Free IMAP and SMTP settings
Incoming and outgoing server, port, encryption and password requirements — everything a mail client asks for.
Incoming mail (IMAP)
- Server
- imap.free.fr
- Port
- 993
- Encryption
- SSL/TLS
Outgoing mail (SMTP)
- Server
- smtp.free.fr
- Port
- 465
- Encryption
- SSL/TLS
Your usual mailbox password is enough
Free uses your regular mailbox password (the same one as Free's Zimbra webmail interface).
Settings for the most common providers
| Provider | IMAP | SMTP |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | imap.gmail.com:993 | smtp.gmail.com:587 |
| Outlook / Microsoft 365 | outlook.office365.com:993 | smtp.office365.com:587 |
| Yahoo Mail | imap.mail.yahoo.com:993 | smtp.mail.yahoo.com:465 |
| iCloud Mail | imap.mail.me.com:993 | smtp.mail.me.com:587 |
| OVH | ssl0.ovh.net:993 | ssl0.ovh.net:465 |
| Orange | imap.orange.fr:993 | smtp.orange.fr:465 |
| Free | imap.free.fr:993 | smtp.free.fr:465 |
| SFR | imap.sfr.fr:993 | smtp.sfr.fr:465 |
| Infomaniak | mail.infomaniak.com:993 | mail.infomaniak.com:465 |
| IONOS / 1&1 | imap.ionos.fr:993 | smtp.ionos.fr:465 |
| Gandi | mail.gandi.net:993 | mail.gandi.net:465 |
| o2switch | See cPanel | See cPanel |
| Proton Mail | 127.0.0.1:1143 | 127.0.0.1:1025 |
How it works
- Enter your email address — or just your domain. No password is asked for: this page connects to nothing.
- We identify your provider — first from the domain if it is a known one (gmail.com, orange.fr, free.fr…), otherwise by querying your domain's DNS records to recognise the host behind it.
- Copy the settings into your software — incoming IMAP server and outgoing SMTP server, with the port and encryption type, plus whether an app password is mandatory.
Use cases
- Setting up a mailbox in Thunderbird, Apple Mail or Outlook — when the client's automatic detection fails and it asks for the servers by hand.
- Preparing a transfer or a backup — our transfer, backup and analysis tools ask for exactly these IMAP settings.
- Understanding why a connection is refused — nine times out of ten it is a port that does not match the chosen encryption, or a missing app password.
- Configuring sending for a website or an application — the SMTP settings listed here are what a contact form or an invoicing tool expects.
- Finding a domain's servers on shared hosting — DNS detection often surfaces the real server name behind your domain.
What this tool doesn't do
- The tool does not test the connection: it gives you settings, it does not check that they work with your credentials. The mailbox tester does that job in seconds.
- It never asks for a password, and does not need one. Be wary of any site that demands your credentials in order to give you a port number.
- For an unknown domain, the suggested servers are hypotheses deduced from DNS and from naming conventions, not the truth: only your host can confirm.
- POP3 settings are not listed: all our tools, and nearly all modern usage, go through IMAP.
- Proton Mail exposes no direct IMAP: you have to go through the Proton Mail Bridge application installed on your computer, as the provider page explains.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Free IMAP server? +
The incoming mail server is imap.free.fr, port 993, SSL/TLS encryption. It is the server your email client queries to read messages and folders.
What is the Free SMTP server? +
The outgoing mail server is smtp.free.fr, port 465, SSL/TLS encryption. It is the server that sends your outgoing messages.
Do I need an app password for Free? +
No, not in the general case. Free uses your regular mailbox password (the same one as Free's Zimbra webmail interface).
The connection to Free fails — what should I check? +
Check the host spelling, the port and the encryption, then the expected password (regular or app password depending on the provider). The fastest route is the free IMAP tester: it actually connects to the mailbox and tells you whether the server, the port or the credentials are blocking.