AOL sells the app, and publishes the IMAP settings
AOL Mail App for Desktop: AOL Webmail App and AOL Email App With Every Account in One Inbox
AOL ships no desktop mail app except Desktop Gold, at 9.99 dollars a month and Windows only. Inboxes reads AOL Mail over IMAP on any machine, beside Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, Zoho and your own domain.
imap.aol.com · App password · Nothing to install
In short
AOL publishes exactly three applications: AOL Desktop Gold for Windows, the AOL App for iOS and the AOL App for Android. There is no desktop mail app at no cost, and nothing at all for macOS, ChromeOS or Linux. Desktop Gold is a subscription at 9.99 dollars a month after a 30 day trial, and it is a full portal program rather than a plain mail window. Removing ads from AOL webmail is a separate 7.99 dollars a month, and AOL notes that plan covers the browser experience for one user name, not Desktop Gold or the mobile app. What AOL does give away is access: it documents POP and IMAP settings for third party apps, and it issues app passwords so those apps can sign in. So the practical answer to the search for an AOL Mail app is a third party IMAP client. Connect imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL, sign in with a generated app password instead of your AOL password, and the mailbox opens on any machine you like. If AOL is one of several addresses you check, that route also does the thing none of AOL own apps do, which is show every mailbox in one list.
Last updated September 2026
What AOL publishes, and what it charges for
Which AOL Mail apps actually exist
Most results for this search are download pages for software AOL does not distribute that way. Start with AOL own product list, because it decides which of your options are real.
The whole lineup is three products. AOL own help pages list AOL Desktop Gold, the AOL App for iOS and the AOL App for Android under popular products, and that is the complete set. Everything else people mean when they search for an AOL Mail app is either the website or a third party client. Knowing this early saves a lot of time, because the alternative is working through download pages for a program that was never published.
AOL Desktop Gold is a subscription, not a mail client. AOL prices it at 9.99 dollars a month with a 30 day trial, and the system requirements say Windows 10 and above. It is the descendant of the old AOL software: a browser, AOL content, and mail inside one window. If what you wanted was a small program that shows your AOL inbox, Desktop Gold is a much larger thing than that, and it bills every month for as long as you keep it.
There is no Mac version, and there never has been. This is the single most common disappointment in this search. AOL lists no macOS build of Desktop Gold, and no separate Mac mail app. Mac users are left with the website or an IMAP client, and the same is true on a Chromebook or a Linux machine, where AOL has shipped nothing at any point.
Ad-Free Mail is a second subscription with a narrow scope. AOL sells it at 7.99 dollars a month, and its own product page is specific about the limits: it covers the AOL webmail experience in a browser, for one user name, and it does not extend to AOL Desktop or the mobile app. You also keep seeing promotions for AOL products, since what is removed is paid third party advertising. Two subscriptions to get a clean desktop inbox is a lot for one mailbox.
AOL genuinely supports third party clients, and says so. This is the part the download farms bury. AOL publishes an article on using POP or IMAP to sync AOL Mail on a third party app, and lists the server settings itself. That is not a workaround or a loophole. It is the supported way to read an AOL mailbox in software AOL did not write, and it is why an AOL address works in Apple Mail, Thunderbird, eM Client or a browser board.
You will need an app password, and your normal password will fail. AOL states that third party email apps which do not use its branded sign in page require an app password, and describes it as a randomly generated code that gives a non AOL app permission to access your account. You generate it once in your AOL account security settings and paste it into the client. This trips up a lot of people, because the failure looks like a broken app rather than a policy.
None of AOL own apps merge mailboxes. Desktop Gold shows AOL. The mobile app shows AOL. The website shows AOL. If your day involves an AOL address plus a Gmail address plus something at your own domain, AOL has no product that puts them in one list, and this is the gap that sends people looking for a different app in the first place.
Every way to read an AOL mailbox
Seven routes to AOL Mail on a desktop, compared
The column that settles this for most people is not the feature list. It is whether the thing runs on the machine you own, and whether it can hold your other addresses too.
