Email Settings GuideQuick answer: ABV Mail runs POP3 only. Read over POP3 on pop3.abv.bg port 995 and send over smtp.abv.bg port 465, both with SSL. Pick POP3 not IMAP. Sign in with your full address you@abv.bg. Sign in to abv.bg every 6 months to keep the account.
What Trips People Up on ABV#
The server names on ABV are steady. What catches people out is the protocol and the full username. Here is what to know before you set up.
Worth knowing
ABV is POP3 only. There is no IMAP server. Pick POP3 in your client, since an IMAP setup cannot connect.
Worth knowing
The username is the full address. Type you@abv.bg in full on both servers, not the part before the at sign.
Worth knowing
Sending needs authentication. Tick the outgoing server requires authentication so smtp.abv.bg accepts your mail.
Before You Begin#
Handle these two basics first. Miss them and your email app will reject the connection even when the ports are right.
1. Choose POP3, not IMAP
ABV has no IMAP server. Set the account type to POP3 and point it at pop3.abv.bg on 995 with SSL.
Why: See the POP3 note →
2. Use the full address
The username is your whole address you@abv.bg on both servers, with your ABV password.
Send: tick that the outgoing server requires authentication
About ABV Mail#
ABV Mail is the free email service from abv.bg, one of the most used webmail portals in Bulgaria, with addresses that look like you@abv.bg. It reads in Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird, with one thing to keep in mind. ABV runs POP3 only, so there is no IMAP.
Reading is POP3 on pop3.abv.bg and sending is SMTP on smtp.abv.bg, each on its SSL port. Because ABV has no IMAP, a client downloads mail from the server rather than keeping it in sync across devices. The username is your full address and the password is your ABV Mail password.
| Protocol | Server | Port |
|---|---|---|
| POP3 | pop3.abv.bg | 995 SSL |
| SMTP | smtp.abv.bg | 465 SSL |
ABV Mail Webmail Login#
You can always read your mail in a browser. The official sign in pages are:
ABV Speaks Only POP3#
The single thing to get right on ABV is the protocol. ABV Mail offers POP3 for reading. There is no IMAP at all. A client set to IMAP looks for a server that is not there and never connects, which is the most common ABV setup mistake. Choose POP3 and point it at pop3.abv.bg on 995 with SSL. That works.
POP3 downloads mail to the device you are on. By default it can remove each message from the server as it arrives, so a second device would not see it. To read ABV on more than one device, turn on the leave a copy on the server option in your client. Every device then downloads its own copy.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Protocol | POP3 (there is no IMAP) |
| Incoming server | pop3.abv.bg, port 995, SSL |
| More than one device | Turn on leave a copy on the server |
ABV Mail POP3 Settings#
POP3 downloads mail to 1 device. Pick it only if you want a local copy on a single computer. Not sure? See the comparison below.
| POP3 Server | pop3.abv.bg | |
| Port | 995 | |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address | |
| Password | Your mailbox password |
ABV Mail SMTP Settings#
SMTP handles outgoing mail. If you can read mail but not send it, the problem is here.
| SMTP Server | smtp.abv.bg | |
| Port (SSL) | 465 | |
| Encryption | SSL or STARTTLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address | |
| Password | Same as incoming mail | |
| Authentication | Required. Switch on outgoing server authentication in the client. |
465 with SSL. Many home connections block port 25 Confirm outgoing authentication is on.
Check ABV Mail POP3 Settings Online#
You don't need to download anything to check ABV Mail POP3 settings online. This page is the lookup: every value is verified, current and copyable straight from your browser. Not sure your address uses ABV Mail servers? Type it below and find out instantly.
Does my email address use these settings?
Runs in your browser only. Your address is never sent anywhere or stored.
Want to verify the account itself before configuring an app? Sign in at ABV Mail webmail, which confirms your address and password work, then confirm an app password exists. If both pass, any email app connects with the tables above.
Look Up POP3 Settings for Any Email Domain#
This page covers ABV Mail. For every other address, work email on a company domain included, we run a free online lookup database: imapsettings.com.
imapsettings.com
Complete email settings database, by Univik
Enter any email address and get the incoming and outgoing server settings for that domain in 1 step:
Your address is used only to find the settings for that domain. Nothing is stored or shared.
