If you’re setting up Yandex Mail in Outlook, Thunderbird, iPhone, or Android, you’ll need the correct Yandex IMAP and SMTP server settings. There are two things worth knowing before you touch a single setting.
First: Yandex Mail requires an app password for third-party email clients — your regular Yandex account password will be rejected unless you specifically enable app password access. Second: you need to manually enable IMAP in your Yandex Mail settings before any client connection will work. Both steps take under two minutes and are covered before the server settings below.
This guide covers the correct Yandex Mail SMTP settings, Yandex IMAP settings, and Yandex POP3 settings for 2026, with step-by-step setup instructions for all major email clients and fixes for the most common connection problems.
Table of Contents
1. Enable IMAP in Yandex Mail (Required Before Setup)
⚠ Yandex Mail does not enable IMAP by default. If this setting is off, every email client connection will fail — regardless of whether your server settings are correct. Enable it first.
According to Yandex Mail documentation, IMAP access must be manually enabled in your account settings before any third-party client can connect.
- Sign in to Yandex Mail at mail.yandex.com
- Click the gear icon to open Settings
- Go to Email clients
- Enable the option: Use a mail client to retrieve your Yandex mail → From the imap.yandex.com server via IMAP
- Also enable App passwords and OAuth tokens
- Click Save
IMAP support is enabled automatically the first time you sign in to an email client that uses OAuth2. If you’re using password-based authentication, the manual steps above are required.
2. Generate a Yandex App Password (Required)
Yandex requires an app password for third-party email clients. Your regular Yandex account password will not work in Outlook, Thunderbird, iPhone, or Android. Complete this step before configuring any client.
As noted in Yandex’s official mail client documentation, all IMAP and SMTP connections from third-party apps must use an app password, not your main account password. The app password is displayed only once, so copy it before closing the window.
- Sign in to your Yandex ID account at id.yandex.com
- Go to Security → App passwords
- Click Create app password
- Select the application type: Mail
- Enter a name for the password (e.g., “Outlook” or “iPhone Mail”)
- Click Next
- Copy the generated password immediately — it is shown only once
If you lose the app password, simply return to App passwords, delete the old one, and create a new one. Use a separate app password for each email client or device so you can revoke individual access without affecting others.
3. Yandex Mail Settings — Quick Summary
Here are the key Yandex Mail server settings at a glance:
- IMAP Server: imap.yandex.com
- IMAP Port: 993 — SSL/TLS
- SMTP Server: smtp.yandex.com
- SMTP Port: 465 — SSL/TLS (or 587 with STARTTLS)
- POP3 Server: pop.yandex.com
- POP3 Port: 995 — SSL/TLS
- Username: The part of your email address before the @ sign
- Password: Your Yandex app password (not your regular account password)
4. Yandex Email Server Settings (IMAP, SMTP, POP3)
| Protocol | Server | Port | Encryption |
| IMAP | imap.yandex.com | 993 | SSL/TLS |
| SMTP | smtp.yandex.com | 465 | SSL/TLS |
| SMTP (alt) | smtp.yandex.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
| POP3 | pop.yandex.com | 995 | SSL/TLS |
You can verify these settings by configuring the account in Outlook or Thunderbird. If the connection fails immediately, the issue is almost always the app password or IMAP not being enabled — not the server addresses.
5. Yandex IMAP Settings (Incoming Mail Server)
Use IMAP if you access Yandex Mail on more than one device. IMAP keeps your inbox synchronized — anything you read, delete, or move on one device updates everywhere.
| Setting | Value |
| IMAP Server | imap.yandex.com |
| Port | 993 |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS |
| Authentication | Required |
| Username | Your Yandex username (before the @) |
| Password | Your Yandex app password |
It’s worth noting: Yandex uses your username (the part before the @ sign) rather than the full email address in some clients. If one doesn’t work, try the other.
6. Yandex SMTP Settings (Outgoing Mail Server)
SMTP handles sending emails from Yandex Mail through third-party clients. These are the correct Yandex Mail SMTP settings — without them, incoming mail works but sending fails.
| Setting | Value |
| SMTP Server | smtp.yandex.com |
| Port | 465 |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS |
| Authentication | Required |
| Username | Your Yandex username (before the @) |
| Password | Your Yandex app password |
Port 465 uses implicit SSL and is the recommended choice. If port 465 fails on your network, try port 587 with STARTTLS. Both are supported by Yandex’s SMTP server.
