Unable to add current email to Outlook app

Question

Unable to add current email to Outlook app

I've been using outlook on my MacBook but the standard apple mail app on my iPhone and iPad. I want to start using outlook on the phone and iPad mainly because I want to be able to have common folders across all devices so that I don't have to keep repeating actions on my emails across all of them eg at the moment if im working on my MacBook and delete a load of emails I then have to do the same on my phone in the evening when im finished on my MacBook. the same goes for emails I have saved into a particular folder on my macbookbut there isn't a matching folder that synchs on my phone. so if I want to look at a particular email again I have to go back into the MacBook rather than it being on my phone. I hope that makes sense.

I have the outlook app on my phone but when I try to add my email to it, it defaults to an old organisational email I used to use years ago and it doesn't work if I overtype with my current email.any tips or help would be appreciated

Posted on Nov 13, 2025 7:55 AM

Reply

Answer 1

medwds

Level 4

2,188 points

Nov 23, 2025 10:05 AM in response to doug from stratford upon avon

I don't think switching to the Outlook app on your iPhone and iPad will achieve what you want. The problem is almost certainly that Outlook on your MacBook is using POP when it should be using IMAP, or that you're using IMAP but filing messages into local folders.

Please check whether the Sent folder in Outlook on your MacBook matches what you see on your other devices. If not, you're almost certainly using POP. In which case, please proceed to add a second instance of your BT account to Outlook on your MacBook:

Click the Outlook menu (top-left of the screen) and choose Settings.
Under Personal Settings, click Accounts > Add Account.
Type your email address and click Continue.
If given the choice between POP and IMAP, choose IMAP.

If Outlook asks you for the server settings, they are:

IMAP (incoming)

Server: mail.btinternet.com
SSL: enabled (but not STARTTLS)
Port: 993

SMTP (outgoing)

Server: mail.btinternet.com
SSL: enabled (but not STARTTLS)
Port: 465

If you need to enter a username, it's simply your email address.

You should end up with a second Inbox and other folders in Outlook.

Please let me know how you get on. The next step will be to move historic messages from the POP instance to the IMAP instance. Finally, you'll delete the POP instance so you're working entirely with IMAP across your devices.

Reply

Answer 2

medwds

Level 4

2,188 points

Nov 20, 2025 7:24 AM in response to doug from stratford upon avon

Thanks for the extra detail, Doug.

For many years, the iPhone and iPad have automatically configured BT email accounts as IMAP. This is the preferred choice when you access mail from multiple devices. So, I'll assume for now that your iPhone and iPad are already "correct" in their setup. From experience and personal preference, I recommend you stick with the standard Mail app rather than use Outlook on those devices.

On your computer, I reckon Outlook is using POP. This means that sent messages and additional folders you've created won't sync with the BT server and, in turn, your iPhone and iPad. The challenge is to switch Outlook to use IMAP without losing any of your sent messages or additional folders.

As the first step in solving this, please try adding your account to Outlook again – don't delete the one that's already there – and if given the option, choose IMAP. Outlook may ask for you BT's mail server settings.

Reply

Answer 3

medwds

Level 4

2,188 points

Nov 14, 2025 2:30 PM in response to doug from stratford upon avon

The reason your email isn't in sync across your devices is not that you're using Outlook on one and Apple Mail on the others. It's either that you're using POP rather than IMAP, or that you're filing messages in local folders in Outlook on your Mac. This is quite a big topic, so I'll hold off trying to provide a solution until I hear back as to whether you already know a bit about POP and IMAP and what I mean by local folders.

It might help if you could name your email provider – e.g. AOL, Gmail, Yahoo – but please don't reveal your actual email address.

Reply

Answer 4

Nov 17, 2025 9:48 AM in response to medwds

many thanks for your reply. I was previously told by apple that the problem was because I wasn't using the same email client on both. thats why I started looking into using outlook on everything although I'm happy to use apple mail on all. i know a little about pop and imap but not a lot and I'm not sure about local etc folders. you sound like you are very knowledgeable on all things to do with email so I'd value your advice.

many thanks

Doug

Reply

Answer 5

Nov 21, 2025 5:47 AM in response to medwds

yes, it always seemed to work ok before and many years ago an apple staff member at the Genius Bar explained about imap and all emails anything across all folders across all devices but I never remember having to do anything different to get it all working properly. from memory I think it all used to work ok from laptop and iPhone and iPad and the only difference I think is that I was using outlook on a windows laptop for a job I was at and the work email on that laptop was synching ok with the apple email app where I had that work email set up in the apple mail app on my iPhone and iPad. I think the problem with it not synching across all devices when I went over to solely using my email in outlook on my MacBook while still using the apple mail app on mobile devices. I hope that all makes sense.what is confusing me is that if I open outlook on my iPhone and try to add account it tries to difficult to a works email address that I don't recall ever actually using in outlook on my phone. I think I might need to try to see if I can the old work email and see if I can delete it so it does come up when I try to add an account.

Reply

Answer 6

Nov 18, 2025 2:43 AM in response to medwds

sorry I forgot to say that my email provider is BT, British telecom.

Reply