Username and Password#
The username is your whole ABV Mail address, such as you@abv.bg. Put the same full address on both servers. The password is the one you use for ABV webmail.
Username is the full address
Type the whole address, such as you@abv.bg, on both the incoming and outgoing server.
The part before the at sign on its own will not sign in.
Password is your ABV password
The client uses the same password as ABV webmail.
Change it in webmail and update it in the client too.
Set Up ABV Mail in Email Clients#
The servers and ports are always the same. Only the menus differ. Jump to your app:
Outlook (Windows and Mac)
- In Outlook select Add Account, then turn on manual setup under Advanced options.
- Choose POP3 and set incoming to
pop3.abv.bgon 995 with SSL. - Set outgoing to the same server on 465 with SSL.
- Enter the full address and mailbox password when Outlook prompts you.
- Send a test message to yourself to prove both paths.
Apple Mail (macOS)
- In Mail select Add Account, then pick Other Mail Account.
- Give your name, ABV Mail address and password, then continue.
- Enter pop3.abv.bg with SSL on incoming and outgoing.
- Keep the SSL ports so nothing sends in plain text.
- Save and wait for the mailbox to load.
iPhone and iPad
- In Settings open Mail, then tap Mail Accounts and Add Account.
- Tap Other then Add Mail Account and fill your details.
- Keep POP3 chosen and put pop3.abv.bg in both server boxes.
- Leave the secure ports iOS fills, since ABV Mail expects SSL.
- Tap Save and let iOS run its check.
Android
- Open your mail app and tap Add account, then Other or POP3.
- Put in your address and password. Switch to manual setup if it stalls.
- For incoming use pop3.abv.bg on 995 over SSL.
- For outgoing use pop3.abv.bg on 465 over SSL.
- Save and swipe down to fetch your mail.
Thunderbird
- In Thunderbird pick Account Actions, then Add Mail Account.
- Type your name, ABV Mail address and password, then Continue.
- Wait for detection, then make sure POP3 with SSL is picked.
- If detection fails, type pop3.abv.bg in yourself.
- Hit Done and the folders fill in on the first sync.
ABV Mail Webmail Settings#
Server settings connect your apps. The controls here shape how the mailbox acts on its own. They live in ABV Mail webmail,at webpop3.abv.bg.
Signature
Add one in the webmail preferences. It rides on mail sent from webmail. A desktop app keeps a signature of its own.
Vacation Auto Reply
Set an autoresponder in ABV Mail webmail. The ABV Mail server delivers it, so it fires even when your machine is off.
Filters and Folders
Create filters in ABV Mail webmail. A server side rule sorts a message ahead of any device fetching it. A rule set inside an app only works while that app is running.
Spam and Blocked Senders
ABV Mail filters spam on incoming mail. Set the thresblock unwanted senders in ABV Mail webmail. Flagged mail lands in the junk folder for a look.
Why ABV Is POP3 Only#
On most providers you choose between POP3 and IMAP. On ABV there is no choice, since only POP3 is offered. It helps to know what that means for how your mail behaves.
What POP3 does here
Downloads mail from pop3.abv.bg to the device you are on. With leave a copy on the server on, other devices can download it too.
What you do not get
No shared sync across devices, since that needs IMAP. Read and unread marks and folders live on each device, not on the server.
ABV Mail Sending and Storage Limits#
A few limits are worth knowing before you bulk forward or move a mailbox. On shared plans ABV Mail caps outbound mail to protect the server reputation:
| Outbound cap | Applies on shared plans |
| Username | Full email address |
| SMTP port | 465 SSL |
| Mailbox storage | Set by your hosting plan |
| Over the outbound cap | Sending pauses for a while |
Troubleshooting ABV Mail Connections#
Find the exact error your email app shows, then apply the fix:
| Error you see | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Username or password rejected | Short username or wrong password | Use the full email address with the ABV Mail password, the same one you use for webmail. |
| Cannot send on port 25 | ISP blocks the default SMTP port | Switch outgoing to 465 with SSL |
| An IMAP setup will not connect | IMAP was chosen | ABV has no IMAP server. Set the client to POP3 and point it at pop3.abv.bg on 995 with SSL. Use for mailboxes instead. |
| Cannot connect to server | Wrong port or encryption | Set incoming and 465 with SSL outgoing. A firewall on your own machine can block it as well. |
| Repeated password prompt | Short username or a typo | Clear the saved login, then put in the full address with the mailbox password. |
| Messages stuck in Outbox | SMTP authentication is off | Enable "outgoing server requires authentication" with the same login as incoming mail. |
| Address stopped working after months away | The account lapsed on the six-month rule | ABV deactivates an account with no sign-in for 6 months. Contact ABV to ask. In future, sign in to abv.bg twice a year. See Keep It Active. |
| Client fetches mail but the account still lapsed | A POP3 client is not counted as a sign-in | Reading in Outlook or on a phone does not reset the clock. Open abv.bg in a browser and sign in at least every 6 months. |
Reader Reported Fixes
Copy from Set Up Mail Client. When a manual setup will not connect, the ABV Mail settings show pop3.abv.bg and smtp.abv.bg with the ports for that mailbox. Pasting those in clears the guesswork behind most failed setups.
