The instructions and screenshots in this setup guide are for macOS 10.11 (El Capitan). Previous versions of OS X are very similar, but may require more details to be entered manually. If you are using an older version of macOS, you can find the information you might be asked for on our server names and ports page.
The easiest way to configure Mail, Contacts or Calendars on a Mac is via our automatic configuration tool.
If you'd prefer to configure your email manually, read on:
Mac Mail needs its own app password to access your information. If you use your normal password or your Fastmail two step verification password on an external account, syncing to an external service won't work and you will see a password error. Users on a Basic plan will not be able to use Fastmail on third-party mail clients, or create app passwords. IMAP, SMTP, CalDAV, and CardDAV are available to Standard and Professional users only. If you have a Basic plan, you can use Fastmail on a desktop web browser or the Fastmail app on any mobile devices, such as a phone or tablet.
Setting up Mail
Open Mail.app. If you do not already have any accounts set up, it will prompt you to set up a new account. Otherwise, go to Mail → Preferences and select the Accounts tab. Click the + at the lower left of the screen. Select Add Other Mail Account…
Fill in your name, email address and app password:
- Full Name: The name people will see on the email you send.
- Email Address: Your full Fastmail email address, including the domain.
- Password: Your Mac Mail app password. (What is an app password?).
Click the Create button. The account will be created and Mail.app will start syncing your mail.
If account creation fails and you are using a custom domain, you may need to explicitly set the mail servers:
- Incoming Mail Server:
imap.fastmail.com - Outgoing Mail Server:
smtp.fastmail.com
Ensure the servers set to using password authentication, and use your Fastmail email address and app password to authenticate against the servers.
Still not working? Check the troubleshooting guide.
Adding your other email addresses
To use a different email address to your Fastmail username:
- Go to Mail → Preferences and select the Accounts tab.
- Select your Fastmail account on the left.
Use the Aliases pop up menu to access your alternate addresses.
Use the Edit Aliases option to add, delete or change your list of alternate addresses.
In MacOS prior to 10.11 (El Capitan), there is no aliases option. Instead, in the Email Address field, replace your Fastmail username with the address you wish to use instead. You can also enter multiple email addresses, separated by a comma. If you do this, Mail.app will let you choose which one you would like to use each time you compose a message.
Setting up Notes
Warning: The new Notes features are available to OS X 10.11/iOS 9 users only if you are using Apple's upgraded Notes with iCloud support. These extra features are not available if you are using IMAP based Notes through Fastmail. If you don't need the new features, then we recommend you do not upgrade Notes support: once upgraded, you can't go back. Once a note goes onto iCloud, Fastmail will no longer be able to synchronise with it.
If you don't already have Mail configured, you will need to add a new Notes account:
Open the System Preferences app, and go to Internet Accounts, select + to add a new account.
Select to Add Other Account.
Select Mail account.
Add in your username, your full email address and app password.
Ensure Notes is selected as an account type.
View your Notes!
If your Notes do not display, check the advanced server settings.
If you do already have Mail configured, you just need to add Notes support to that account.
- Open Mail, go Mail → Preferences and select the Accounts tab to view your list of Accounts.
- Select your Fastmail account.
- Enable the Notes option in the toggle.
Updating your password
If you change your Mac Mail password after adding your Fastmail account to Mail.app, you will need to update the settings in two places.
- Open Mail.app. From the menu bar, go to Mail → Preferences and select the Accounts tab.
- If you have multiple accounts set up, select your Fastmail account in the list of accounts on the left.
- Under the "Account Information" section, focus the Password field, delete the current contents and type in your new password.
Click the drop-down menu next to Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) and select the Edit SMTP Server List… option.
If you have more than one account set up, make sure you have the correct account selected at the top.
Click the Advanced tab, then focus the Password field, delete the current contents and type in your new password.
Click OK to close the SMTP dialog, then close the preferences window, saving your changes if prompted.
You should now be able to both send and receive mail again with your Fastmail account. If you can do one, but not the other, try following the steps again carefully: your password may have been updated correctly for incoming mail, but not for outgoing mail, or vice versa.