How To: Check your Outlook.com alias account if you have a Non-Microsoft Live ID address

 

 

 

Alright, I’ll admit it.  I need some help making sexy titles.  Don’t you judge me for it though. 

 

So, the mainstream media, the tech blogsphere and basically all the internets have seemed to take notice that Hotmail’s hotter, prettier sister just came into town.  The best part is you get to tell her what you would like to be called without changing who you are (of course I mean that you can register a new outlook.com alias, stay with me people).  Now there are a number of people, me included, who wanted very little to do with Hotmail at the time of creating a live ID  (I will admit, my love affair with Google was in full bloom 7 years ago.).

The problem is, if you have a live ID that’s not Microsoft based, it makes an email account that really can’t receive specific mail.  You can import mail from other sources, such as Yahoo and Google, though.  This problem is now enhanced should you create an alias Outlook.com or Live.com name.  So, I came up with a way receive the alias mail on mobile devices and other mail clients (sending still displays your live ID address).

So the trick here is to basically defeat the auto-detect that most mail clients have.  I’ll use Windows Phone 7 as an example but this also worked on my ICS devices.

Goto Settings, then email + accounts, add an account, Select advanced setup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make the email address “t@o” (no quotes) so that the domain auto-detect can’t look anything up.  Enter your live ID Password and hit next

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select Internet mail (sorry no IMAP, here.  But hey, enjoy the battery life).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name the account something meaningful to you, then enter your name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The incoming mail server is “ pop3.live.com “ (no quotes), the account type is POP3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The username is your full live ID (eg. yourLiveID@gmail.com) the password should carry over from what you entered originally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SMTP server is “ smtp.live.com “ (No quotes). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check all the boxes, select advanced settings then check the extra two boxes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can change refresh times and email retention to your liking, then hit sign in.  Now, when someone sends an email to one of your aliases, you’ll be able to read it on your device. 

 

If you have any questions, leave me a comment below!