Windows phone

Send and receive e-mail

You can send and receive e-mail with your device the way that you do on your computer. This includes e-mails with attachments such as text files, photos, sound files, and short videos. Your mobile phone can run multiple e-mail accounts at the same time.

You can reach all of your e-mail accounts through Messaging. This list shows when there are messages in the inbox(es) by displaying the number of messages next to the name of each account.

You can also access Internet e-mail accounts that you have set up on your computer through an Internet service provider (ISP) such as Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail. Messages sent to those accounts can be scheduled for automatic delivery to your mobile phone. For more information, see Set up synchronization with an Internet service provider or a mobile operator.

You can configure your mobile phone to notify you with a sound when e-mails are received.

In addition, you can use ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) to synchronize directly with a Microsoft Exchange Server account or with Microsoft Outlook on your computer. This will enable you to synchronize Outlook e-mail, calendar events, contacts, favorites, and tasks. To send and receive e-mail for an Outlook e-mail account, begin synchronization through ActiveSync or WMDC.

Note
ActiveSync on your mobile phone works with WMDC on Windows Vista, and with ActiveSync on Windows XP.

These how-to instructions are for touch screen and non-touch screen phones with Windows Mobile 5. To find help and how-to for Windows Mobile 6 and later versions, go to the main Help & how-to section.

Not sure what type of phone or version of Windows Mobile you have? Identify your Windows Mobile phone.

5.0 Touch Screen5.0 Non-Touch Screen

Overview of Messaging

Messaging is where all of your e-mail accounts and your text message account are located. You can send and receive Outlook e-mail, Internet e-mail through an Internet service provider (ISP), and text messages. You can also access e-mail from work using a VPN connection.

E-mail in the Outlook e-mail account is sent and received through synchronization with a PC using ActiveSync.

Internet e-mail is sent and received by connecting to a Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) or Internet Message Access Protocol 4 (IMAP4) e-mail server. When connecting to a POP3 or IMAP4 server, you use a modem to connect to your Internet service provider (ISP), or a modem or Ethernet card to connect to the local area network that your e-mail server is connected to. You can also use your phone to connect by using a cellular line connection.

Text messages are sent and received through your wireless service provider using a phone number as the message address.

Overview of Messaging folders

Each Messaging account has its own folder hierarchy with five default Messaging folders: Inbox, Outbox, Deleted Items, Drafts, and Sent Items. The messages you receive and send through the account are stored in these folders. You can also create additional folders within each hierarchy. The Deleted Items folder contains messages that have been deleted on the device. The behavior of the Deleted Items and Sent Items folders depends on the Messaging options you have chosen.

The behavior of the folders you create depends which type of Messaging account they are for:

  • If you use an Outlook E-mail account, e-mail messages in the Inbox folder in Outlook will be synchronized automatically with your device. You can select to synchronize additional folders by designating them for synchronization. The folders you create and the messages you move will then be mirrored on the e-mail server. For example, if you move two messages from the Inbox folder to a folder named Family, and you have designated Family for synchronization, the server creates a copy of the Family folder and copies the messages to that folder. You can then read the messages while you are away from your PC.
  • If you use a text message account, messages are stored in the Inbox folder.
  • If you use a POP3 account and you move e-mail messages to a folder you created, the link is broken between the messages on the device and their copies on the e-mail server. The next time you connect, the e-mail server will detect that the messages are missing from the Inbox folder on the device and will delete them from the e-mail server. This prevents having duplicate copies of a message, but it also means that you will no longer have access to messages that you move to folders created from anywhere except the device.
  • If you use an IMAP4 account, the folders you create and the e-mail messages you move are mirrored on the e-mail server. Therefore, messages are available to you anytime you connect to your e-mail server, whether it is from your device or PC. This synchronization of folders occurs whenever you connect to your e-mail server, create new folders, or rename/delete folders when connected. You can also set different download options for each folder.

