AOL Mail – AOL Mail Login Tutorial, and How to Create a Free AOL.com Email Account
If you were an internet user back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there‘s a good chance you had an AOL email account at some point. AOL Mail was one of the first widely-adopted free email services, and at its peak, had over 35 million active users worldwide.
While AOL‘s dial-up internet business has long since faded, surprisingly, many people still actively use and love their AOL Mail accounts in 2023. Whether it‘s nostalgia for the "You‘ve Got Mail!" notification voice, appreciation for the clean interface and strong spam filtering, or just sticking with what‘s familiar, AOL Mail maintains a loyal following.
So if you‘re looking to set up a new AOL Mail account, or need some help logging into an existing one, you‘ve come to the right place. In this article, I‘ll walk you through the process step-by-step. Before we dive in, let‘s take a quick look at some of the key features and benefits of using AOL Mail in 2023.
Why Use AOL Mail Today?
While the golden age of AOL has passed, there are still some compelling reasons to choose AOL Mail as your email provider:
1. Unlimited storage – AOL offers users unlimited email storage space, so you‘ll never have to worry about running out of room or deleting old messages.
2. Excellent spam filtering – AOL Mail has very strong spam detection and filtering capabilities. It automatically moves suspected junk mail to a separate spam folder so your main inbox stays uncluttered.
3. Virus scanning – All attachments are scanned for viruses and malware before you open or download them, protecting your computer from potential threats.
4. Familiar interface – The AOL Mail interface has a simple, familiar design that‘s easy to navigate. It hasn‘t changed much over the years.
5. Custom themes – You can personalize the look of your inbox with custom color themes and backgrounds.
6. AOL content integration – Your AOL Mail account gives you access to other AOL content and services like instant messaging, news, weather, and more.
Convinced that AOL Mail might be right for you? Great, let‘s get started with setting up your free account.
How to Create a Free AOL Mail Account
Creating a new AOL Mail account is quick and easy. Just follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Go to AOL.com
Open up your web browser of choice and navigate to the AOL homepage at www.aol.com.
Step 2: Click "Login/Join" or "Sign up"
On the AOL homepage, look for the "Login/Join" link in the upper right corner or left sidebar. Click on that. You‘ll also see a "Sign up" button in the center of the page that you can click.
Step 3: Enter your info
You should now be on a "Sign up with AOL" page. Here you‘ll enter the required info to set up your account:
- First and last name
- Desired username for your AOL email address
- This will be the first part of your @aol.com email address
- Choose something memorable that you‘ll be okay having for a long time
- Password
- Must be at least 8 characters including an uppercase letter, lowercase letter, and number
- Phone number
- Required to verify your account
- AOL will send a verification code to this number
- Birthday
- You must be at least 13 years old to create an account
When you‘re finished, click the "Continue" button.
Step 4: Enter verification code
After submitting your info, you‘ll be taken to a page to enter the verification code that was texted to the phone number you provided.
Once you receive it, type the code into the field and click "Verify". This confirms your ownership of the phone number.
Step 5: Agree to terms and log in
After verifying your phone number, you‘ll need to agree to AOL‘s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Click the "Agree & Continue" button to do so.
And that‘s it! Your account has been created and you‘ll be automatically logged in to your shiny new AOL Mail inbox. Congrats and happy emailing!
How to Log in to Your AOL Mail Account
Now let‘s cover how to log in to your AOL Mail account on subsequent visits. The process is pretty straightforward:
Step 1: Go to AOL.com and click "Login/Join"
Head to the AOL homepage at aol.com and click the "Login/Join" button at the top right or left sidebar of the page.
Step 2: Enter your username and password
On the login screen, type your AOL username (the first part of your @aol.com email address) OR your full email address into the "Username, email, or mobile" field.
Then click the "Next" button and enter your account password on the next screen. Click "Sign In" and you‘ll be logged in to your account.
Trouble logging in?
If you‘re having trouble remembering your account credentials, don‘t worry – it happens to the best of us. On the username/password screen, you‘ll see "Forgot username?" and "Forgot password?" links.
Click the relevant one and follow the instructions to recover your username or reset your password, which will likely involve having a code sent to your phone or backup email that you‘ll then need to enter to regain access to your account.
Advanced AOL Mail Tips
Okay, you‘ve got your AOL Mail account set up and know how to log in. Here are a few bonus tips to level up your AOL Mail game:
1. Enable two-step verification
If you want some extra security on your account, consider enabling two-step authentication. This means you‘ll need to enter a code from your phone in addition to your password when logging in from a new device.
To turn it on, go to Options > Account Security in AOL Mail and enable "Two-step verification". You can choose to receive codes via text message or use an authenticator app.
2. Customize your theme
Tired of the default AOL Mail look? You can switch things up by choosing a different color theme or even uploading your own background image.
Look for the paint brush icon in the upper right of your inbox and click it to explore the theme options and personalize your view.
3. Organize with filters and folders
Keep your inbox tidy by setting up filters that automatically sort incoming messages into folders based on criteria you define.
To create a filter, go to Options > Mail Filters and click "New Filter". Give it a name, choose what types of messages it should apply to, and select a folder to send those messages to. This way important emails skip your inbox and go directly to dedicated folders.
You can also just create new folders and manually move messages into them if you prefer a more hands-on approach. Right-click on "Folders" under the "Mail" menu and select "New Folder" to add one.
4. Use AOL Mail with other email apps
Want to access your AOL Mail through Outlook, Apple Mail, or another desktop or mobile email app? No problem. AOL Mail supports standard IMAP and POP protocols, so you can connect it to most email clients.
Just open up your email app‘s account settings and choose to add a new email account. Enter your AOL Mail username and password, and make sure IMAP is selected. The app should automatically detect the correct server settings, but if not, here they are:
- Incoming mail server: imap.aol.com (port 993)
- Outgoing mail server: smtp.aol.com (port 465)
Your AOL inbox, along with your custom folders, should then show up in the app. Note that sent messages will appear in AOL‘s "Sent" folder, even if you use a different email app to send them.
AOL Mail vs. the Competition
How does AOL stack up against popular alternatives like Gmail and Outlook.com? Let‘s quickly compare some key features:
As you can see, AOL Mail offers generous storage space, strong security, and handy bonus features. Ultimately, which email provider you choose comes down to your personal needs and preferences. But hopefully this article has shown you what AOL Mail has to offer and how quick and painless the signup process is if you want to give it a shot!