How to configure your email client

Set up your device to access your University email account

You can access your University Nexus 365 email account through your web browser or with an email application on your device.

Windows

 

If you are setting up Outlook again because it stopped working then you should remove and recreate your Outlook profile.

 

  1. Open Outlook
  2. Add an email account, if necessary select File > Add Account
  3. Provide your name and University email address
  4. When prompted, replace your email address with your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@ox.ac.uk and provide your single sign-on (SSO) password
  5. Complete your multi-factor authentication (MFA) process

 

Outlook 365 is provided in the Office 365 suite available to most University members.

If you are setting up Outlook again because it stopped working then you should remove and recreate your Outlook profile.

 

  1. Open Outlook
  2. If necessary, select File > Add Account
  3. Provide your University email address
  4. When prompted, replace your email address with your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@ox.ac.uk and provide your single sign-on (SSO) password
  5. Complete your multi-factor authentication (MFA) process

 

  1. Open the Windows Mail app.
  2. Add an email account, if necessary select either Add account or Accounts > Add account
  3. Select Office 365
  4. Type your University email address.
  5. If you encounter a message saying Some accounts require additional steps to sign in, it may not be possible to use Windows Mail at this time and may need to use an alternate email application.
  6. At the Microsoft sign in prompt, replace your email address with your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
  7. Type your Single Sign-On (SSO) password.
  8. Complete your multi-factor authentication (MFA) process.

 

Please see the Thunderbird setup instructions in the Linux section.

macOS

 

  1. Open Outlook
  2. On the email setup screen, type your University email address
  3. If necessary, select Office 365 as the provider
  4. Type your University email address
  5. When prompted, replace your email address with your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
  6. Provide your Single Sign-On password
  7. Complete your multi-factor authentication (MFA) process
  • This assumes no account details are stored in Accounts or Keychain

 

  1. Open the Mail app
  2. Select Mail > Add account > Exchange
  3. If an email account has already been set up, click the + button under the list of accounts to add your Nexus 365 account
  4. Provide the following details:

     

    Name Your name
    Email address Your University email address
    Password Your Single Sign-On (SSO) password
  5. Select Sign In, then Sign In again when asked if you want to use Microsoft
  6. Type your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
  7. Type your SSO password
  8. Complete your multi-factor authentication (MFA) process
  9. Confirm the services used by the account
  • When composing a new email, access the From drop down menu and select your address
iOS

 

  1. Download Microsoft Outlook from the App Store
  2. Open Outlook
  3. Type your University email address
  4. When prompted, replace your email address with your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
  5. Provide your single sign-on (SSO) password
  6. Complete the multi-factor authentication (MFA) process

Microsoft also provide details to set up email on iPhones and iPads.

 

For the default Mail app:

  1. Open the device Settings 
  2. Depending on your version click either Mail > Accounts, or Passwords & Accounts
  3. Click Add Account > Exchange
  4. Provide the following details, then Next:

     

    Email Your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
    Description Nexus 365
  5. Select Sign in
  6. Provide your single sign-on (SSO) password
  7. Complete the multi-factor authentication (MFA) process
  8. Select the services you want to include
Android

  1. Download Microsoft Outlook from the Google Play Store
  2. Open Outlook
  3. Add an email account, if necessary select Settings  > Add account > Add an email account

  4. Type your University email address

  5. When prompted, replace your email address with your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK

  6. Type your Single Sign-On (SSO) password

  7. Complete your multi-factor authentication (MFA) process

Microsoft also provide details to set up Office apps and email on Android.

  1. Open the Gmail app
  2. Select the  menu >  Settings > Add account > Exchange and Office 365
  3. Type your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
  4. Type your Single Sign-On (SSO) password
  5. Complete your multi-factor authentication (MFA) process
  6. Accept the required app permissions

  1. Open the Samsung Email app
  2. Add an email account, if necessary select Manage accounts > +
  3. Type your University email address
  4. Type your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
  5. Type your Single Sign-On (SSO) password
  6. Select Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync
  7. If authentication fails, provide the following information whenever requested:

     

    Username Your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
    Domain Leave this blank
    Domain/Username Your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
    Password Your Single Sign-On (SSO) password
    Exchange Server outlook.office365.com
  8. If prompted about a secure connection, choose SSL

 

Instructions can be used as a guide but settings may differ between Android versions and devices.