Delete an e-mail account

  • Tap Messaging.
  • Tap Menu > Tools > Options.
  • Tap and hold the account name, and tap Delete.
Note
You cannot delete your text message account.

Receive meeting requests in e-mail

If you receive your e-mail messages through ActiveSync, you can receive meeting requests. When connecting directly to an e-mail server, the server must be running Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5 or later for you to receive meeting requests.

If the server is running Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later, you will automatically receive meeting requests in your Inbox. However, to receive meeting requests on Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5, do the following:

  • Ask your system administrator to activate Rich Text Format (RTF) and TNEF support for your account.
    With TNEF enabled, you will not receive messages that are included in other messages as attachments, and you will not be able to tell if a message has an attachment until you get the full copy. In addition, download time may be longer.
  • Change e-mail download options if your account is not set up to receive attachments.
After you are set up to receive meeting requests, do the following:
  • Open the meeting request.
  • Tap Accept, or Menu > Tentative, or Menu > Decline. If you want, you can also include a message with the response. The response will be sent the next time that you synchronize or connect to your e-mail server, and your device calendar will be updated.

Messaging integrated keyboard shortcuts: List view

To Press
Select the next/previous message Fn (function) + Up/Down
Select the next/previous account Fn (function) + Left/Right
Open the selected message Enter
Display the shortcut menu Menu
Move up/down in the shortcut menu Fn (function) + Up/Down

Tip
If your integrated keyboard does not have an Fn (function) key, you can use a shortcut by pressing the remaining key or keys in the sequence.

Messaging integrated keyboard shortcuts: Message view

To Press
Page up/down in the message Fn (function) + Up/Down
Scroll up/down in the message Press and hold Fn (function), and then press Up/Down
Move to the previous/next message Fn (function) + Left/Right
Close the message Enter
Display the shortcut menu Menu
Move up/down in the shortcut menu Fn (function) + Up/Down

Tip
If your integrated keyboard does not have an Fn (function) key, you can use a shortcut by pressing the remaining key or keys in the sequence.

Messaging integrated keyboard shortcuts: Move a message

To Press
Move up/down in the list Fn (function) + Up/Down
Expand a folder Fn (function) + Right on a folder with a plus sign
Collapse a folder Fn (function) + Left on a folder with a minus sign
Move a message to the selected folder Enter
Display the shortcut menu Menu
Move up/down in the shortcut menu Fn (function) + Up/Down

Tip
If your integrated keyboard does not have an Fn (function) key, you can use a shortcut by pressing the remaining key or keys in the sequence.

Messaging integrated keyboard shortcuts: New Message view

To Press
Move between the headers and the message body Tab/Shift + Tab
Save a message and close it Fn (function) + OK
Move the cursor within the current field Fn (function) + Left/Right
Display the shortcut menu Menu
Move up/down in the shortcut menu Fn (function) + Up/Down

Tip
If your integrated keyboard does not have an Fn (function) key, you can use a shortcut by pressing the remaining key or keys in the sequence.

Set up e-mail accounts

Set up an Internet e-mail account automatically

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging, and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Options > New Account.
  • In Your name, enter your display name for e-mail messages.
  • In E-mail address, enter the e-mail address for this account.
  • Select Attempt to obtain e-mail settings from the Internet and click Next.
Note
If the account is set up successfully, you will be prompted to send and receive e-mail. If not, you must click Next and set up the account manually.

