Skip to Navigation | Skip to Content

Configure Apple Mail for NYU Email

about security address spam security

NYUHome has a web-based mail client built into it. However, if you prefer, you can use the Apple Mail email client that comes with Macintosh computers to access your NYU email. To configure Mail for use with your NYU email, follow the instructions below.

Please note that ITS strongly recommends the use of the IMAP mail protocol. With IMAP, you can keep all of your mail on the server, in folders. That way, even if you use Mail at home, a different email program at the office, and the NYUHome web client while on the road, you will always have all of your mail folders available to you!

Configure Mail for Macintosh

  1. Open Apple Mail, then click on the Mail menu and select Preferences....
  2. In the window that opens, do the following (see figure, below):
    1. At the top of the window, click Accounts.
    2. At the bottom left, click the plus (+) sign.
    3. In the Account Information tab:
      • - Set Account Type to IMAP.
      • - For Description, type a description for this account, e.g., "NYUHome."
      • - For Email Address, type your NYU email address in the form of
           YourNetID@nyu.edu, e.g., aqe123@nyu.edu.
      • - For Full Name, type your full name.
      • - For Incoming Mail Server, type mail.nyu.edu.
      • - For User Name, type your NYU NetID.
      • - For Password, type your NYU password (the one you use with NYUHome).
    4. Click the Advanced tab.
      • At the very bottom, check the box next to Use SSL. The Port number should change to 993.
      • Set Authentication to Password.
  3. For Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP), open the menu and choose Add Server...

    In the SMTP Server Options window that opens:
    1. For Outgoing Mail Server, type smtp.nyu.edu.

    2. For Apple Mail Version 3.1 (pre-Leopard):

      • Under the Mail menu, choose Preferences. Select the NYU account from the Accounts list. Under the Account Information tab, find Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP), click the drop-down box, and choose Edit Server List.
      • Click the entry for smtp.nyu.edu, or click the plus (+) to add a new entry. Set Server Name to smtp.nyu.edu and click the Advanced tab. Make sure the Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) box is checked. Manually change the Server port to 465 (if mail delivery is unsuccessful, try changing it to 587 instead). Change Authentication to Password.

      For Apple Mail version 3.3 (shipped with Leopard):

      • Note: Some users have reported the above recommended combination of SSL and port 587 does not work with the new version of Apple Mail (shipped with Leopard). Therefore, pending a more thorough investigation, please try port 465 and use 587 as an alternate.
      • Under the Mail menu, choose Preferences. Select the NYU account from the Accounts list. Under the Account Information tab, find Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP), click the drop-down box, and choose Edit Server List.
      • Click the entry for smtp.nyu.edu, or click the plus (+) to add a new entry. Set Server Name to smtp.nyu.edu and click the Advanced tab. Make sure the Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) box is checked. Manually change the Server port to 465 (if mail delivery is unsuccessful, try changing it to 587 instead). Change Authentication to Password.


    3. Back in the Accounts window, click the red button at the top left to close it. Click Save when prompted.
  4. Your final step is to help protect the security of your email by activating the SSL encryption feature; quick instructions are available at www.nyu.edu/its/email/ssl/#mail.

Congratulations! Mail is now configured to get your mail from NYUHome using IMAP—if you wish, keep reading for more information about using Mail.

Checking Your Mail

  1. To check your mail in Mail, click the Get Mail icon at the top of the In window, or open the Mailbox menu and select Get New Mail.
  2. The NYUHome IMAP server will be contacted and you will be prompted to enter your NYUHome password. Enter it and then click OK.
  3. Mail will tell you whether you have new mail, and will open your inbox if it is not already open.
  4. You are now ready to send and receive NYUHome email with Mail.

Sending Mail

  1. To compose and send a new email message, start by clicking New at the top of the In window, or select New Message from the File menu.
  2. In the To: field, type in the email address of the recipient.
  3. In the Subject field, type the subject of the message.
  4. Then click in the large white area and type the body of the message.
  5. When you are ready to send, click the Send button in the upper left corner.

Create Local Folders

You can copy your mail from the IMAP server onto your local computer into folders you create within Mail. To do so:

  1. Open Mail.
  2. Check your mail (see above).
  3. Choose the Mailbox menu. Select New, which will allow you to set up a local mailbox/folder.
  4. If you wish to have access to the contents of your Inbox from your local computer, you can copy those messages into the new local folder you've just created.
  5. From the Edit menu, choose Select All to select all the messages in the mailbox/folder you wish to copy (for example, your Inbox).
  6. From the Message menu, select Copy To then choose the new mailbox/folder you just created to copy the messages there.
  7. To free up space in your Inbox on the mail server, you can now delete the messages you've just copied.

The messages you copied into your local folders are now accessible without having to log into the mail server.

Configure Mail to Use the NYU Spam Filter

Instructions on setting Mail to use the NYUHome Spam Filter are available at www.nyu.edu/its/email/spam/mail.html.

Page last reviewed: September 4, 2009