GMX Mail Settings: IMAP, POP3 & SMTP Server Settings (2026 Guide)

If you’ve ever tried to add GMX Mail to Outlook or your phone and gotten stuck on an “authentication failed” message, you’re not alone. GMX Mail settings aren’t hard once you have the right server addresses and ports in front of you — the tricky part is that GMX doesn’t always make them easy to find, and POP3/IMAP access is switched off by default, so even correct settings won’t work until you flip that switch.

This guide walks through what GMX Mail is, the exact IMAP, POP3, and SMTP settings you need, and how to plug them into Outlook, iPhone, and Android without guessing. Whether you’re setting up a brand-new account or migrating an old one into a desktop client, you should be able to get everything working in about ten minutes.

What Is GMX Mail?

GMX Mail is a free, ad-supported email service run by 1&1 Mail & Media, the same company behind mail.com. It’s been around since the 1990s and has built a loyal following in Europe, though it’s picked up plenty of users in the US and UK too — largely because of how much storage it gives away for free.

A few things set GMX Mail apart from the usual free inbox:

• 65 GB of free storage — a lot more headroom than most competitors offer without a paid tier.
• Up to 10 email aliases, so you can keep separate addresses for shopping, work, and personal use without juggling multiple accounts.
• A built-in spam and virus filter, plus optional two-factor authentication for account security.
• Full support for POP3, IMAP, and SMTP, meaning you’re not locked into the GMX webmail interface — you can read and send GMX mail from Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, or your phone’s native mail app.

It won’t win any awards for a flashy interface, but for people who just want a reliable, generous inbox that plays nicely with third-party apps, GMX Mail holds up well.

GMX Mail IMAP, POP3 & SMTP Settings

Before you open your email client, it helps to have these numbers in one place. Here are GMX’s current official server settings.

IMAP Settings

Setting	Value
Incoming server	imap.gmx.com
Port	993
Encryption	SSL/TLS
Username	Your full GMX email address
Password	Your GMX account password

POP3 Settings

Setting	Value
Incoming server	pop.gmx.com
Port	995
Encryption	SSL/TLS
Username	Your full GMX email address
Password	Your GMX account password

SMTP Settings

Setting	Value
Outgoing server	mail.gmx.com
Port	587
Encryption	STARTTLS/TLS
Username	Your full GMX email address
Password	Your GMX account password

A quick note on IMAP vs. POP3, since it trips people up: IMAP keeps your messages on GMX’s servers and mirrors them across every device you use, so your inbox stays identical whether you’re checking it on your laptop or your phone. POP3 downloads messages straight to one device and, by default, removes them from the server — fine if you only ever check mail from a single computer, but a headache if you switch between devices. For most people, IMAP is the better default.

One thing that’s easy to miss: GMX turns off POP3/IMAP access by default. Before any of the settings above will work, log into GMX webmail, go to Settings → POP3 & IMAP, and enable “Send and receive emails via external program.” Skip this step and you’ll get an authentication error no matter how carefully you’ve typed everything else.

How to Configure GMX Mail in Outlook

Setting up GMX in Outlook takes just a few minutes once you have your credentials and the settings above handy.

1. Open Outlook and go to File → Add Account.
2. Enter your full GMX email address and select Advanced options, then check “Let me set up my account manually” before clicking Connect.
3. Choose IMAP as the account type (recommended over POP3 for most users).
4. For incoming mail, enter imap.gmx.com, port 993, with SSL/TLS encryption.
5. For outgoing mail, enter mail.gmx.com, port 587, with STARTTLS encryption.
6. Enter your GMX password when prompted, then click Connect.
7. Outlook will run a quick test of the connection. If it succeeds, you’re done — your GMX inbox will start syncing.

If Outlook rejects the connection, double-check two things first: that POP3/IMAP access is actually enabled in your GMX account settings, and that you’re using your full email address (not just the username) as the login.

GMX Mail Settings for iPhone & Android

You can either use the GMX Mail app from the App Store or Google Play, or add your account directly through the phone’s built-in mail app using the settings below. Both work fine — the native app is a bit more convenient, but setting it up manually gives you more control if you’re already using a different mail client.

iPhone

1. Go to Settings → Mail → Accounts → Add Account → Other.
2. Tap Add Mail Account, then enter your name, GMX email address, and password.
3. Under incoming mail server, enter imap.gmx.com, port 993, SSL enabled.
4. Under outgoing mail server, enter mail.gmx.com, port 587, with STARTTLS.
5. Tap Next, let iOS verify the account, then tap Save.

