Setting Up Email For Life on a Mobile Device or a Desktop Email Client

Email For Life

Step 1: Decide if you want to set up your mobile device or desktop email client with an IMAP or a POP connection

Google supports both IMAP and POP connections. IMAP is the preferred option as it syncs the actions you take on your mobile device or in your desktop email client with your Email For Life account in Gmail. Here are Google's lists of supported IMAP clients and supported POP clients.

What is IMAP?

The Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) lets you download email from Google's servers to your mobile device or computer. IMAP creates a constant connection between mail clients (mobile or desktop clients) and Gmail. It syncs the actions you take in Outlook Express or Apple Mail with Gmail so if you read a message in your mail client, it'll be marked as read in Gmail.

What is POP?

The Post Office Protocol (POP) is a one-way download of your messages that allows you to access your mail with a mail program like Outlook Express or Apple Mail. POP only offers one-way communication, which means that actions you take in the mail program (like marking a message as read) won’t be synced to Gmail.

Step 2: Set a Western Google Apps password

  1. Log into the Western Google Apps Password Update tool with your Western User ID and Western Password.
  2. In the Set your Western Google Apps Password and Confirm your Western Google Apps Password fields, enter your chosen Western Google Apps password.
    • NOTE: Your Western Google Apps password is separate from your Western password and the two cannot be the same. They both, however, must adhere to the same password policy.

    • Password Tip

      Create your Western Google Apps password WHILE reading the password criteria. Write it down so it is easy to enter in the Western Google Apps Password Update tool.

  3. Click the Submit button. When you receive the "Success" message, your Western Google Apps password has been set.
  4. Write down your Western Google Apps password. It will be required when setting up your mobile device or email client.
  5. Log out of the Western Google Apps Password Update tool.

Step 3: Enable IMAP/POP access to your Email For Life account

  1. Log into your Email For Life Account at mail.alumni.uwo.ca using your Western User ID and Password.
  2. If this is your first time logging in, select your preferred language and accept the terms of service, otherwise proceed to c below.
  3. Near your Email For Life address in the top right of the screen, click the gear icon (), then select Mail settings.
  4. On the Mail setting page, click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
  5. Select Enable IMAP unless your email client or mobile device must use POP (if so, choose one of the POP Download options).
Screenshot

Step 4: Set up your mobile device or email client

  1. Click on the Configuration instructions link under either IMAP Access or POP Download, depending on the choice you made in step 3.
  2. Follow the instructions on how to configure your email client or mobile device.
  3. Remember:

  4.  If the email client or mobile device asks for . . .  . . . then enter the following
    Your username, user id or login WesternUserID@alumni.uwo.ca
    Your password Your Western Google Apps password
    Your email address WesternUserID@alumni.uwo.ca
    Your incoming mail server (IMAP) imap.gmail.com
    Your incoming mail settings Authentication: Password
    Use Secure Socket Layers (SSL)
    Port 993
    Your outgoing mail server (SMTP) smtp.gmail.com
    Your outgoing mail security settings Authentication: Password
    Use TLS if available or SSL (if not)
    Port 587

  5. Click the Save Changes button


Need help?

Google has extensive resources for users. You can find more information about how to use the Gmail service in its Help Centre.

You can also complete the Email For Life Assistance Form and a support team member will contact you within 72 hours.