How to Set Up Email in Apple Mail (macOS)

Quick answer: To set up your email in Apple Mail on macOS, add a new account using IMAP, and enter your full email address as the username, your mailbox password, and your provider's incoming (IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) server names with the correct ports and SSL/TLS enabled. IMAP keeps mail synced across all your devices.

Steps

Open Mail and choose Mail > Add Account > Other Mail Account. Enter your name, email address, and password. When Mail cannot auto-configure, enter the incoming (IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) servers and ports below, with SSL enabled and authentication on for outgoing. Save and send a test message.

Typical server settings

Incoming (IMAP):  mail.yourdomain.com   port 993   SSL/TLS
Outgoing (SMTP):  mail.yourdomain.com   port 465   SSL/TLS  (or 587 STARTTLS)
Username:         your full email address (you@yourdomain.com)
Password:         your mailbox password
Authentication:   required for outgoing mail

Use the exact server names your host provides - the examples above are the common pattern.

Frequently asked questions

Apple Mail cannot verify the account.
Enter the servers manually rather than relying on auto-detect, confirm SSL is on, and use the full email address as the username.

How do I fix outgoing (SMTP) issues?
Edit the SMTP server under Mail settings, ensure authentication uses your full email and password, and set port 465 (SSL) or 587 (STARTTLS).

Mailboxes on SoftSys managed VPS plans work with Apple Mail using standard IMAP settings.