Change POP to IMAP in Outlook Without Losing Single Data

Mark Regan
Published: March 2nd, 2026 • 9 Min Read

Using POP account in Outlook and wanted to upgrade into IMAP, but you don’t know how to change POP to IMAP in Outlook securely? So, don’t worry, this blog post will give the easiest solution to change the account from POP to IMAP in Outlook.

The POP downloads emails from the mail server on the user’s computer, and removes the original mail from the server. Due to this, users are unable to re-assess the email again from multiple devices. Whereas the IMAP keeps email synced with the mail servers, it allows users to access the same mailbox from anywhere with any device, such as a laptop, tablet, mobile phone, or other display devices.

In this blog post, we are going to share the major reasons why users migrate POP to IMAP Outlook. We are using both manual and professional solutions to change from POP to IMAP in Outlook. So, read this blog till the end to find the easiest and safest solution.

Without wasting more time in the intro section, let’s understand the major reasons why people need to change account from POP to IMAP in Outlook.

Why Users Convert POP Account to IMAP Outlook?

The users mainly change POP to IMAP in Outlook because of some limitations of the POP account. Below are listed major reasons which is why users migrate POP to IMAP Outlook.

After downloading emails into one device, POP often removes them from the server. Due to this, users are unable to get it back in case of accidental deletion of the original email.
Actions in the POP account, like deleting, reading, or moving emails, are not synced with the server.
The IMAP account allows users to manage their mailbox folders directly on the server. This helps users organize their emails more easily.
POP accounts store emails on the user’s computer system, which can lead to the loss of the original email file if the user’s system crashes.
IMAP supports cloud-based access, which is easy to use and ideal for both business and professional use.

These were the major reasons that tell why users change POP to IMAP in Outlook.

After knowing all the major reasons of convert POP to IMAP in Outlook, let’s see the solutions to move data from POP to IMAP in Outlook safely.

How to change POP to IMAP in Outlook Manually?

To change account from POP to IMAP in Outlook easily, you have to follow the steps listed below.

1st Solution: Use of Outlook in Windows

First Step: Export POP Account Data

Open the Microsoft Outlook application on your Windows PC.
Go to the file options and choose open & export.
Click on the import/export option.
Then, click on the option Export to file and click Next.
Now choose outlook data file (.pst) option and click Next.
Select the entire Mailbox and click on the next button.
Browse the location to store your POP account data in your Windows PC.
Then, click on the Finish button to complete the export process.

Second Step: Remove Connected POP Account from Outlook

Open the Outlook application on your computer.
Click on “File” menu and choose account settings option.
Now, select Account Settings and pick your POP attached account in Outlook.
Then, click on the Remove button and choose the Yes option to remove.
Done!

Third Step: Connect IMAP Account

Open Microsoft Outlook on your desktop PC.
Click on “File”, then click on “Add Account” button.
Now, enter your IMAP email address and password.
Then, click on Connect button.
After that, configure the important IMAP settings and click Finish.
Done, now restart your Outlook to configure it properly.

Fourth Step: Import PST in IMAP

Open Microsoft Outlook on your Windows PC.
Go to the “File” and click on “Open & Export” option.
Select the “Import/Export” option.
Now, choose the option “Import from another program or file” and click Next.
Next, select “Outlook Data File (.pst)” option, and click Next.
Then, click “Browse” button and select your “PST” file from your computer.
After that, choose the “Replace duplicates” option and click Next.
Then, choose your email account and click on “Finish.”

Finally, done your PST data, like emails, contacts, and calendar, will be available in your IMAP account in Outlook.

2^nd Solution: Drag and Drop

First Step: Account Configuration

Open Microsoft Outlook application on your computer PC.
Go to the “File,” and click on “Add Account” button.
Enter your IMAP email address along with password and click on Connect button.
Then, carefully configure the IMAP account with their settings and click finish.
Done, after adding IMAP account, restart your Outlook application.