Android

1. Open the Gmail app or your default mail app, then go to Settings → Add Account → Other (or “Personal (IMAP)”).
2. Enter your GMX email address and password.
3. For incoming settings, use imap.gmx.com, port 993, security type SSL/TLS.
4. For outgoing settings, use mail.gmx.com, port 587, security type STARTTLS.
5. Confirm the account name and sync settings, then finish setup.

Once either device is connected, push notifications for new mail should kick in automatically — no extra configuration needed.

How to Sign In and Sign Up for GMX Mail

Signing into GMX Mail is straightforward: head to gmx.com, click Sign In in the top corner, and enter your email address and password. If you’re checking from the UK, the process is identical — GMX doesn’t have a separate login flow for UK users, just make sure you’re on gmx.com rather than one of the regional domains like gmx.de.

If you’ve forgotten your login and want to check your GMX Mail account, use the “Forgot your password?” link on the sign-in page. GMX will walk you through identity verification using your recovery email or phone number, then let you reset your password.

Signing up for a new account is free and takes a few minutes:

1. Go to gmx.com and click Sign Up.
2. Choose your email address and set a password.
3. Fill in basic personal details (name, date of birth, country).
4. Verify your account.

A phone number isn’t strictly required to create a GMX account — you can usually verify with a recovery email instead — but GMX may ask for one during signup or later if it flags unusual login activity, since it’s used as a secondary verification method for account security.

Common GMX Mail Problems and Fixes

Most GMX Mail issues in third-party clients come down to a short list of usual suspects:

• Authentication failed — Almost always means POP3/IMAP access isn’t enabled yet, or you’ve entered your username instead of your full email address.
• Wrong password errors on a password you’re sure is correct — Check for extra spaces copied in from a password manager, and confirm caps lock isn’t on.
• SMTP not sending — Verify you’re using port 587 with STARTTLS, not port 25 or 465, and that your client isn’t defaulting to SSL when it should be STARTTLS.
• IMAP not syncing new mail — Check your folder subscriptions in the client; some apps only sync folders you’ve explicitly subscribed to.
• Unable to receive emails at all — Confirm the account hasn’t been locked out for inactivity. GMX automatically disables POP3/IMAP access again if it goes unused for an extended period, so you may just need to re-enable it in your webmail settings.

If none of that fixes things, it’s worth deleting the account from your mail client entirely and re-adding it from scratch rather than troubleshooting individual fields — a clean setup resolves more issues than people expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are GMX Mail IMAP settings? Server: imap.gmx.com, port 993, with SSL/TLS encryption.

What are GMX Mail SMTP settings? Server: mail.gmx.com, port 587, using STARTTLS/TLS encryption.

Does GMX Mail support POP3? Yes. The POP3 server is pop.gmx.com on port 995 with SSL/TLS.

How do I configure GMX Mail in Outlook? Add a new account manually, choose IMAP, and enter the incoming and outgoing server details listed above.

Is GMX Mail free? Yes, GMX Mail is a free, ad-supported email service with no cost to sign up or use.

Does GMX Mail offer 65 GB of storage? Yes, free GMX accounts include 65 GB of email storage.

Is a phone number required to sign up? Not always — a recovery email can serve as verification instead, though GMX may request a phone number for extra security in some cases.

Can I use GMX Mail on iPhone? Yes, either through the GMX Mail app or by adding the account manually in the iOS Mail app using the IMAP settings above.

Can I use GMX Mail on Android? Yes, the same way — through the GMX Mail app or manually via any Android mail app that supports IMAP.

How do I check my GMX Mail login? Sign in at gmx.com, or use the “Forgot your password?” link if you need to recover access.

Conclusion

Once you’ve got the right server addresses in hand, setting up GMX Mail on Outlook, iPhone, or Android is a five-minute job. IMAP is the better choice for most people since it keeps your inbox in sync across every device, while POP3 still has its place if you only ever check mail from one computer. Just remember to enable POP3/IMAP access in your GMX account settings first — it’s the step that trips up almost everyone — and keep an eye on it if you use a third-party client infrequently, since GMX will quietly switch it back off after a while. If you manage other inboxes too, it’s worth keeping a saved reference of each provider’s IMAP, POP3, and SMTP settings so you’re not hunting them down every time you set up a new device.