what is imap

IMAP stands for "Internet Message Access Protocol" and is a standard email retrieval protocol. It is used by email clients to retrieve email messages from a mail server over a TCP/IP connection. IMAP is designed to allow users to access their email from multiple devices, such as a phone, laptop, and tablet, and to organize messages into folders, flag messages for urgency or follow-up, and save draft messages on the server. When a user reads an email message using IMAP, they are not actually downloading or storing it on their computer; instead, they are reading it from the email service. This allows users to check their email from different devices, anywhere in the world. IMAP is a much more sophisticated protocol than POP (Post Office Protocol), which is another method to access email. Unlike POP, IMAP allows users to keep their emails on the server so that they can access them from multiple devices, including their computer, mobile devices, and tablet.