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| Route to AOL Mail | Runs on | Holds other accounts too | Needs an app password | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inboxes | Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, in a browser tab | Yes, one merged board | Yes, this is how we sign in | 29 dollars a month flat, five mailboxes |
| AOL Desktop Gold | Windows 10 and above only | No, it is the AOL portal | No, you sign in to AOL directly | 9.99 dollars a month, 30 day trial |
| AOL Mail on the web | Any browser, any machine | No, one AOL mailbox | No, it is the AOL sign in page | No license fee, ads unless you add Ad-Free Mail at 7.99 a month |
| AOL App for iOS and Android | Phones and tablets only | No, AOL accounts | No, AOL sign in | No license fee |
| Apple Mail | macOS, iPhone and iPad only | Yes, with an All Inboxes view | Yes, for AOL | Included with the operating system |
| Thunderbird | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Yes, through Unified Folders | Yes, for AOL | Open source, no license fee |
| eM Client | Windows and macOS only | Yes, one folder tree | Yes, for AOL | 59.95 dollars once, one device and version |
AOL prices checked against the AOL product pages directly in September 2026. Desktop Gold is 9.99 dollars a month after a 30 day trial you have to cancel inside, and AOL lists Windows 10 and above as the requirement with no macOS build. Ad-Free Mail is 7.99 dollars a month and AOL states it applies to the webmail experience on a browser for one user name, not to AOL Desktop or the mobile app. eM Client quotes in euro and renders in local currency, and its one time license covers one device and the version you bought rather than future major versions.
AOL IMAP settings and AOL Mail settings
What to type into any mail client
These are the values AOL publishes for third party apps. They are the same whether you are setting up Apple Mail, Thunderbird, eM Client or a browser board.
| Setting | Incoming mail (IMAP) | Outgoing mail (SMTP) |
|---|---|---|
| Server | imap.aol.com | smtp.aol.com |
| Port | 993 | 465 |
| Encryption | SSL required | SSL required |
| User name | Your full AOL address, including the domain | Your full AOL address, including the domain |
| Password | Not your AOL password. A generated app password. | Not your AOL password. A generated app password. |
AOL documents both POP and IMAP. Pick IMAP unless you have a reason not to: POP downloads messages to one machine and can remove them from the server, while IMAP leaves the authoritative copy with AOL so every device sees the same mailbox. If a client asks for the account type and you are not sure, IMAP is the answer that will not lose anything.
Where a browser client fits
What you actually get here
The pitch is narrow on purpose. This is not a replacement for the AOL portal, it is the one thing none of AOL apps do, which is hold every mailbox in one list.
AOL beside everything else
Your AOL address in the same stream as Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, Zoho, Fastmail and your own domain, sorted by arrival with the source account shown on each row. Desktop Gold, the AOL App and AOL webmail all show AOL and only AOL.
It opens on a Mac
And on a Chromebook, and on Linux, which is where the AOL desktop story stops entirely. The same board loads in whatever browser is already on the machine, so a Windows desktop and a MacBook show the identical inbox.
An app password, not your AOL password
You paste the generated code AOL issues, which is scoped to this one app and revocable from your AOL account at any time. Your real credential never leaves AOL, and pulling access later does not disturb any other device.
No install and no monthly per machine
Nothing to download, no installer to trust, and no version that stops working. Desktop Gold bills 9.99 dollars a month for one Windows machine. A browser board is the same account wherever you sign in.
A category on every message
Each message arrives already labeled Important, Newsletter, Notification, Spam or Other. Long lived AOL addresses tend to carry two decades of mailing lists, so sorting before you read is worth more here than on a mailbox opened last year.
Search that crosses accounts
One query runs against every connected mailbox at once, which matters when you cannot remember whether the receipt went to the AOL address or the newer one. AOL webmail can only search the mailbox you are signed in to.
Four steps, and no download
Connecting AOL Mail to one board
Nothing here moves your mail. AOL keeps the authoritative copy, and the client reads it over IMAP exactly as AOL documents.