Set up an Internet e-mail account manually

Before you set up your Internet e-mail account, ensure that you have the necessary information.
Setting Description
User name Usually the first part of your e-mail address, which appears before the at sign (@).
Password Choose a strong password. You will have the option to save your password, so that you do not need to enter it each time you connect to your e-mail server.
Domain The domain name. This may be required.
Server type The type of e-mail server that hosts your mailbox (POP3 or IMAP4).
Account name A name for this account. You must use a different name for each account that you set up.
Network The type of network your e-mail server connects to.
Incoming mail server The name of your e-mail server (POP3 or IMAP4).
Require SSL connection Select this to ensure you always receive e-mail for this account using an SSL connection. This enables you to receive personal information more securely. Please note that if you select this and your ISP does not support an SSL connection, you will not be able to connect to receive e-mail.
Outgoing mail server The name of your outgoing e-mail server (SMTP).
Outgoing server requires authentication Your outgoing e-mail server (SMTP) may require authentication. Note: Your user name and password from above will be used.
Outgoing server settings Your outgoing e-mail server may require different authentication settings than your incoming e-mail server.
Use different user name for outgoing server A check box that lets you enter separate settings for your outgoing e-mail server.
User name Your user name for the outgoing e-mail server.
Password Your password for the outgoing e-mail server.
Domain The domain name of the outgoing e-mail server.
Require SSL connection (Outgoing mail server only) A connection that enables you to send personal information more securely. Note that if you select this and your ISP does not support an SSL connection, you will not be able to send e-mail.

Now you're ready to set up your account.

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging, and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Options > New Account.
  • In Your name, enter your display name for e-mail messages.
  • In E-mail address, enter the e-mail address for this account.
  • Click Next.
  • Enter the information above as appropriate until setup is complete, and click Finish.

Compose and send messages

Create an e-mail message

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging.
  • Select an e-mail account.
  • Click New.
  • In To, Cc, and/or Bcc, enter recipient e-mail addresses. Insert a semicolon (;) between multiple addresses.
  • In Subj, enter a subject.
  • Enter a message.
  • Click Send. E-mail messages are stored in Outbox and are sent to recipients the next time you synchronize or connect to your e-mail server and send and receive mail.

Create a message from a contact card

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Contacts.
  • Click the contact.
  • Click the messaging address or phone number to use.
  • Select the account to use and click Select.
  • A new message opens ready for you to complete and send.
Tip
To cancel a message, click Menu > Cancel Message.
Tips
You can quickly enter text message numbers from your contact cards. In To, press ENTER and select a recipient from the list. Then, select the recipient's phone number.

To cancel a message, click Menu > Cancel Message.

Change how the message list displays

You can change the order in which messages are displayed and show the date and time that messages were received.
  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging, and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Options > Display.
  • Change the display options and click Done.

Create and add a signature to messages

For each account in Messaging, you can specify a signature to be automatically inserted into messages that you send.
  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Options > Signatures.
  • Scroll to the account for which you are creating the signature.
  • Select Use signature with this account.
  • To insert a signature in every message you send, select Include when replying and forwarding. Otherwise, a signature is inserted only in new messages.
  • Click the Signature box, enter your signature, and click Done.

Delete a message

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Select the message to delete.
  • Click Menu > Delete.
Note
Messages deleted from the Outlook E-mail account will be deleted from Outlook on your PC or Exchange Server the next time you synchronize.

Download a complete e-mail message

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Choose the message to download.
  • Click Menu > Download Message. The complete message is retrieved the next time you synchronize or connect to your e-mail server and send and receive e-mail.

Download an attachment

  • In an open message with an attachment to download, click the attachment. The attachment is downloaded the next time you synchronize or connect to your e-mail server and send and receive e-mail.
Note
If there are multiple attachments in the message, all attachments are downloaded.

Edit predefined text

You can edit the predefined text included with the phone to create words or phrases that you frequently use in messages.
  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Click New and scroll to the body of the message.
  • Click Menu > My Text > Menu > Edit My Text.
  • Select the text to edit.
  • Edit the text and click Done.

Empty the Deleted Items folder

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Folders > Deleted Items.
  • Click Menu > Empty Folder.

Forward a message

  • From an open message, click Menu > Forward.
  • Enter a message in the message area.
  • Click Send.
Note
If you are forwarding e-mail from the Outlook E-mail account, you will send less data if you do not edit the original message. This may reduce data transfer costs based on your rate plan.

Add a picture to an e-mail message

  • In the message area of an e-mail message, click Menu > Insert > Picture.
  • Click the picture you want to add.

