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IMAP vs POP3: Email Retrieval Protocols

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IMAP vs POP3: where does email live?

The fundamental difference: POP3 downloads email to your device and (by default) removes it from the server. IMAP keeps email on the server and synchronizes state across all clients.

For single-device access in the dial-up era, POP3 made sense — download once, read offline. For the multi-device world (phone + laptop + web), IMAP is the only viable option. Your read/unread status, flags, and folder structure stay consistent everywhere.

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