# K-9 Mail **<— Return to:** @[https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/default-apps-overview-J7XoIz4nNy](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/default-apps-overview-J7XoIz4nNy) --- **<— Previous lesson:** @[https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/jitsi-meet-video-conferencing-WBfseR6tfd](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/jitsi-meet-video-conferencing-WBfseR6tfd) **—> Next lesson:**  @[https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/keepassdx-password-manager-Tv86pXME1M](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/keepassdx-password-manager-Tv86pXME1M) K-9 Mail is an open source Email client that allows to integrate any Email address that offers IMAP access. The Above Email we provide via Above Suite can be set up directly, and also most of the common services (Google, Yahoo, iCloud, Startmail, ... ) :::info Some Email services like ***Proton Mail*** or ***Tuta*** __do NOT allow IMAP access__ and can therefore only be used via their own respective apps. Proton Mail's app is available via Aurora Store, Tuta has their app on F-Droid. ::: :::warning Please note: with certain Email providers, like Gmail or Yahoo the user will be forwarded to the web browser (Vanadium) to finish logging in and give permission to K-9 Mail to be able to access the Email account. This will actually keep the user logged in inside of Vanadium. If you don’t want that, be sure to go to Vanadium afterwards, open the website of your Email provider and **log out of your account manually**! ::: ### **__IMAP support & server settings__** Depending on which type of Email you'll want to set up, K-9 Mail may be able to recognize the proper Email server settings automatically. For the most popular Email providers, K-9 Mail should be able to set itself up automatically. If it does not automatically detect the proper settings, those can be put in manually. You can usually find those on the website of your Email provice, with a quick web search or, in case of a custom setup, by reaching out to IT support of your provider. As an example, [here is a site from Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102525) listing the Email server settings for Apple Emails (@icloud.com) ### **__App specific passwords__** One more thing to know about are 'App specific password', which some Email providers use as another layer of security to be able to set up access to the account with 3rd party apps. If your provider requires that, you'll first want to generate a new app password, which you can then use to log in via K-9 Mail. As an example, [here is a site from Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102654) explaining how to create an App specific password for Apple Email accounts (@icloud.com) # Automatic setup To get started, just go ahead an open your *K-9 Mail* app. If this is the first time you're using it, you'll be seeing this initial screen: ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My8zODJjY2E0MS0zN2FmLTQwNTYtOWJlZi1jYjM3ZjE1MGZlNTMvazktMDEucG5nIiwidHlwZSI6ImF0dGFjaG1lbnQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTI5ODI3MDAsImV4cCI6MTc5MzA2OTEwMH0.sWCqprJutluIMqpztDeRZB0Pf9nvfqPZtfJ9ygq1yyQ " =257x650") From here, just tap on ***Get Started*** **Note:** If you already have an Email account set up inside K-9 Mail and you want to add another one: Tap on the three lines top left (sidebar) > *Settings* (bottom left) > *Add account* ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9mMzBmNTk5NS02OTA3LTQ5N2MtYjcyOC0yNmEwZjMxMWZjNjkvazktMDItZ21haWwtbG9naW4tZmlsbGVkLWluLnBuZyIsInR5cGUiOiJhdHRhY2htZW50IiwiaWF0IjoxNzkyOTgyNzAwLCJleHAiOjE3OTMwNjkxMDB9.J-CO7lfxL3OcXiDFuVMZV9Yg2vfaVvFwJlobZd6tBxA " =257x570") Type in your Email address into the text field. In our example we'll use a *@gmail.com* type address. In case *K-9 Mail* was able to detect your Email server settings automatically, you'd see the green text with the **✓** **check mark.** ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My85NjcyMjk3Yy1kNjM1LTRhNDYtYjE5Ny03YzZhN2UyZmRmZDEvazktMDMtYXV0b21hdGljLWdtYWlsLWRldGVjdGVkLnBuZyIsInR5cGUiOiJhdHRhY2htZW50IiwiaWF0IjoxNzkyOTgyNzAwLCJleHAiOjE3OTMwNjkxMDB9.F4TcqlM2zy1vdNaQps_ywynsvts5z96Ld7dlxTB5hxE " =257x570") If the automatic detection fails, please skip to the **__Manual setup__** section further down. If you're asked to sign in via your provider, go ahead and push on that blue button. In our example: ***Sign in with Google*** ![K-9 Mail may forward you to the web browser (Vanadium) to log in](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9kYThlOWQwMi1hNThkLTQ3Y2MtODFkYy03M2I2ZTEzMjhmMzQvazktMDQtbG9naW5zaXRlLTEucG5nIiwidHlwZSI6ImF0dGFjaG1lbnQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTI5ODI3MDAsImV4cCI6MTc5MzA2OTEwMH0.02TUxMGm-yksEhaEKBg7VExp7mlu4sPsI_KnODoYoVE " =257x570") This will open the web browser with a login site of your provider. You can proceed to login right there. Note: this will not log in your phone to Google - instead this is a separate login via the web browser on the phone. If you have concerns about your IP address being tracked by this website, consider using a VPN first. ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9iNGYxNGE3Yi1hMTMyLTRhNGEtOTk0Yi02ZjBhOGMxMjU5YTMvazktMDQtcGFzc3dvcmQucG5nIiwidHlwZSI6ImF0dGFjaG1lbnQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTI5ODI3MDAsImV4cCI6MTc5MzA2OTEwMH0.wXP5y60X4PzV49EPhdIyHle1rF8cXhj5SmNTfIpoHFo " =257x570") Type in the password when prompted. ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9mM2Y3YjJjYS02YTJjLTQyMjQtOWY2Ny05ZmFlOTc0MzIwZWUvazktMDUtYWxsb3ctYWNjZXNzLnBuZyIsInR5cGUiOiJhdHRhY2htZW50IiwiaWF0IjoxNzkyOTgyNzAwLCJleHAiOjE3OTMwNjkxMDB9.rWy3t36v-LMfWjDvZ5X_uvJ2PwxH6OaDMBGrzGNHdaM " =257x570")   When you get to a screen like this, where your provider is asking you to **allow *K-9 Mail* access** to your Email address, be sure to hit ***Allow*** towards the bottom right (you may need to scroll). :::warning Please note: with certain Email providers, like Gmail or Yahoo the user will be forwarded to the web browser (Vanadium) to finish logging in and give permission to K-9 Mail to be able to access the Email account. **__This will actually keep the user logged in inside of Vanadium!__** If you don’t want that, be sure to go to Vanadium afterwards, open the website of your Email provider and **log out of your account manually**! ::: You can now skip to the next section: [**__K-9 Mail integration__**](https://learn.above.im/doc/k-9-mail-wd2aEGJAmo?ref=notification-email#h-k-9-mail-integration) # Manual Setup In case *K-9 Mail* wasn't able to automatically detect your settings, you'll want to find out the IMAP / SMTP settings of your Email address. Now, let's see how to set up your personal email in *K-9 Mail* using IMAP. Note that you'll want to replace the specific details with what your provider is suggesting. ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9lNWI2NzM0Yi03NTM2LTRiZTUtOTRhOC1iYzVhMDZjNWM4ZmUvazktMWEtbWFudWFsLXNldHVwLnBuZyIsInR5cGUiOiJhdHRhY2htZW50IiwiaWF0IjoxNzkyOTgyNzAwLCJleHAiOjE3OTMwNjkxMDB9.ByCVxYxxUsPN4wUW2jRp1ARo5SVL0RHeW0U-8inwOX8 " =257x570") When it says *'Configuration not found'*, be sure there is now typo in your Email address field. Tap on **Next** to get to the manual setup. ![Incoming server settings - IMAP](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9iNGFjMjExNy05YTRmLTQ1NWMtODRmMC0xYmZhYjYwODhiMDYvazktMWItSU1BUC5wbmciLCJ0eXBlIjoiYXR0YWNobWVudCIsImlhdCI6MTc5Mjk4MjcwMCwiZXhwIjoxNzkzMDY5MTAwfQ.WG8yv1DcDwhH0T_mET6VfevUY-aZADBhw8Ztlm6Ck3s " =257x570") Here on the ***Incoming server settings*** page, we'll want to put in the **IMAP settings** of our Email provider. Usually you'd need to check the following fields: 1. **Server** - type in whatever is listed as your IMAP server address of your provider 2. **Security** - usually this is SSL/TLS, but your provider may need something else 3. **Port** - usually this is 993, but your provider may need something else 4. **Password** - this is either your default Email password or your 'App specific password' that you need to generate within the Email account. Once everything is filled in, tap on ***Next***, which will check your settings & password. If it goes through it will take you to Outgoing server settings. ![Outgoing server settings - SMTP](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My83NjNkYjFhZS0yNDIwLTRjYzktOTBiNC1iMjZjYzg3NGU5YzQvazktMWMtU01UUC5wbmciLCJ0eXBlIjoiYXR0YWNobWVudCIsImlhdCI6MTc5Mjk4MjcwMCwiZXhwIjoxNzkzMDY5MTAwfQ._MFhiXB6JiNoljrb2r7j7YbYcZtjejc-TurV66nRHII " =257x570") Here on the ***Outgoing server settings*** page, we'll want to put in the **SMTP settings** of our Email provider. Usually you'd need to check the following fields: 1. **Server** - type in whatever is listed as your SMTP server address of your provider 2. **Security** - usually this is StartTLS, but your provider may need something else 3. **Port** - usually this is 587, but your provider may need something else 4. **Password** - this is usually the same as whatever worked for your Incoming server settings and is populated automatically. Once everything is filled in, tap on ***Next***, which will check your settings & password. If it goes through it will take you to the *K-9 Mail* integration # **K-9 Mail integration** *K-9 Mail* will now sort and tie all the Email folders accordingly. If this doesn't finish automatically, you may be asked to assign specific folder types to each other manually. ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My8wNjYxNTcwOC0wNDYwLTQ3NDUtOGRjMC1iMWM0Y2ViOGFiZDUvazktMWQtZm9sZGVyLXNldHVwLnBuZyIsInR5cGUiOiJhdHRhY2htZW50IiwiaWF0IjoxNzkyOTgyNzAwLCJleHAiOjE3OTMwNjkxMDB9.gAmTXC49nwwPPlwISctAoCeIG02EyOpIH9MJh-ssgZs " =257x570") Once your folders are set accordingly, tap on ***Next *** Again, if this page didn't come up, it means it found everything itself. ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9mNGQzMTQ4Ni0yOWVhLTQwMjUtOTBlYy1mZjZmNTE2NjIzMzUvazktMDYtbmFtZS5wbmciLCJ0eXBlIjoiYXR0YWNobWVudCIsImlhdCI6MTc5Mjk4MjcwMCwiZXhwIjoxNzkzMDY5MTAwfQ.fNssZWS1wbsi3R8e2JWKCyvoAswDPgteRMYZAXr8caY " =257x570") *K-9 Mail* will ask you to set a name for your account. This name will be display to you Email recipients when you send them an Email. You can freely choose what to put in here - feel free to put in either your username, your first name or initials. Then tap on ***Next*** ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9hZTg2Yjg5Mi1kYzI5LTQ2YzctOGQzNC03MzRjZTdjNmYwMzkvazktMDctYXV0b21hdGljLWZldGNoLnBuZyIsInR5cGUiOiJhdHRhY2htZW50IiwiaWF0IjoxNzkyOTgyNzAwLCJleHAiOjE3OTMwNjkxMDB9.qDnzjnD3PXGRzfZi02gYdZ4R6HeuZdYf67M5m_mUwo0 " =257x570") On this screen *K-9 Mail* allows you to set how often it’s going to check your Emails automatically in the background. If you’re not sure, feel free to leave it on default settings. These settings can be changed later too. ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My84MTVlYTA3My0wYWFmLTRlYjctODk2Mi0wNjU3Mjg4NTZmZjAvazktMDctcGVybWlzc2lvbnMucG5nIiwidHlwZSI6ImF0dGFjaG1lbnQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTI5ODI3MDAsImV4cCI6MTc5MzA2OTEwMH0.nv0XG-AOhSVE0AM973NKaVEIP4WJrVNgO1mX7hb6Qe4 " =257x570") Finally, *K-9 Mail* will ask you about permissions. We recommend to enable these. :::tip Don’t worry - *K-9 Mail* does not send your contact details anywhere, this is just for the itself app to be able to show your contacts and make it easier for you to use it. Even if you set up a Gmail account, this will not give the contact details on to Google. ::: ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My8xYTQxOGEyNi1mNWE4LTQ5ZjYtYmYzZi1mMWVlNTBjNDVmM2IvazktMDctcGVybWlzc2lvbnMtZ3JhbnRlZC5wbmciLCJ0eXBlIjoiYXR0YWNobWVudCIsImlhdCI6MTc5Mjk4MjcwMCwiZXhwIjoxNzkzMDY5MTAwfQ.xqy9npJKVyYxvop9joyfhcvMmNj2S_re0CyfgAlMLCk " =257x570") We recommend to enable these permissions for easier usage, as well as the ‘Notifications’ permission, when prompted. The notification permission will allow *K-9 Mail* to show you what’s happening in the notification section. These settings can be further customized, for example via the ***App info*** settings for *K-9 Mail*. ![](https://learn.above.im/api/files.get?sig=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiJ1cGxvYWRzL2NhOWNmOTRhLWU0MGEtNDc5YS1iOTlmLTIwMDgzNGNhOTc5My9hMDJjN2MxMS1jMjZjLTQ1MmMtOGExZi00NDAyOGIyMzYzMzEvazktc2V0dXAtMTEucG5nIiwidHlwZSI6ImF0dGFjaG1lbnQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTI5ODI3MDAsImV4cCI6MTc5MzA2OTEwMH0._DztXUz2q8D5w8pvuC7PT7R4_xBf6lPpYPx-DaA5qYM " =257x571") :::success **We are done with the setup!** ::: When you tap on the **☰ three bars top left** it should show you all your Email folders in K-9 Mail. If you see all of these, it means that your Email account is set up properly. The different Email accounts should be loaded into the navigation bar on the left (tap the **☰ three bars top left** to open). :::tip **Swiping down will refresh your folders** by manually initiating an update from your Email server. ::: Feel free to explore the functionalities this app offers. # Troubleshooting If you're having issues receiving emails, you can modify the server settings again by going to Settings in *K-9 Mail* (tap on the three lines towards the top left to bring up the sidebar). In ***Settings*** tap on the **account** you have added. **IMAP settings** can be found in ***Fetching mail***  *> **Incoming Server Settings*** **SMTP settings** can be found in ***Sending mail*** *> **Outgoing Server Settings***   :::info Further help: [**FAQ from K-9 Mail**](https://k9mail.app/documentation/faq.html?ref=kb.above.im) ::: --- **Documents** - [Getting Started](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/getting-started-2PIp21MpGq) - [Application Guides](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/application-guides-jAjlxuCIBy) - [Above Essentials](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/above-essentials-KkbCdqt7F7) - [Profiles](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/profiles-UiYjt5uT5E) - [Migrating from other devices](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/migrating-from-other-devices-h0cJeSFPOe) - [Backup & Restore](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/backup-restore-8eA0cmjC3G) - [FAQs](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/faqs-HUNU8JOych) - [Privacy Strategies](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/privacy-strategies-uHCZH7KxdC) - [Older Above Phones](https://learn.above.im/s/12aef602-75ec-4367-b619-07ad051e2a6f/doc/older-above-phones-fG3zUVbYnS)