Add a voice recording to an e-mail message

Inserting a voice recording is useful when you want to verbally explain information that is contained in the message.
  • In the message area of an e-mail message, click Menu > Insert > Voice Note.
  • Click Record and start speaking into the phone's microphone.
  • When finished speaking, click Stop.
  • Click Done.

Insert predefined text into a message

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging.
  • Select an account and click New.
  • Click Menu > My Text.
  • Click the text you want to insert.
Tip
Quickly insert text by entering its associated number.

Mark a message as Read or Unread

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Select the message to mark.
  • Click Menu.
  • Click Mark as Read or Mark as Unread. The message display is changed to reflect its new status: normal text for read messages and bold text for unread messages. When you synchronize or send and receive e-mail, the message is displayed as read or unread in all locations.

Send a message draft

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Folders.
  • Click Drafts and click the draft to open it.
  • When you have finished composing the message, click Send.

Reply to a message

  • From an open message, click Menu > Reply or Reply All.
  • Enter a message in the message area.
  • Click Send.
If you are replying to an e-mail in the Outlook E-mail account, you will send less data if you do not edit the original message. This may reduce data transfer costs based on your rate plan.

Respond to a meeting request

You can receive and respond to Outlook meeting requests on your phone in a similar manner as you do in Outlook on your PC.
  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging, and select an account.
  • Click the meeting request and respond to it as follows:
    • To accept the meeting request and insert the meeting into your calendar, click Menu > Accept.
    • To decline the meeting request, click Menu > Decline.
    • To tentatively accept the meeting request and insert a tentative meeting into your calendar, click Menu > Tentative.
Note
Your response is sent back to the meeting organizer the next time you synchronize.

Save a draft of a message

You can save a draft of a message that you are composing to finish and send later.
  • While in a message you are composing, click Menu > Save to Drafts. A draft of the message is stored in the Drafts folder of the account you are in.

Send and receive Internet e-mail messages

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging.
  • Select the Internet e-mail account for which you want to send and receive messages.
  • Click Menu > Send/Receive. The phone connects to your Internet e-mail server and sends and receives your messages.
Note
To stop this process, click Menu > Stop Send/Receive.

Specify the language for reading a message

  • From an open message, click Menu > Languages.
  • In E-mail message language, scroll to the language.
  • Click Done. The message is displayed using the appropriate characters for the selected language.

Stop adding a signature to messages

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging, and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Options > Signatures.
  • If necessary, scroll right or left to switch to the account that is using the signature.
  • Clear Use signature with this account and click Done. A signature is no longer inserted in messages that you send from this account.

View an attachment

  • In an open message containing a downloaded attachment, click the attachment.
Note
You can view attachments only for file types that are supported by the phone.

View message folder contents

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging, and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Folders.
  • Click the folder to view.
  • To return to the message list view of the Inbox folder, click Menu > Folders > Inbox.
Tip
To view all Outlook E-mail folders, including those not marked for synchronization, click Menu > Show All Folders.

View the Inbox message list

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging, and select an account. The Inbox message list displays your received messages.
Tip
To quickly view new messages, click the message notification area on the Home screen.
Tip
You can open an account by selecting it in the list.

Manage accounts

View the list of accounts

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging.

Change messaging account options

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging, and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Options.
  • Select the type of options to change.
  • Click Done.

Delete an account

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Click Menu > Options > Account Options.
  • Select the account to delete.
  • Click Menu > Delete.

Quickly move between accounts

Do one of the following:
  • If you have an account open, you can quickly switch to another account by pressing NAVIGATION right or left.
  • Click Menu > Switch Accounts.

Manage Messaging folders

Mark a folder for synchronization

When you synchronize your Outlook E-mail account with your PC, the same Inbox folders that are in Outlook on your PC are created on your phone.
  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging > Outlook E-Mail.
  • Click Menu > Folders.
  • Click Menu > Show All Folders.
  • Click Menu > Manage Folders.
  • Select a folder to synchronize and click Sync.
  • Click Done. The next time you synchronize, the folder(s) that you marked on your phone are synchronized with the corresponding folders in Outlook on your PC.