Linux

  1. Open Thunderbird
  2. If account setup does not display automatically, select  >  New > Existing Mail Account...
  3. Provide the following information:

     

    Your full name Your name
    Email address Your University email address
    Password Your single sign-on (SSO) password

    Then select Configure manually.

  4. For the Incoming Server section:
     
    Protocol IMAP
    Hostname outlook.office365.com
    Port 993
    Connection security SSL/TLS
    Authentication method Autodetect
    Username Your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@ox.ac.uk
  5. For the Outgoing Server section:

     

    Hostname outlook.office365.com
    Port 587
    Connection security STARTTLS
    Authentication method Autodetect
    Username Your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@ox.ac.uk
  6. Select Advanced config
  7. In the left hand column, select Server settings
  8. Within Security settings, set Authentication method to OAuth2

  9. In the left hand column, select Outgoing Server (SMTP)

  10. Highlight the your email address account, then select Edit...

  11. Set Authentication method to OAuth2

  12. Select  > Inbox

  13. When prompted to sign in, provide your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@ox.ac.uk
  14. Provide your SSO password
  15. Complete the multi-factor authentication (MFA) process

 

If you see the error User authenticated but not connected:

  1. Select  >  Settings >  General
  2. Within Indexing, select Config Editor...
  3. Search for IPv4 then set network.dns.ipv4OnlyDomains to outlook.office365.com
  4. If you continue to experience the error, search for IPv6 then set network.dns.disableIPv6 to true

 

You may be able to set up additional applications using manual settings.

Manual settings
Type of server Server name Port Encryption method
POP3 (incoming mail) outlook.office365.com 995 TLS
IMAP4 (incoming mail) outlook.office365.com 993 TLS
SMTP (outgoing mail for POP or IMAP) outlook.office365.com 587 STARTTLS

 

Your username will be your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK

Your password will be your Single Sign-On (SSO) password

The authentication type will be OAuth2

Tips

  • IMAP4 is preferred over POP3 because it supports larger mailboxes with multiple folders and allows mail to be accessed on multiple devices and applications.
  • Your email application must support IMAP through secure connections.
  • You may encounter data throttling errors, preventing the initial sending and receiving of email for periods of time.  During this time it is advisable to use Outlook on the web whilst the application completes its data synchronisation.  This is controlled by Microsoft and can not be changed.

ActiveSync

Some non-mobile email applications can use the ActiveSync protocol.

Exchange Web Services (EWS)

You can use this service to add Exchange functionality to other email applications and enable Nexus 365 calendars in Thunderbird.

You can use EWS and the URL https://outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx which, when visited and authenticated, can also be used to generate a service for connections.

The username will be your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK 

Setting and Changing your outgoing mail (smtp) settings

Outgoing mail settings inform your email application which mail service to use when you send mail.

We now ask everyone to use outlook.office365.com as the outgoing server.  If you are still using smtp.ox.ac.uk it is advisable to update this.

Details of how to update the outgoing mail settings are provided below for a number of email applications.

 

Expand All

To change the sending server (SMPT) settings in the Mail app on your Mac:

  1. Select Mail > Preferences > Accounts > Server Settings > Outgoing Account > Edit SMTP Server List
  2. Provide the following settings:

     

    Description Nexus 365
    Username Your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
    Password Your SSO password
    Host Name outlook.office365.com
    Port 587 (TLS)
    Automatically manage connection settings Checked    

Apple also provide detailed Mac configuration instructions.

Microsoft provide details for manually configuring Outlook if you are not using the automated setup facility.

Secure connections are required for both incoming and outgoing mail.

Version 78 or above is required when using MFA.  

In the Account Settings dialog left pane, select Outgoing Server (SMTP) from the bottom of the list.  There may be an entry in the resulting list that was created when you entered your account details, either edit that or add a new entry with the following settings:

 

Description Nexus 365
Server Name outlook.office365.com
Port

Incoming: 993

Outgoing: 587
Use name and password Checked    

Username

 Your Oxford username in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK
Password Your Single Sign-On (SSO) password
Use secure authentication Checked    
Connection security/SSL STARTTLS
Authentication OAuth2

 

Mozilla also provide detailed IMAP configuration instructions for Thunderbird

Microsoft provide details for manually configuring the Windows Mail app if you are not using the automated setup facility.

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