Hostinger SMTP settings: IMAP, POP3 and SMTP for every mail app

The standard Hostinger SMTP settings are: outgoing server smtp.hostinger.com, port 465 with SSL/TLS, and your full email address and mailbox password to sign in. For incoming mail, use imap.hostinger.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS.

These are the values Hostinger has documented for its email accounts for some time, but hosts do change them. Before you rely on them, open the Emails section in hPanel, select your domain and check the configuration page for mail apps. If it shows different values, use those.

Hostinger email settings

Here’s the full set for Hostinger’s own email accounts:

• Incoming (IMAP): imap.hostinger.com, port 993, SSL/TLS
• Incoming (POP3): pop.hostinger.com, port 995, SSL/TLS
• Outgoing (SMTP): smtp.hostinger.com, port 465, SSL/TLS (or port 587 with STARTTLS as an alternative)
• Username: your full email address, for example you@yourdomain.com
• Password: the password for that mailbox, not your Hostinger account password
• Outgoing authentication: on, using the same username and password

IMAP or POP3?

Choose IMAP in almost every case. It keeps your mail on the server and syncs read status, folders and sent items across your phone, laptop and webmail. POP3 downloads messages to one device and is only worth it if you deliberately want mail stored locally and removed from the server.

One important exception: if your domain’s email runs on Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or another provider, these Hostinger settings don’t apply. Use that provider’s servers instead. Our roundup of the best email hosting compares those options.

Set up your mail app

Most modern apps try to detect settings automatically from your email address. If that fails or picks the wrong server, use manual setup with the values above. Menus differ between versions, so treat these as a guide.

Outlook

1. Open the account settings and choose to add an account.
2. Enter your email address, then pick the advanced or manual option and choose IMAP.
3. Fill in the incoming server (imap.hostinger.com, 993, SSL/TLS) and outgoing server (smtp.hostinger.com, 465, SSL/TLS).
4. Enter the mailbox password and finish. Send yourself a test message.

Apple Mail (Mac, iPhone, iPad)

1. Add an account and choose “Other” rather than a named provider.
2. Enter your name, full email address and mailbox password.
3. When asked, choose IMAP and enter imap.hostinger.com for incoming and smtp.hostinger.com for outgoing, with your full address as the username for both.
4. Save, then check the account’s advanced settings show SSL on ports 993 and 465.

Gmail app and Thunderbird

1. In the Gmail mobile app, add an account and choose “Other”. In Thunderbird, add a new mail account.
2. Enter your full email address and pick manual setup if the app doesn’t find the right servers.
3. Choose IMAP and enter the Hostinger incoming and outgoing servers, ports and SSL/TLS.
4. Use your full address and mailbox password for both, then finish and send a test.

Note that the Gmail website’s option to fetch mail from other accounts has been changing, so a mobile or desktop app is the more reliable route if you want everything in one inbox.

SMTP for WordPress

By default, WordPress sends mail through the server’s basic PHP mail function. Those messages, such as contact form notifications, password resets and order emails, often land in spam or vanish. Sending them through authenticated SMTP Hostinger mail fixes most of that.

1. Create a mailbox for the site in hPanel’s Emails section, such as hello@yourdomain.com.
2. Install an SMTP plugin such as WP Mail SMTP or FluentSMTP.
3. Choose the generic “Other SMTP” option and enter smtp.hostinger.com, port 465, SSL encryption, with authentication on.
4. Use the mailbox’s full address and password, and set the “From” address to that same mailbox.
5. Send a test email from the plugin and check it arrives in the inbox, not spam.

Keep the “From” address on your own domain. Sending as a Gmail address through Hostinger’s server is a quick way to get rejected. If you’re still setting the site up, our guide to starting a WordPress site on Hostinger covers the rest.

DNS records for delivery

Correct server settings get mail out the door. DNS records decide whether it reaches the inbox. If your domain uses Hostinger’s nameservers, most of these are added for you, but it’s worth checking each one in the DNS zone editor and the Emails section.

• MX: tells the world which server receives mail for your domain. It must point at Hostinger’s mail servers, or you won’t receive anything.
• SPF: a TXT record listing the servers allowed to send mail as your domain. You should have only one SPF record; merge entries if you also send through another service.
• DKIM: a cryptographic signature on each message that proves it wasn’t altered and really came from your domain.
• DMARC: a policy telling receiving servers what to do with mail that fails SPF or DKIM, and where to send reports. Start with a monitoring-only policy, then tighten it once everything passes.

If your domain is registered elsewhere and you only point records at Hostinger, you’ll need to add these at your DNS provider yourself. hPanel shows the exact values to copy. Moving the domain over makes this simpler, and our guide to transferring a domain to Hostinger explains how.

Troubleshooting

Authentication failed

Check the username is your full email address, not just the part before the @. Make sure you’re using the mailbox password, not your Hostinger account password. If you’re unsure, reset the mailbox password in the Emails section and update every device that uses it.

Can’t send, or the connection times out

Some networks and internet providers block outgoing mail ports. If port 465 times out, try 587 with STARTTLS, or test from a different network. Also confirm the encryption setting matches the port: SSL/TLS on 465, STARTTLS on 587. Port 25 is rarely usable from home connections.

Emails landing in spam

Check SPF, DKIM and DMARC first; a missing or duplicate record is the usual cause. Send from an address on your own domain, avoid all-image emails and spammy subject lines, and don’t send bulk newsletters through a regular mailbox. Use a dedicated newsletter service for that.

Sent mail missing or not syncing

If messages send but don’t appear in your Sent folder on other devices, your app may be saving them locally. In the account settings, map the Sent, Drafts and Trash folders to the matching folders on the server. If you set the account up as POP3 by mistake, remove it and add it again as IMAP.

If everything looks right and mail still won’t flow, check whether email has an open incident in our guide to whether Hostinger is down, then contact support. Our Hostinger review covers what’s included with email on each plan.

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