Move a message to a different folder

  • On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging and select an account.
  • Scroll to the message to move.
  • Click Menu > Move.
  • Click the folder into which to move the message.
Tip
You can move an open message in the same manner, by clicking Menu > Move.

Overview of e-mail security

You can help prevent impersonation, tampering, and eavesdropping when sending e-mail messages from your Outlook E-mail account by using Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) digital signatures and encryption.

A signature helps prevent impersonation and tampering. Impersonation occurs when a hacker sends e-mail messages and pretends to be someone else. Tampering occurs when a hacker intercepts your e-mail messages and changes the message without the recipient's knowledge.

Signing a message applies the sender's certificate (and public key) to the message. This proves to the recipient that the message is from the sender and not from an imposter.

Encryption helps prevent eavesdropping, which occurs when a hacker intercepts and reads your e-mail messages. Using a cryptographic message format such as S/MIME for encryption helps improve e-mail privacy because it converts plain, readable text of the message into cipher (scrambled) text. The sender's messaging program uses the recipient's public key to encrypt (lock) the e-mail message and attachments. Only the recipient who has the private key that matches the public key you used to encrypt the message can decipher (unscramble) the message.

A certificate is a digital means of proving your identity. When you send a digitally signed message, your are sending your certificate and public key. Certificates can expire or be revoked.

Note
S/MIME encryption and digital signatures for Windows Mobile-based devices are available only with Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 or a later version that supports S/MIME. If you aren't using one of these products, or have not yet synchronized, these options are unavailable.

What is SSL?

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a security protocol that enables you to send personal information in a more secure manner over the Internet.

When you send a message from an account that you have with an Internet service provider (ISP) or from an account that you access using a VPN server connection (typically a work account), Messaging always tries to use an SSL connection. However, sometimes the e-mail server on the other end doesn't support SSL, so in order to send the message, it is sent without an SSL connection.

To ensure that your e-mail is always sent using an SSL connection or not at all, select Require SSL connection when you set up your e-mail account.

Encrypt a message

Encrypting a message protects the privacy of the message by converting it from plain, readable text into cipher (scrambled) text. Only the recipient who has the private key that matches the public key you used to encrypt the message can decipher the message.

You can encrypt a message without a certificate, however, to read an encrypted message you need a valid certificate for decrypting e-mail messages.

  • In the message list, click Menu > Switch Accounts > Outlook E-mail.
  • Click New.
  • Click Menu > Message Options.
  • Select Encrypt message and click Done.
Note
S/MIME encryption and digital signatures for Windows Mobile-based devices are available only with Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 or a later version that supports S/MIME. If you aren't using one of these products, or have not yet synchronized, these options are unavailable.

Digitally sign a message

Digitally signing a message applies your certificate with the public key to the message. This proves to the recipient that the message is from you and not from an imposter, and that the message has not been altered.
  • In the message list, click Menu > Switch Accounts > Outlook E-mail.
  • Click New.
  • Click Menu > Message Options.
  • Select Sign message and click Done.
Note
S/MIME encryption and digital signatures for Windows Mobile-based devices are available only with Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 or a later version that supports S/MIME. If you aren't using one of these products, or have not yet synchronized, these options are unavailable.

Verify the digital signature on a signed message you receive

  • Open the message that has been digitally signed.
  • At the top of the message, click View Signature Status.
  • Click Menu > Check Certificate.
Notes
There can be several reasons why a digital signature is not valid. For example, the sender's certificate may have expired, it may have been revoked by the certificate authority, or the server that verifies the certificate is unavailable. Contact the sender to report the problem.

S/MIME encryption and digital signatures for Windows Mobile-based devices are available only with Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 or a later version that supports S/MIME. If you aren't using one of these products, or have not yet synchronized, these options are unavailable.

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