Test the login in webmail first. Sign in at webpop3.abv.bg with the full address and mailbox password. If webmail works, the credentials are right and the issue sits in the app settings.
Sign In Every Six Months or Lose the Address#
A free ABV Mail account stays alive only while you sign in to it. Under the ABV terms from Netinfo, you have to log in to your mailbox at abv.bg with your username and password at least once every six months. Miss that and, after a 14-day notice, the mailbox is deactivated. The received and sent mail, the files, the saved addresses and every setting are deleted. The address stops existing.
This matters more on ABV than on most providers because ABV runs POP3 only. With no IMAP, plenty of people only ever touch the account through a mail client on a phone or in Outlook, so it feels in use. The clock the terms describe is reset by a sign-in to the abv.bg webmail with your username and password. To stay on the safe side, do not lean on a POP3 client alone to keep the account active.
| Point | What ABV states |
|---|---|
| How to keep it | Sign in to abv.bg with your username and password at least once every 6 months |
| Grace | A 14-day notice before final deactivation |
| What is lost | The received and sent mail, the files, saved addresses, all settings and the address itself |
| POP3 note | Do not rely on a client alone. Open abv.bg in a browser twice a year |
Moving Mail In or Out?#
ABV Mail speaks POP3, so a client downloads your mail to a computer or another account. The inbox stays on the server until the move finishes.
Take a copy first. Back up the mailbox before a move. A note that arrives mid switch can sit on either side. A copy keeps you safe.
Carrying mail across? The Univik Email Migration Tool downloads your mail over a POP3 link. Give it the ABV Mail server name and password on this side and the other account opposite.
Rather hand it off? Our Email Migration Services team runs the whole move and verifies each folder arrived.
Use These Settings in Univik Email Backup#
The same POP3 settings above let you download your ABV Mail inbox to your computer. Univik Email Backup saves everything as PST, MBOX, EML or PDF files you keep forever, even if the account closes.
- Download Univik Email Backup and install it on Windows.
- Select ABV Mail from the source list. If it isn't listed by name, choose POP3.
- Give the complete email address with your mailbox password. The login name is always the whole email address.
- When the backup tool wants server details, hand it pop3.abv.bg on port 995 with SSL for ABV Mail. Take those values straight from this page, with POP3 on port
995over SSL. - Pick a saving format and folder, then start the backup. Large mailboxes download in the background.
Univik Tools That Use These Settings#
Many people land here while migrating or archiving a mailbox. All 3 tools use the same POP3 settings from this page:
Email Backup
Download your complete ABV Mail mailbox to PST, MBOX, EML or PDF before switching or closing the account.
Email Backup Tool →
Email Migration Tool
Copy every folder from ABV Mail straight into Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any other account. No manual export needed.
Email Migration Tool →
Email Converter Tool
Already have MBOX, EML or OST files from an old export? Convert them to PST, PDF or any format your new app opens.
Email Converter Tool →Prefer to hand the whole migration to experts?
If the hostnames and passwords feel like busywork, you can let the tool handle it. Univik's migration team handles the complete project: planning, transfer, verification and a report showing every folder made it. Since 2013, for single mailboxes up to full company moves.