7. Yandex POP3 Settings (Optional)
POP3 downloads emails to a single device rather than syncing them. It’s worth noting that Yandex’s own documentation states they no longer actively develop POP3 support and cannot guarantee correct interaction over POP3. For most users, IMAP is the strongly recommended choice.
| Setting | Value |
| POP3 Server | pop.yandex.com |
| Port | 995 |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS |
| Authentication | Required |
| Username | Your Yandex username (before the @) |
| Password | Your Yandex app password |
8. How to Set Up Yandex Mail in Outlook
These steps work for Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365.
- Open Outlook and go to File → Add Account
- Enter your full Yandex email address
- Select Advanced Options → Let me set up manually
- Choose IMAP as the account type
- Incoming mail server: imap.yandex.com — Port 993 — SSL/TLS
- Outgoing mail server: smtp.yandex.com — Port 465 — SSL/TLS
- Go to More Settings → Outgoing Server and check “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” — select “Use same settings as my incoming mail server”
- Username: enter your Yandex username (the part before @yandex.com)
- Password: paste your Yandex app password (not your regular account password)
- Click Connect — Outlook will verify the connection and sync your mailbox
If Outlook shows a password prompt after setup, remove the account (File → Account Settings → Remove) and re-add from scratch. Generate a fresh app password and confirm IMAP is enabled in your Yandex settings.
9. How to Set Up Yandex Mail in Thunderbird
Thunderbird supports OAuth2 authentication with Yandex, which is more secure than password-based access. If your version supports it, select OAuth2 as the authentication method. Otherwise, use Normal Password with an app password.
- Open Thunderbird and go to Account Settings → Account Actions → Add Mail Account
- Enter your name, Yandex email address, and app password
- Click Configure Manually
- Set incoming server: Protocol IMAP, host imap.yandex.com, port 993, SSL/TLS
- Set outgoing server: host smtp.yandex.com, port 465, SSL/TLS
- Set authentication to OAuth2 if available, otherwise Normal Password
- Click Done — if using OAuth2, Thunderbird will open a Yandex login window to authorize access
10. Yandex Mail Settings for iPhone (iOS Mail)
- Open Settings and go to Mail → Accounts → Add Account
- Tap Other → Add Mail Account
- Enter your name, Yandex email address, app password, and a description
- Select IMAP at the top of the next screen
- Incoming Mail Server: imap.yandex.com — Port 993 — SSL on
- Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.yandex.com — Port 465 — SSL on
- Username: enter the part of your email address before the @ sign
- Tap Next and allow iOS to verify — this may take 30–60 seconds
If iOS Mail keeps rejecting the password, confirm you are entering the app password and not your regular Yandex account password. Also confirm IMAP is enabled in your Yandex Mail settings.
11. Yandex Mail Settings for Android
- Open your email app and tap Add Account
- Select Other or Personal (IMAP)
- Enter your Yandex email address and tap Manual Setup
- Choose IMAP as the account type
- Enter your Yandex app password when prompted
- Incoming server: imap.yandex.com — Port 993 — SSL/TLS
- Outgoing server: smtp.yandex.com — Port 465 — SSL/TLS
- Username: enter your Yandex username (before the @)
- Make sure Require sign-in is checked for the outgoing server
- Tap Next to complete setup
12. IMAP vs POP3: Which Should You Use?
| Feature | IMAP | POP3 |
| Email storage | Server | Local device |
| Sync across devices | Yes | No |
| Access from multiple devices | Yes | No |
| Actively maintained by Yandex | Yes | No (deprecated) |
| Best for | Most users | Single device only |
For Yandex Mail users, IMAP is not just recommended — it is the only properly supported protocol. Yandex’s own documentation explicitly states that POP3 is no longer actively developed and they cannot guarantee correct behavior over POP3. Unless you have a very specific reason to use POP3, IMAP is the clear choice.
13. Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
If your Yandex Mail client is not connecting, run through this checklist first:
| ✔ Enable IMAP in Yandex Mail Settings → Email clients |
| ✔ Use an app password — not your regular Yandex account password |
| ✔ Enable App passwords and OAuth tokens in Yandex Mail settings |
| ✔ Use IMAP port 993 with SSL/TLS for incoming mail |
| ✔ Use SMTP port 465 with SSL/TLS for outgoing mail |
| ✔ Enter your Yandex username (before @) as the username, not the full email address |
| ✔ Enable SMTP authentication in your email client |
| ✔ Confirm SSL/TLS is selected — not plain text or auto |
14. Migrate or Back Up Yandex Mail
If you’re planning to migrate your Yandex Mail to another platform like Gmail, Outlook.com, or Microsoft 365, you’ll need to use the IMAP settings from this guide on the source (Yandex) account.
Using IMAP ensures your emails, folders, attachments, and read status transfer correctly during migration. Make sure IMAP is enabled in Yandex Mail and configured with imap.yandex.com (port 993, SSL/TLS) before starting.
Before migrating, it’s recommended to create a backup of your mailbox to avoid any risk of data loss.
You can use SkyMigrate IMAP Backup Tool to create a secure backup or use the SkyMigrate IMAP Migration Tool for direct migration between email platforms.
For larger mailboxes or multiple accounts, using a dedicated IMAP migration tool is more reliable than manual drag-and-drop, helping prevent missing emails and incomplete transfers.
15. Common Yandex Mail Setup Issues and Fixes
Password rejected / authentication failed: This is the most common issue. Yandex requires an app password for all third-party clients. Your regular Yandex account password will be rejected. Generate an app password at id.yandex.com under Security → App passwords and use that instead.
IMAP not enabled: Yandex Mail does not enable IMAP by default. Go to Yandex Mail Settings → Email clients and enable IMAP access and app password support. This is the second most common cause of connection failures after the app password issue.
Wrong username format: Some Yandex email clients expect just the username (the part before the @ sign) rather than the full email address. If one format is rejected, try the other.
SMTP authentication not enabled: If incoming mail works but outgoing mail fails, confirm SMTP authentication is enabled in your client. In Outlook, go to More Settings → Outgoing Server and check “My outgoing server requires authentication.” Without this, SMTP connections are refused.
Wrong port or encryption: Use port 993 with SSL/TLS for IMAP. Use port 465 with SSL/TLS for SMTP. If port 465 fails, try port 587 with STARTTLS. Use port 995 with SSL/TLS for POP3.
OAuth2 login loop in Thunderbird: If Thunderbird keeps opening the Yandex login page without completing authorization, ensure App passwords and OAuth tokens is enabled in your Yandex Mail settings. Without this toggle on, OAuth2 authorization cannot complete.
Emails not syncing across devices: Check that your email client is set to sync all folders, not just the inbox. Some applications default to inbox-only sync. Also confirm your Yandex mailbox storage is not full — a full mailbox stops accepting new messages.
16. Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Yandex Mail IMAP server? The Yandex IMAP server is imap.yandex.com using port 993 with SSL/TLS encryption.
What are the Yandex Mail SMTP settings? The Yandex SMTP server is smtp.yandex.com using port 465 with SSL/TLS. Port 587 with STARTTLS is also supported as an alternative.
What is the Yandex POP3 server? The Yandex POP3 server is pop.yandex.com using port 995 with SSL/TLS. However, Yandex no longer actively maintains POP3 support and recommends IMAP instead.
Why does Yandex Mail require an app password? Yandex requires app passwords for third-party email clients as a security measure. Your regular Yandex account password cannot be used directly in Outlook, Thunderbird, or mobile apps. Generate an app password at id.yandex.com under Security → App passwords.
Why won’t Yandex Mail connect to Outlook? The two most common causes are: IMAP is not enabled in Yandex Mail settings, and an app password has not been generated. Check both before troubleshooting server addresses or ports.
What username format does Yandex IMAP use? Yandex IMAP accepts either the full email address or just the username (the part before the @ sign). If one format is rejected by your email client, try the other.
Can I use Yandex Mail in Thunderbird with OAuth2? Yes. Thunderbird supports OAuth2 authentication with Yandex, which is more secure than password-based access. Select OAuth2 as the authentication method during setup. Thunderbird will open a Yandex login window to authorize access.
Can I migrate from Yandex Mail to another provider? Yes. Use the imap.yandex.com IMAP settings in this guide on the source account side. Enabling IMAP and generating an app password are required before any migration tool can connect to your Yandex mailbox.
