IMAP and POP3

POP3 (Post Office Protocol) and IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) both are email services used to receive emails via an email client or device.

If you want to decide to download emails from the mail server you can use a client or device, client or device will contact with the server and then it will download your mails to local storage and then you have access to emails even without internet.

POP3

While using POP3 all of the mails are download from mail server to local storage now your mails are available on your device or client. But it will remove mails from server it means you cannot get access to mail box from anywhere.

Pros

Mail always available to the device even if you are offline.

Cons

Only view messages form inbox

Once messages are downloaded it will remove them from mail server.

IMAP

Internet Message Access Protocol simply connects to the mailbox and allows you to select the mails you want to download in this way one can manage the multiple clients. It also keeps a copy of mail and one can access to mailbox from anywhere.

Pros

One can manage multiple clients.

Allows to choose between emails to download.

Cons

It can delay downloading large emails especially mails with attachments.