the records for your domain, open Email → Mailboxes → Domain settings in hPanel and follow the live values shown there.

If Hostinger manages DNS and the domain uses Hostinger nameservers, hPanel may offer an automatic connection option. For manual setup, Hostinger’s published values are below. They are the values in its manual guide; verify the current values displayed for your domain in hPanel before changing DNS.

Record Host/name Value/target Priority Purpose
MX @ or empty mx1.hostinger.com 5 Routes incoming mail
MX @ or empty mx2.hostinger.com 10 Routes incoming mail
TXT (SPF) @ or empty v=spf1 include:_spf.mail.hostinger.com ~all Not applicable Authorizes Hostinger to send mail for the domain
CNAME (DKIM) hostingermail-a._domainkey hostingermail-a.dkim.mail.hostinger.com Not applicable Authenticates outgoing mail
CNAME (DKIM) hostingermail-b._domainkey hostingermail-b.dkim.mail.hostinger.com Not applicable Authenticates outgoing mail
CNAME (DKIM) hostingermail-c._domainkey hostingermail-c.dkim.mail.hostinger.com Not applicable Authenticates outgoing mail
TXT (DMARC) _dmarc v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected] Not applicable Example policy and reporting address

For root-domain records, Hostinger says to use @ or leave the host field empty, depending on the DNS provider’s interface. MX records are essential for receiving mail; SPF and DKIM support sending authentication. Hostinger says DMARC is recommended for security but is not required for basic email operation. The DMARC value above is an example: replace yourdomain.com with an appropriate address on your domain rather than pasting it unchanged. If another provider also sends mail for your domain, follow Hostinger’s custom DKIM instructions rather than blindly using the default DKIM records.

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See Hostinger’s manual domain and mail DNS guide for the published record details. Its instructions say changes may take up to 24 hours to start working because of DNS propagation. After that time, check the status in hPanel.

Fix common setup problems

  • The app rejects the server name: Verify in hPanel that you are using Hostinger Email. A domain using Titan Email or Google Workspace needs that service’s settings instead.
  • Mail will not arrive: Check for correct MX records in the domain’s hPanel settings. If DNS is external, confirm the records were added to the active zone at the provider managing those nameservers.
  • SMTP reports an encryption error: Keep smtp.hostinger.com and try TLS/STARTTLS on port 587 instead of SSL on port 465.
  • The password is rejected: Confirm that the login uses the complete email address and the mailbox password, not a different account password. Hostinger’s setup guide links to its mailbox password reset flow.
  • DNS looks right but mail is not working yet: Allow for propagation time, then revisit Domain settings in hPanel to check the connection status.
  • POP3 mail seems missing from webmail: Hostinger’s current guidance says downloaded POP3 messages remain accessible in webmail unless deleted there. For synchronized changes and deletions across devices, use IMAP.

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