How to connect any other email

Every mailbox is welcome 🏠

Maybe your email comes from your internet company, your school, your work, or a small company with a funny name. Maybe it’s your own domain, like [email protected].

Good news: Talanoa can connect almost any email.

First, Talanoa tries to guess the right settings on its own, like a friend who knows the neighborhood. Most of the time, it guesses right. If not, you can type the settings yourself. It’s easier than it sounds, promise.

Step 1: Start adding your account

If this is your first time opening Talanoa: click Other email provider.

If you already have an account in Talanoa: click the + at the bottom of your accounts list, on the left side of the window, then click Custom Provider (SMTP/IMAP).

Then:

1. Type your Full name. This is the name people see when you send them an email.
2. Type your Email address.
3. Click Continue.

Talanoa says Detecting provider… for a moment. Then one of two things happens:

If it recognized your email company: you see its name with Detected automatically. Easy mode. Go to Step 2.

If it didn’t: you see Unknown provider, with a note saying it will try common settings for your address. That’s fine. Go to Step 2 too.

Step 2: Type your password and test

1. Type your email Password (the one you use to sign in to your email on the web).
2. Click Test & Add Account.

Talanoa knocks on two doors: the one where your emails come in, and the one where they go out. If both open, you’re in.

And… that’s it! 🎉 Your emails start arriving.

If Talanoa says it could not connect, don’t worry. Go to Step 3.

Step 3: Type the settings yourself (only if needed)

Every email company has a little “address card” for email apps: where to pick up your mail, and where to drop it off. Talanoa just needs that card.

1. Click Set all settings manually, under the Test & Add Account button.
2. You’ll see two blocks:
   • Incoming mail (IMAP): where your emails come in.
   • Outgoing mail (SMTP): where your emails go out.
3. In each block, fill in Server, Port, Security, Username and Password.
4. Click Test & Add Account.

Talanoa already filled in its best guess. Often you only need to fix one or two boxes.

Where do I find these settings? Search the web for “your provider’s name IMAP settings”, or look in your provider’s help pages. Still nothing? Ask your provider’s support (or the person who manages email at your work). Just say: “I’d like to use an email app. Can you give me the IMAP and SMTP settings?” They get this question all the time.

Here’s what the boxes usually look like, so you know what to expect:

Box	Incoming (IMAP)	Outgoing (SMTP)
Server	something like imap.yourprovider.com	something like smtp.yourprovider.com
Port	often 993	often 465 or 587
Security	often SSL/TLS	SSL/TLS for 465, STARTTLS for 587
Username	usually your full email address	usually your full email address

Something went wrong?

“It says my password is wrong, but it’s right.” Some providers want a special password for apps instead of your normal one. Look for “app password” in your account’s security settings. See Connect Yahoo, AOL, Fastmail & co for how that works.

“Talanoa says my provider doesn’t work with other apps.” A few providers, like Tuta (Tutanota), lock their emails inside their own app only. Sadly, no email app can connect to them, Talanoa included.

“It still won’t connect.” Double-check each box, one by one. A single wrong number in Port is enough to block everything. Like a phone number with one wrong digit.

“I already have one account and Talanoa asks me to upgrade.” The free version of Talanoa lets you use one account. To add more, you need Talanoa Pro.

Still stuck? Write to us at [email protected]. A real human will answer. We’re happy to help you find your settings.