My btconnect.com email is no longer accessible via Outlook. What are my options?
If you have been using Microsoft Outlook to access your btconnect.com email address then upcoming changes by BT means you will no longer be able to access these emails via Outlook. This change might have already happened to you or will it happen very shortly (as of May 2023). Further details can be found on the BT website.
Why can’t I continue to access my emails via Outlook?
It’s a perfectly valid question because BT are forcing you to change your working habits. The change is due to changes being made by the global email industry regarding email security. These changes relate to something called basic authentication which is no longer being supported. It is being replaced by modern authentication (not the most innovative name!).
BT's email service was using basic authentication and the only way they will support modern authentication is by forcing people to change their work habits.
How do I access my emails?
You will be able to access your emails via your web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox etc) by going to either at www.outlook.office.com or via the BT website. The user interface is not dissimilar to Outlook but it is certainly not the same as Outlook. And if you’ve been using Outlook for years it is certainly no substitute. We feel your frustration.
What about all my old emails?
Because btconnect.com email addresses work on the POP3 protocol this means that the bulk of your emails will remain on your computer in Outlook. And this is where they will stay. And new emails will only be visible via the web browser as explained above. Therefore it is likely you will have to switch between Outlook and the webmail version to view old emails and new emails. If you want to reply to an old email in Outlook then this is going to drive you mad because you won’t be able to!
But I really want to continue using Outlook for my emails, so what are my options?
If you want to use Outlook for your emails you will need to change your email address. When you’re a business who has been using your btconnect.com email address for many years this is certainly a major upheaval. However, in these situations I always try to look on the positive side because there are many things which have never been great about btconnect.com email addresses. Therefore, now is your opportunity to get a better email system.
You have two options:
- Get a domain
- Use a free email service
Get a domain
If you have a business then there is a lot to be said for having a domain name that links with your company name. For example, let’s say you have an accountancy business called RJ Accountants and your current email address is something like rjaccountants@btconnect.com. You could get a domain such as rjaccountants.co.uk and then be able to have an email address like info@rjaccountants.co.uk.
Domains aren’t expensive at around £10 per year and professional email hosting is less than £50 per year. For email hosting we recommend Microsoft 365 Exchange Online.
Free email solutions
You could switch to a new free email address such as @outlook.com or @gmail.com. Both of these will work with Outlook.
Can I move all my old emails into my new email account?
Yes you can! Once you have decided on a new email address it will be possible to move all your old btconnnect.com email addresses to the new account so everything is one place.
Now is the time to upgrade your btconnect email address
Ok, I'm ready to move on and change my btconnect.com email address. How do I proceed?
If you are ready to move on from btconnect then we can help. We specialise in helping people move to a better email system. We understand the importance of not losing any emails and ensuring all your contacts and address books remain intact after any upgrade/migration.
Feel free to give us a call on 01629 298 820 for an informal, no commitment chat about how we can help.
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