Apple Mail Setup Guide

Mail app · macOS (all versions)

Apple Mail is built into every Mac. These steps work on all recent versions of macOS, including Sequoia, Sonoma, and Ventura.

Settings at a Glance

Incoming Mail (IMAP)

Server imap.topmail.com
Port 993
Security SSL / TLS
Username your email address
Password your password

Outgoing Mail (SMTP)

Server smtp.topmail.com
Port 587
Security STARTTLS
Username your email address
Password your password

Steps

1

Open Mail

Open Mail from your Applications folder or by pressing ⌘ Space and typing Mail.

Spotlight search showing Mail app
Use Spotlight to find and open Mail
2

Open Accounts settings

If the account setup wizard opens automatically, skip to step 3.

Otherwise, click Mail in the menu bar → Settings (or Preferences on older macOS) → click the Accounts icon → click the + button at the bottom-left.

Accounts panel with plus button to add account
Click + to add a new account
3

Select "Other Mail Account"

In the account type list, select Other Mail Account… and click Continue.

Account type selection — Other Mail Account highlighted
Select "Other Mail Account…" then Continue
4

Enter your account details

Fill in your credentials:

  • Full Name: your name (shown on outgoing messages)
  • Email Address: your full email address
  • Password: your email password

Click Sign In.

Mail account credentials entry form
Enter your name, email address, and password
5

Enter the mail server addresses

Mail will try to find your settings automatically and fail — that's normal. It then shows the server configuration fields. Fill them in:

  • Account Type: IMAP
  • Incoming Mail Server: imap.topmail.com
  • Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.topmail.com

Click Sign In.

Incoming and outgoing mail server fields
Enter the Topmail server addresses
6

Complete account creation

If prompted about additional apps (Notes, etc.), uncheck anything you don't need and click Done.

Your account is now in Mail, but the ports and encryption may not be set correctly yet. Proceed to the next step to confirm them.

7

Verify server settings

Go to Mail → Settings → Accounts → select your new account → click the Server Settings tab.

Apple Mail Server Settings tab showing IMAP port 993 and SMTP port 587 both with Password authentication
Server Settings tab — both incoming and outgoing should show Password authentication
8

Set incoming server (IMAP)

Under Incoming Mail Server (IMAP):

  • Uncheck Automatically manage connection settings
  • Host Name: imap.topmail.com
  • Port: 993
  • Use TLS/SSL: on
  • Authentication: Password
9

Set outgoing server (SMTP)

Under Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP):

  • Uncheck Automatically manage connection settings
  • Host Name: smtp.topmail.com
  • Port: 587
  • Use TLS/SSL: on
  • Authentication: Password

Click Save.

Authentication must be "Password". If the dropdown shows MD5 Challenge-Response or any other option, change it to Password for both incoming and outgoing servers.
10

Send a test message

Close Settings and compose a quick test email to yourself to confirm both sending and receiving are working correctly.

Troubleshooting

Mail shows a "cannot connect" error during account creation

Click Next or Continue when prompted — Mail often shows a connection warning during setup but still creates the account. You can correct the ports in step 7 afterwards.

Outgoing mail is failing (bouncing or not sending)

Go to Mail → Settings → Accounts → [your account] → Server Settings. Under Outgoing, uncheck "Automatically manage connection settings" and set port to 587 with TLS/SSL on.

"Certificate cannot be verified"

This usually means the port is wrong. Confirm the incoming port is 993 and outgoing is 587, both with TLS/SSL enabled.

Still having trouble? Our team is happy to help. Call +44 117 463 3403 or email support@topmail.com.