Oct 17

I recently tried to setup another email account on my iPhone 3G. It was all going smoothly and it was all setup until i tried to send mail. I could receive mail with no problem, just not send it. I checked my incoming and outgoing servers, all are setup perfectly, so I spent the next hour trying different options. SSL on, SSL off, port 25, port 587 and so on. All to no avail.

So I called my o2 Account Manager, the joys of being a V.I.P. (apparently), and explained the issue and that all i needed was the o2 SMTP server as it was blocking my hosting’s server. This was like talking to a brick wall, as the agent on the phone had no clue what a SMTP server was. So I pulled up my sleeves and went digging on the o2 website. I found some helpful details all by myself.

To connect to the o2 SMTP server, all you need to do is use these server details:

smtp.o2.co.uk
username@o2.co.uk
password
SSL off
Server Port 25

The username and password is what you use to log onto the o2 website, to check your bill, and all other details.

Only issue with this is you cannot use the o2 SMTP settings through Wifi! So it kind of defeats the purpose. If you’re on a Wifi network, in order to send email you will have to switch off your Wifi send and then re-enable it. Long winded, so I will try finding a new solution.

*Edit* Thanks to Chris and Stash for their helpful comments. I have done some testing over multiple servers and found that using SMTP on port 465 works the best over wifi, 3G, Edge, and GPRS! I have been able to send mail through wifi then walk out my flat and still able to email out over the o2 network. All groovy, no more having to switch wifi on or off, and having to change different ports or anything anymore!

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9 Responses to “iPhone, o2 & SMTP”

  1. Chris Ward Says:

    Hi Savell,

    You might have some luck if you change your outgoing SMTP port to 465 or 587:
    http://www.bfinternet.co.uk/news-info/how-to-set-up-your-pop3-account/email-apple-iphone-or-ipod-touch

    Cheers,
    Chris

  2. Stash Huchrak Says:

    Great, I have been using smtp.o2, but without the user name and password, it worked every time on E and 3G but not on Wfi. but entering user and pass word it cracked it on Wfi as well. I was using my own SMTP including o2, but it kept hanging my outlook and giving me errors, So far so good. now only one SMTP for all my different e-mail domains in my IPhone

  3. KrisBelucci Says:

    Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.

  4. KattyBlackyard Says:

    The best information i have found exactly here. Keep going Thank you

  5. Stash Huchrak Says:

    I have to add to my original post. Re SMTP. The issue was and now resolved, is when using my own SMTP server I kept getting errors when sitting infront of my PC running outlook, when I recieved mail on my Iphone I had error message on outlook, “can’t get mail, as it is because server is being used also after down loading outlook mail, the mail would still remain on my Iphone and I would get conflicts when usin WI FI and 3G, telling me wrong passwoord etc. It did my head in. SO to avoid the headache I had , follow these steps
    On your Iphone create a new account in mail , contacts. Enter NAME = your name, ADDRESS, = your e-mail, PASSWORD, say ok. Now this is the bit no one tells you to do, to avoid the issues above, DONT SELECT POP, Select IMAP. Then enter details for your incoming mail server, use your own domain or the o2 mail server, ENTER user name. Then enter the details for outgoing server. if you use your own SMTP, enter the same user name and password, used in your incoming server, or use smtp.o2.co.uk. JOB done, By the way, you tech people at Iphone and o2 make a note and add it to your script

  6. mercerd Says:

    interesting material, where such topics do you find? I will often go

  7. Anonymous Says:

    I was actually looking around for a forum post on this issue, but stumbled across your site on Google!! I’m actually quite interested so will keep an eye out for updates :)

  8. Tony Says:

    Just got my iPod Touch – had problems not sending emails via o2 – tried a few other links with not much joy – tried your solution and so far all fixed – Thanks!

  9. Terry Dean Says:

    I have an iPhone and use .mac (.me) account. I signed up with O2 and couldn’t send emails.

    The solution is simple.

    On the iphone, switch off wifi
    Delete the .me or .mac account (saving contacts, bookmarks, etc)
    Set up the .me or .mac account again
    In outgoing mail server, make sure you have the smpt.o2.co.uk details and away you go

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