Why Connect to Gmail or Outlook?

While webmail works fine, many people prefer using Gmail or Outlook because of the familiar interface and mobile apps. The good news is that your business email (for example, info@yourdomain.com) can be connected to these apps using IMAP and SMTP.

This means:

• You can read and send emails from one inbox.
• Your messages stay synchronized across devices.
• It still appears as if the email is coming from your domain.

Understanding IMAP, POP3, and SMTP

• IMAP – Keeps your emails on the server and syncs them across all devices. Recommended.
• POP3 – Downloads emails to one device and can remove them from the server. Less flexible.
• SMTP – Used to send outgoing emails.

Step 1: Get Your Mail Server Settings

For most Nairahost cPanel hosting accounts, the settings are similar to:

Incoming (IMAP) Settings

Server: mail.yourdomain.com
Port: 993
Encryption: SSL/TLS
Username: your full email (e.g. info@yourdomain.com)
Password: your email password
    

Outgoing (SMTP) Settings

Server: mail.yourdomain.com
Port: 465 or 587
Encryption: SSL/TLS
Authentication: Required (use same email + password)
    

Step 2: Connect Your Email to Gmail (Web)

1. Log in to your Gmail account on a desktop browser.
2. Click the gear icon (⚙️) > See all settings.
3. Go to the Accounts and Import tab.
4. Under Check mail from other accounts, click Add a mail account.
5. Enter your full business email address, e.g. info@yourdomain.com.
6. Select Import emails from my other account (POP3) or, if available, choose the IMAP option. (Note: Gmail’s POP3 importer is more common, but you can still keep mail on the server.)
7. Enter your mail server details, username (full email), and password.
8. Check “Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server” to avoid losing emails.
9. Click Add Account.

Gmail will start fetching your emails. To send emails as your business email, Gmail will ask: “Do you want to be able to send mail as info@yourdomain.com?” Choose “Yes” and follow the steps to add SMTP settings (same as above).

Step 3: Connect Your Email to Outlook (Desktop App)

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
2. Go to File > Add Account.
3. Enter your email address (e.g. info@yourdomain.com).
4. Choose Advanced options > “Let me set up my account manually”.
5. Select IMAP.
6. Enter your incoming and outgoing server details (as above).
7. Enter your email password when prompted.
8. Click Next and wait for Outlook to test the connection.

Step 4: Connect to Your Phone’s Mail App

On Android or iOS:

1. Open your phone’s mail app or Gmail app.
2. Add a new account > choose “Other” or “IMAP”.
3. Enter your full email and password.
4. Manually configure incoming and outgoing server settings if requested:

Incoming server: mail.yourdomain.com (IMAP 993, SSL)
Outgoing server: mail.yourdomain.com (SMTP 465/587, SSL/TLS, auth required)
    

Troubleshooting Common Connection Issues

• Wrong password: Double-check or reset your email password in cPanel.
• Server not responding: Confirm the correct hostname (some servers use server-specific hostnames).
• Cannot send but can receive: Usually an SMTP issue; verify port 465/587 and “authentication required”.
• SSL errors: Try switching between SSL and TLS, or confirm the correct server hostname with support.