Step 01
Sign in to AOL on the web
You need the browser session once, to reach your account security settings. If you have only ever used Desktop Gold or the phone app, you may never have opened AOL Mail in a browser before.
Step 02
Generate an app password
In account security, create a third party app password. AOL shows the random string once, so copy it before you close the panel. It takes about a minute and it is the step almost every failed AOL setup skipped.
Step 03
Add the mailbox
Paste the full AOL address and the app password. The imap.aol.com and smtp.aol.com settings are filled in already, so you only meet a ports and encryption screen if you are also adding a mailbox on your own domain.
Step 04
Add the rest and read one board
Repeat for Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud or your own domain. Everything lands in one stream with the source account on each row and a category already applied. Pin the tab, or install the page as an app from the browser menu.
Who this actually helps
The people still searching for an AOL Mail app
AOL addresses are old, which is exactly why they are load bearing. A twenty year old address is on every account you have ever opened, and people do not abandon it, they add to it.
Anyone on a Mac or a Chromebook
AOL has no desktop client for either, so the search ends at the website. An IMAP client is the only way to get an AOL inbox in its own window on those machines, and it works today.
People paying for Desktop Gold who only wanted mail
Nine ninety nine a month buys a whole portal program. If you use the mail and ignore the rest, you are paying a portal price for an inbox, on one Windows machine, indefinitely.
Small businesses that never moved off the AOL address
Plenty of contractors, agents and local firms still print an AOL address on the van, and run a newer domain address alongside it. Those are two mailboxes that need to be read together, every day.
Anyone with an AOL address plus a Gmail address
This is the common shape: the old address that still receives the important mail, and the newer one everybody uses now. Checking two websites in two tabs is the problem an IMAP client was built to solve.
People who tried and got an authentication error
If you already attempted this in Apple Mail or Outlook and it rejected you, the cause is almost always the app password rather than the settings. It looks like a broken client and it is a policy.
Anyone tired of the volume rather than the app
Old addresses accumulate. If the real problem is that four hundred newsletters a week bury the twelve messages that matter, a category and a spam verdict on arrival is a different fix from a new folder tree.
Where this is the wrong answer
What Inboxes does not do
It is not the AOL portal, and it does not try to be. Desktop Gold bundles a browser, AOL news and content, and its own set of tools. If those are why you keep it, nothing here replaces them. This is a mail client. The argument for it is that most people paying for Desktop Gold are using the mail part.
It will not connect a Microsoft mailbox. We authenticate with a user name and an app password. Microsoft has removed basic authentication from Exchange Online and has said it intends to rely only on OAuth for Outlook.com as well, so an outlook.com, hotmail.com or Microsoft 365 work address will not connect here. AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, Zoho, Fastmail and own domain mailboxes all do.
There is no offline mode. It runs in a browser tab and it wants a connection. Desktop Gold, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and eM Client all keep a local archive you can read without signal. If that matters, keep one of them for your main account.
No calendar, no contacts, no tasks. We are a mail client and nothing else. If you want the calendar in the same window, Apple Mail with Calendar, Thunderbird or eM Client are the honest answers.
There is no permanent tier that costs nothing. Plans start at 29 dollars a month flat for five mailboxes. AOL Mail on the web carries no license fee and Thunderbird carries no license fee, and Thunderbird will merge your accounts through Unified Folders. If a single combined list is the whole problem, use it. The case for paying starts when the volume itself is what you are trying to shrink.
There is no native mobile app. The board works in a phone browser, but AOL own iOS and Android apps are better at being a phone mail app than anything we would build, and they cost nothing.
FAQ
Questions people ask about the AOL Mail app
Does AOL have an email app?
AOL publishes three apps: AOL Desktop Gold for Windows, the AOL App for iOS and the AOL App for Android. There is no desktop mail app at no cost and nothing at all for macOS, ChromeOS or Linux. On those machines AOL Mail is a website. What AOL does publish is IMAP access, so any third party client can read the same mailbox.
Is there an AOL Mail app for Windows?