Email Settings Glossary#
POP3
Post Office Protocol. Reads mail by downloading it from pop3.abv.bg to the device you are on, port 995 with SSL. ABV Mail uses POP3 for reading.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Sends your outgoing mail on smtp.abv.bg, port 465 with SSL and authentication.
pop3.abv.bg
The incoming server for ABV Mail, reached over POP3 on port 995 with SSL.
smtp.abv.bg
The outgoing server for ABV Mail, on port 465 with SSL. Tick that the server requires authentication.
No IMAP
ABV Mail does not run an IMAP server. A client set to IMAP cannot connect, so choose POP3.
Leave a Copy on Server
A POP3 option in your client. With it on, mail stays on pop3.abv.bg after download, so another device can fetch it too.
SSL
Encryption for the connection. Keep SSL on for reading on 995 and for sending on 465.
Full Address
Your whole ABV Mail address you@abv.bg. It is the username on both the incoming and outgoing server.
Port 995
The SSL port for reading ABV Mail over POP3 on pop3.abv.bg.
Port 465
The SSL port for sending ABV Mail over SMTP on smtp.abv.bg.
Authentication
The outgoing server setting that proves who you are. ABV needs it on so smtp.abv.bg accepts your mail.
ABV Mail
The free email service from abv.bg, one of the most used webmail portals in Bulgaria, at addresses such as you@abv.bg.
Six-Month Login
The ABV rule that you sign in to abv.bg at least once every 6 months. Miss it and the account is deactivated after a 14-day notice.
Deactivation
When ABV deletes an inactive account. The mail, files, saved addresses and settings are removed and the address stops existing.
Netinfo
The company behind ABV Mail. Its terms set the six-month sign-in rule that keeps a free ABV account alive.
How We Verify These Settings#
Univik builds email backup, migration and converter software since 2013. Our tools sign in to ABV Mail over POP3 and SMTP every day for thousands of users, so a changed server, port or login rule shows up in our connection logs before most guides notice it.
Every value on this page is confirmed with three checks: a live POP3 and SMTP connection from Univik Email Backup, a comparison against the ABV Mail guides and a sign in with a real mailbox using the full address. We re verify after any provider announcement and at least once a quarter.
Found something that no longer matches what ABV Mail shows you? Tell us and we will retest and update the page, with the change logged in what changed recently.
Help & Support
Frequently Asked Questions
Read over POP3 on pop3.abv.bg, port 995 with SSL. Send over smtp.abv.bg, port 465 with SSL. The username is your full address you@abv.bg and the password is your ABV Mail password.
No. ABV Mail runs POP3 only. A client set to IMAP looks for a server that is not there and cannot connect. Choose POP3 and point it at pop3.abv.bg on 995 with SSL.
Yes, with a POP3 setting. Turn on leave a copy on the server in your client. Each device then downloads its own copy. Without it, the first device to fetch holds the only copy.
Your whole address you@abv.bg, on both the incoming and outgoing server. The part before the at sign on its own will not sign in.
Yes. The same POP3 and SMTP hosts and ports on every device, all with SSL. Only the menus differ. Choose POP3, since there is no IMAP.
Yes. Keep SSL on for reading on 995 and sending on 465. Set the outgoing server to require authentication. Your password travels only over the encrypted link.
The outgoing server needs authentication. Tick that smtp.abv.bg requires authentication and uses the same username and password as reading, on port 465 with SSL.
Sign in at abv.bg with your full address and password. The webmail reads the mailbox without a client, which is useful as a second way in alongside POP3.
Because ABV is POP3 only, download the mail with a POP3 client that leaves a copy on the server, then import it into the other account. A backup tool can save it to a file first.
Yes, if you go too long without signing in. Under ABV terms you sign in to abv.bg at least once every 6 months. After that, a 14-day notice is given, then the mailbox is deactivated and the mail, files, addresses, settings and the address itself are deleted. Because ABV is POP3 only, do not count on a client alone. Open abv.bg in a browser twice a year.
Other Email Provider Settings
Summary: ABV Mail Settings at a Glance
- POP3: pop3.abv.bg, port 995, SSL/TLS
- POP3: pop3.abv.bg, port 995, SSL/TLS
- SMTP: pop3.abv.bg, port 465 with SSL
- Username is always your full email address
- ABV Mail mailbox on pop3.abv.bg
- Pick POP3 and turn on leave a copy on the server
- Full address as the username
- Username is always the full email address