Second Step: Creation of Folder

Open the Outlook application on your desktop computer.
Now, right-click on the newly added IMAP account and choose new folder option.
Then, start drag and drop POP email account data into the new IMAP folder.
Done! You successfully got your data in IMAP.

Using both solutions, you can easily change POP to IMAP in Outlook. These methods have some limitations that might affect your account, so it’s better to know their limitations before using any of them.

Limitations of Using Manual Solutions

Manual methods may seem easy, but they have some drawbacks that you should be aware of before using any method.

The manual process is time-consuming, and it has multiple steps.
These solutions are not easy for non-tech users, which increases the chances of mistakes.
Even after users select the “Replace Duplicates” option, they may still see duplicate emails.
Contacts and calendar items are also synced using these solutions, which can lead to duplicate items in both.
Large PST files can freeze your Outlook during the export and import process
The manual steps require high speed of internet connection for successful migration.
Folder hierarchy might be disturbed while using these manual solutions to change POP to IMAP in Outlook.
An incomplete export process can corrupt the PST file, causing Outlook to crash.
Users might face crash issues in outdated versions of Microsoft Outlook.
These solutions don’t work with multiple POP accounts.
Users need to repeat the entire process multiple times for each account.

These were the limitations of manual solutions that you must know before using any of them.

To overcome these limitations of manual solutions, you can try the expert-tested professional solution that are described in the next section.

How to Migrate POP to IMAP Outlook Professionally?

As we already know, the manual solutions to change POP to IMAP in Outlook, but manual solutions have certain limitations, which means the manual solution is not safe in some cases. However, you can try BitRecover PST to IMAP Wizard. This tool directly migrates PST files into your IMAP account without showing any errors on your screen. It also maintains data integrity and preserves the folder hierarchy during the complete conversion process.

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Quick Steps of Professional Solution

Open the suggested tool in your Windows Operating System and click Next.
Now, choose the “convert configured Outlook mailbox data” option and click Next.
Then, select the folder that you need in your IMAP account.
After that, choose the saving option IMAP and enter your ID and Password in the tool.
Finally, click on the convert button to start the conversion process.

Benefits of Professional Solution

The software user interface makes this easy to use for both tech and non-tech users.
You can convert your PST files to multiple email accounts, such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Office 365, Zoho Mail, etc.
The tool supports batch conversion, which saves users time and extra efforts, due to which the conversion process easier.
It maintains data integrity and keeps the mailbox folder structure as it was originally in the POP account after the completion of the conversion process.
This tool preserves email metadata during the conversion process, like To, From, Subject, Date, Attachments, etc.
Its advanced filter option allows users to selectively convert emails from their POP account.

These were the benefits of using a professional solution to change POP to IMAP in Outlook.

By using the professional solution, you can easily, safely, and quickly convert POP to IMAP in Outlook. But if you want to keep a backup of your POP or POP3 account email data so you can try another tool, i.e., BitRecover POP3 Backup Wizard. This tool helps you to make a complete backup of POP3 email account. It gives multiple saving formats options for backup files to POP3 accounts, such as PST, PDF, EML, MSG, MBOX, etc. Along with users can also do direct migration to IMAP supported account, such as Gmail, Office 365, etc.

Final Thoughts

In this blog post, we discussed why users need to change POP to IMAP in Outlook. We understand the major pain points (reasons) of users, why they exactly need to convert POP to IMAP in Outlook. We shared both manual and professional solutions to convert POP account to IMAP Outlook. The manual solution has some drawbacks, such as being time-consuming, risk of duplicate emails, contacts, and calendar items, and not easy for non-tech users, due to which the manual solution is not easy to use. However, the suggested professional solution change account from POP to IMAP in Outlook made easy, hassle-free, and safe. It also maintained data integrity and folder hierarchy during the conversion process.

Another suggested professional solution also helps users to create and take a backup of any POP and POP3 accounts in bulk. So, both suggested professional solution is the safest option as per our option not its totally on you which solutions and methods you are going to prefer to change POP to IMAP in Outlook.