How To Setup Apple Mail Outgoing Mail Servers

This tutorial guides you through the steps required to create and manage Apple Mail outgoing mail servers. An outgoing mail server is vital for sending messages from your email account using a client (application) like Apple Mail. If you do not have at least one outgoing mail server set up, you cannot send any messages.

How To Setup Apple Mail Outgoing Mail Servers 

1. Open Mail on your Mac, then click Preferences from the menu bar.

2. Select the Accounts Tab (If you don’t see the desired screen, ensure you have selected Accounts).

3. Click on Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) to edit your existing servers. The top panel displays a list of all outgoing servers set up, while the bottom pane shows information about the selected server. 

Note: You can choose a different outgoing mail server for each email account you have set up.

4. Click Advanced to set custom Ports, enable SSL encryption, and choose the authentication type if necessary.

5. To delete the selected server, click minus (-). Keep in mind that deleting a server from the list is permanent and cannot be undone.

6. To add a new outgoing mail server, click plus (+). Type a short description for the new server and enter its name.

7. Go back and click Advanced again to configure additional settings.

7. Select the authentication method if you want to use one. (Recommended)

Type your email account’s username and password in the designated fields. The username is generally your email address.

After entering all necessary information, click Ok to save your new outgoing mail server settings.

Finally, select the new server from the list to set it as your outgoing mail server for that email account.

That’s it! You now know how to create and manage outgoing mail servers in Apple Mail. 

Additional Information

Outgoing Mail Servers (SMTP) Explained

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the protocol responsible for delivering your emails from your Apple Mail outbox to a recipient’s inbox.

Outgoing mail servers use SMTP to send your emails. When you hit “send,” your email client, in this case Apple Mail, connects to your outgoing mail server. This server then takes your message and delivers it to the recipient’s inbox.

The process is as follows:

1. Your email client, in this case Apple Mail, connects to the Apple Mail outgoing mail server once you click the send button.
2. The outgoing mail server receives the message, checks the recipient’s address, and figures out the server connected to the delivery email address to send it to.
3. The email is sent. It may go through several SMTP servers before reaching its destination.
4. The recipient’s incoming mail server receives the email and delivers it to their inbox.

Best Practices

• Ensure Server Information Accessibility: It is essential to have access to the SMTP server details from your email provider available when configuring or adjusting your outgoing mail servers.
• Use Secure Connections: Always activate SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) if your email provider offers these secure connection options, as they safeguard your credentials during data transmission.
• Verify Port Numbers: Different email providers may necessitate specific port numbers for their SMTP servers, with common options being 25, 465, and 587. If uncertain, confirm these details with your email provider.
• Sending Limits: Some email providers have set limits on how many emails you can send within a day or hour via their SMTP servers to mitigate spam, so make sure you are aware of yours if necessary.
• Test Configuration: After creating or changing your outgoing mail server settings, it is advisable to send a test email to confirm that everything is set up correctly.

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