IMAP, or Internet Message Access Protocol, is like a clever post office clerk for your email. Unlike older systems that required you to download emails to one device (where they could only be accessed from that device), IMAP allows you to view and manage your emails from multiple devices, such as your smartphone, tablet, and computer, without ever actually moving them from the email server.
This means when you check your email on any device, you’re seeing a real-time view of your inbox as it exists on the server. You can read, delete, file, or respond to emails, and these changes will be visible on all other devices where you access your email. This makes IMAP particularly useful for people who use their email from different locations or on different devices.
IMAP is designed to keep your email in sync, ensuring that what you see is always the current state of your inbox, regardless of where you are or what device you’re using. It’s particularly handy in today’s mobile world, providing flexibility and consistency across all your devices.
While IMAP is fantastic for accessibility and synchronisation, it does require a continuous internet connection to access and manage your mail, unlike older protocols that allowed offline viewing by default. Nonetheless, for those who value the ability to stay connected to their email everywhere, IMAP offers an efficient and user-friendly solution.
