you can use vael in a mail app as well as webmail. imap synchronizes your mailbox. smtp submits outgoing mail. they use the same server, but separate ports and permissions.

the important bit comes before either setting: your account number is for the website. it is never your mail app password.

create a credential for the app.

1. open security, then find mail apps.

2. choose connect a mail app and give the connection a name you’ll recognize.

3. select imap, smtp, or both, depending on what the app needs.

4. confirm the security request and save the generated login and password shown.

the generated login is the app’s username. use it exactly as shown, rather than assuming your email address is the authentication username. the password is shown when the credential is issued; save it before closing.

make a separate credential for each app. if you stop using one, you can revoke its access without replacing the credentials used elsewhere.

incoming mail settings.

• protocol: imap.

• server: mail.vael.email.

• port: 993.

• connection security: tls, often called ssl/tls by mail apps.

• username and password: the generated app credential.

free and plus can synchronize mail. imap is a synchronized view of your mailbox, so actions such as moving or deleting a message can also affect what you see in webmail. it is useful for access across devices; it is not automatically an independent backup.

outgoing mail settings.

• protocol: smtp, with authentication enabled.

• server: mail.vael.email.

• port: 587 with starttls, or 465 with tls.

• username and password: an app credential with smtp access.

• sending address: your main @vael.email address.

sending requires active plus access. aliases at @vael.pw and custom-domain recipients receive only, even on plus. don’t configure one of them as an outgoing identity and expect it to work.

if the connection fails.

check the server name, port and security mode together. port 587 uses starttls; port 465 uses tls from the start. don’t fix a certificate or connection warning by turning encryption off.

for a login failure, check that the app has the generated login and password, that the credential has the right protocol scope, and that you haven’t revoked it. creating a new credential is safer than repeatedly trying your secret account number in the app.

if receiving works but sending fails, check plus status, smtp authentication and the selected sending address. successful imap access doesn’t prove the outgoing settings are correct.

when you remove an app.

revoke its credential in security and remove the saved account from the app. revocation stops new access; it does not erase messages the app has already downloaded to a device.

for unexpected access, review browser sessions too. our sign-in guide explains the separate roles of account numbers, second factors and app credentials.