How does email work? To use email, you always use two main parts, although you may not even realize it. There is always an email provider, which are the high-powered “email servers” that move email around from place to place, much like the US Post Office handles moving mail around through regional office and by trucks. The second main part lets you read your emails on your devices. The fancy name for this is your “email client” that you access either through an app or a browser. You can think of this like your physical mail box on the front of your house. Verizon has announced that it will no longer be running email servers, but they are offering to seamlessly move your mail over to AOL’s email servers. If you chose this option, you need to do 5 minutes of work on the computer to change over to AOL’s email servers, which I describe below, test it, and possibly change the “email client” that you use to read your email. This isn’t a huge change, and your email address (it looks like myname@verizon.net) will not change, and you’ll be able to get to all of your new and old email messages that you have saved.

Alternatively, you can choose to shut down your verizon.net email address completely and switch to another email service and email client. In this case, your email address will need to change to something new. This is more drastic, similar to changing physical address, and you’ll want to notify all of your friends and everyone who has your old email address that you’ve moved. You will very likely lose some email messages in a move like this, which may or may not be important. For this reason, I always suggest that you move your current email address, then set up an autoresponder message on the AOL email server that tells everyone who messages you that you’ve moved, and they should use your new email address. Your new email address might be provided through your company, GMail, or some other provider. Verizon will not help you set up another provider’s email service. You will have to work with another email provider to set up a new service. I recommend that you keep that old Verizon/AOL email account active with the autoresponder message, but that you stop using it for daily correspondence. Over time, you’ll get fewer and fewer messages, but you’ll be less likely to miss any important correspondence. Having your old Verizon/AOL email live but dormant does not cost anything, and might even be helpful, providing you with a backup or secondary email address, which can sometimes come in handy as a way to manage marketing messages.

Before you start, write down this important information to make this process easier:

Current Verizon email address:

Current Verizon Password (use the reset option if you need to find it):

Current aliases, if any (Most users don’t have any email aliases.):

Do you have multiple Verizon email accounts or sub accounts? (Most users don’t.)

 

Where do you read your email?

_ On my phone’s web browser

_ On my phone’s app

_ On my computer’s web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc)

_ On my computer’s email app/software program (e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird, AppleMail, etc)

_ On my tablet’s web browser

_ On my tablet’s app

_ Other

 

Do you currently have SMTP/POP?

Do you currently have SMTP/IMAP?

(Don’t worry if you don’t know what these mean. You’ll only need to look for these settings if you want to change your setup, or if your new email provider gives them to you.)

For most people, moving their Verizon email to the AOL replacement will cause the least disruption for both you and your friends. However, it may or may not be the “best” option, especially if you run a business and are searching for other email features.

The following information is taken from this Verizon support page. Please go here for step by step instructions. What follows is what I hope is a helpful synopsis is plain English.

When will this change take place? Verizon is notifying customers individually.  Your current verizon.net email address will remain active until the effective date on the Email service notice.

Once you transition, your verizon.net email address will not change. When you register with AOL Mail, you will be prompted to create a new password for your account. This new password will be used to log in to your new AOL Mail account.

Write down your NEW AOL Mail password. Keep it with your other important passwords. You’ll need it to manage your email account.

Do I need to update my settings if I am using an email application such as Outlook, Thunderbird or my mobile device? No, you do not need to change your POP/SMTP server settings. However, if you entered a different password for your mailbox during the migration to AOL Mail you will need to update your POP/SMTP and/or mobile phone settings with that password. Note: Passwords used on verizon.com to access additional services are not impacted by the email password change.

If you are unable to send and receive email, it could mean that it’s time to make a decision about your verizon.net email account. Log into your email from webmail.verizon.com, where you’ll see a message indicating “Email service notice”. To start, select your choice and follow the steps provided.

Visit mail.aol.com to log into AOL Mail. You can also download the AOL app from Google Play, Apple App Store or Amazon to check your email on the go. You will use your verizon.net email address, including @verizon.net, as your user name for AOL Mail. When you sign in to your AOL Mail, you should use the password that you created during the AOL Mail registration process.

Once you register with AOL, you will have immediate access to your up-to-date email, folders, calendars, and contacts on mail.aol.com.

The AOL app is available in the Google Play Store, App Store on Apple, and Amazon. To learn more visit the AOL Mail: Mobile Mail help article.

You get advanced spam filters, virus protection, email attachments up to 25MB, the ability to send texts and instant messages right from your inbox and more! To learn more visit the AOL Mail help page.

• How can I get assistance with migrating to another provider?

Visit the support pages of your selected email provider and search for instructions on importing your email service from your selected provider.

Go here for Gmail

Go here for Live Mail

Go here for Yahoo Mail

For all other providers, please visit their email support pages.

• What will happen if I decide to take no action?

You will no longer be able to send or receive email using your verizon.net email address. In addition, you will lose your current contacts, calendar(s) and email. Also, after 180 days of inactivity we will delete the account. Doing so helps us reduce our server storage needs and electrical consumption. If you want to keep your verizon.net email address, follow the steps in the Keep verizon.net email address articles.

Information for Apple Users from HeartWorkOrg.com:

What if I want to keep my Verizon.net address and read my email on my Mac computer? 

You will first want to follow the steps to switch to the AOL email servers, described at the top of this document.

Once in your Mac, click on the Mail app to open it.

Enter the settings for your new AOL email. You’ll be able to read your email on your Mac email client.

If you set up your AOL account with IMAP settings (not POP settings!), you’ll also be able to read your email from all of your Apple devices, just as if you were using one single client all the time. That means that if you delete an email, it will appear to be deleted from all of your devices at the same time. If you receive a new email, you can read it on all of your devices at the same time.

Alternatively, you can keep your transitioned Verizon/AOL email as described above, and also set up a new email address through the Apple email client, so that you start to move away from the old Verizon email. If you do this, you’ll want to put an autoresponder on your old Verizon email account, and let everyone know that you’ve transitioned to your new email address.

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