Only AOL Desktop Gold, and it is a subscription at 9.99 dollars a month after a 30 day trial. AOL lists Windows 10 and above as the requirement. It is a full portal program with a browser and AOL content built in rather than a plain mail client, which is why many people looking for a simple AOL Mail window find it heavier than they wanted.
Is there an AOL Mail app for Mac?
No. AOL Desktop Gold is a Windows product and AOL lists no macOS version. Mac users have two honest routes: open AOL Mail in a browser, or connect the mailbox over IMAP to a client such as Apple Mail, Thunderbird, eM Client or a browser based board. AOL supports the second route and publishes the server settings for it.
What is the AOL Mail app download?
For desktop there is only the AOL Desktop Gold installer, which AOL distributes to subscribers from its own site. On phones the AOL App comes from the App Store or Google Play. Nothing else is official. Sites offering an AOL Mail installer for Windows or Mac outside those channels are not distributing AOL software, which is worth treating as a security risk.
How much does AOL Desktop Gold cost?
AOL prices it at 9.99 dollars a month, with a 30 day trial you have to cancel inside to avoid the charge. That is a recurring subscription rather than a purchase, so it is roughly 120 dollars a year to keep a mail program on one Windows machine. Checked against the AOL product page in September 2026.
Do I need an app password for AOL Mail?
Yes, for any third party client. AOL states that third party email apps which do not use its branded sign in page require an app password, described as a randomly generated code that gives a non AOL app permission to access your account. Your normal AOL password will be rejected. You provide the generated code once when you add the mailbox.
How do I create an AOL Mail app password?
Sign in to AOL Mail in a browser, open your account security settings, and choose the option to generate an app password. AOL shows a short random string once, so paste it straight into the client. It is tied to that one app, so you can revoke it later without changing your real AOL password or disturbing any other device.
What are the AOL IMAP settings?
Incoming mail uses imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL. Outgoing mail uses smtp.aol.com on port 465 with SSL. The user name is your full AOL address including the domain, and the password is the generated app password rather than your account password. AOL publishes these settings itself for use in third party apps.
What are the AOL Mail settings for a third party app?
Full address as the user name, app password instead of your account password, imap.aol.com port 993 SSL for incoming, smtp.aol.com port 465 SSL for outgoing. AOL documents both POP and IMAP. Choose IMAP unless you have a specific reason not to, because POP pulls messages down to one machine while IMAP leaves them on the server for every device.
Why is the AOL Mail app not working?
The most common cause in a third party client is authentication: AOL rejects your normal password and needs a generated app password, and an old saved password will fail silently after a security change. Check the app password first, then that the server is imap.aol.com on 993 with SSL enabled rather than a plain unencrypted connection.
Is there an AOL Mail app for Chromebook?
No. AOL has never shipped a ChromeOS build, and the Android AOL App is not a supported Chromebook mail client. On a Chromebook your options are AOL Mail in a browser tab or a browser based client that connects the mailbox over IMAP, which has the advantage of holding your other accounts in the same list.
Can I read AOL Mail and Gmail in one app?
Yes, in any client that speaks IMAP, which is the main reason people leave AOL webmail. AOL Mail on the web shows the AOL mailbox. A third party client connects AOL with an app password and Gmail with an app password, then presents both in one list. That is the specific job AOL Desktop Gold and the AOL App do not do.
How do I get AOL Mail without ads?
AOL sells Ad-Free Mail at 7.99 dollars a month, and its own page notes it covers the webmail experience on a browser for one user name, not AOL Desktop or the mobile app. Reading the same mailbox in a third party client over IMAP also means you never load AOL webmail, since a mail client renders the messages and not the site around them.
Is AOL Mail being shut down?
No. AOL Mail is still running and AOL still publishes IMAP and POP settings for it. What has narrowed is the software: the desktop program is now a paid subscription, removing ads from webmail is a second paid subscription, and there is no AOL client for Mac, Chromebook or Linux. The mailbox is fine, the apps around it are the gap.
Related
Keep reading
Your AOL address, and every other one
Nothing to install, no per machine subscription, and no Windows requirement. Connect AOL with an app password, add Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud and your own domain, and let a model tag each message before you read it.