The mail.de login sits at my.mail.de. You type your email address, add your password and press "Jetzt einloggen". The same account also opens in the mail.de app and in programs such as Thunderbird or Outlook.
This guide lists each sign-in route we could check. It then covers sign up, plans, password reset and login errors. Every fact about mail.de comes from its own pages, read in October 2026. We did not register or sign in, and we are not affiliated with mail.de. BillionVerify is an email verification service. For a short definition of mail programs, read what an email client is in our glossary.
Key facts (checked October 2026):
- The home page lists FreeMail at 0,00 € per month, with 1 GB of room for mail and files.
- The same page lists PureMail at 0,99 €, PlusMail at 2,49 €, ProMail at 3,99 € and PowerMail at 6,49 € per month, each with a 30-day free test.
- The FAQ says a safe password has 12 characters or more, with both letter cases, a digit and a special character.
- The FAQ says mail.de may suspend a free account that went unused for half a year.
- The FAQ names a 30-minute wait after repeated wrong entries.
- The help center calls the printed recovery code the anonymous way back into an account.
- BillionVerify's account gives 20 free credits on each day you use it, with no card needed, for checking addresses ahead of a send.
Every mail.de Login Route
Several entry points lead to one account. The table lists what we opened.
| Route | Where it starts | What happens | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web login | "Zum Login" on the start page, or my.mail.de | Opens a form with two boxes | Browser |
| App | App Store or Google Play | Opens a sign-in view, with a link to register | Phones and tablets |
| Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail | Your own program | Fetches mail by IMAP or POP3 and sends by SMTP | Desktop |
| Passwort vergessen | my.mail.de/passwort-vergessen | Resets passwords, login names and authenticators | Locked out |
| Hilfe/Support | mail.de/de/hilfe | Holds help articles, FAQs and a contact form | Questions |
The FAQ "Wie kann ich mich bei mail.de anmelden?" names the same routes. It recommends the website for your first sign-in and the app for phones.
The mail.de Login Form
The page greets you with "Keine Werbung. Kein Spam. Einfach nur E-Mail." Below it sit two boxes and a button.
Screenshot: the form at my.mail.de, opened without signing in.
A correct mail.de login opens the webmail at once. The first box asks for "E-Mail / Login", and the second for "Passwort". An eye icon reveals what you typed. Two links sit under the button, one for new accounts and one for a lost password.
Your Login Name
By default, your login is the address itself, or only the part before the @. For max.mustermann@mail.de, that is max.mustermann. Anyone who knows your address therefore knows your login.
For more safety, you can pick a custom name. It needs four characters, and one must come from this list: ! $ & / = ?. Once it is set, the address alone no longer opens the mailbox. Update your desktop clients too.
Stay Active on a Free Account
mail.de reserves the right to block free accounts that went unused for more than 180 days in a row. Its FAQ advises a visit about twice a year. Another help page says a long pause can also lead to deletion.
mail.de App for Phone and Tablet
The mail.de app exists for iOS and Android. The mail.de app login takes your normal address and password. mail.de describes it as one place for mail, address book, calendar and online storage. The mail.de app handles several accounts at once and supports push messages.
Sign In to the mail.de App
- Install the app from the official store of your phone.
- Open it. A start screen asks for your details.
- Enter your login and password.
To add or switch accounts, open "Einstellungen" in the menu bar and choose "Meine Konten". Tap the account you want. A signed-out account asks for its password again.
mail.de says logging out is usually not needed. The device keeps your access, and the connection is encrypted. You can lock the mail.de app with a password, Face ID or Touch ID.
What the App Includes
The two free plans list the mail.de app "für E-Mails nutzen". The paid plans list it "im vollen Umfang nutzen inkl. E-Mail, Kalender, Onlinespeicher".
mail.de Sign Up: FreeMail and Paid Plans
The home page shows six plans. We read the prices as listed in October 2026, in euro and including VAT. Numbers appear as mail.de writes them.
Screenshot: the plan overview on mail.de.
| Plan | Per month | Storage | Sending limit per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreeMail Zero | 0,00 € | 500 MB | 25 mails |
| FreeMail | 0,00 € | 1 GB | 50 mails |
| PureMail | 0,99 € | 2,5 GB | 100 mails |
| PlusMail | 2,49 € | 5 GB | 500 mails |
| ProMail | 3,99 € | 20 GB | 2.500 mails |
| PowerMail | 6,49 € | Unlimited | 5.000 mails |
The Zero tier comes without ads. FreeMail shows them, and mail.de's FAQ notes that a free product cannot last without ads. A mail.de email costs nothing on either free tier. The four paid tiers are ad-free. A footnote says PowerMail starts at 40 GB. Once you reach that quota, it grows by 1 GB a month.
On support, the Zero tier has none. FreeMail has limited help and no phone line. PureMail up to ProMail list regular support with a phone line. PowerMail gets priority.
Register in the App
The help center describes the app route as free and permanent:
- Download the app. It opens on the login screen.
- Tap "+ Kostenlos registrieren".
- Choose the address you want and a strong password.
- Enter your phone number. mail.de calls you with a confirmation code.
- Type the code and tap "Registrieren".
Afterwards, use the new mail.de email and password on the login screen. mail.de says the call helps prevent fraud and the misuse of addresses for spam.
Register on the Website
The buttons "Jetzt registrieren!" and "Kostenlos anmelden" lead to signup.mail.de. When we opened that site from outside Germany, it answered "Netzwerk gesperrt!".
Screenshot: the answer from signup.mail.de to a visit from outside Germany.
The text says access from the network is blocked for now. As the reason, it gives a spam rate above average in that network. It lists no workaround. Registration in the app is the other way.
Password Rules and Privacy
A password must have 12 characters or more. It needs capitals, small letters, one digit and one special character. The sign up lets only passwords through that meet these rules.
The home page promises a sparse registration, a pseudonym instead of your real name and no questions about personal data. This has a price. The reset page says an anonymous account cannot use the identity card route. Store a recovery option in the settings.
The First Login
After the first login, mail.de offers a setup assistant. It guides you through importing mail and contacts from other mailboxes.
mail.de Password Reset
mail.de runs the reset on one form. It sits one click away from the mail.de login. The same form also resets a login name or the authenticator.
Screenshot: the mail.de page "Passwort vergessen".
You enter your address and solve the human check. Then you pick one of these options:
- access through the app or a program, where mail.de leaves a code in your mailbox
- a code sent to a mobile number you stored earlier
- a code sent to a backup address you stored earlier
- a photo of your identity card, only for accounts with a name and postal address
- the 25-digit recovery code
- a 16-digit confirmation code that you already received
The FAQ adds a hard rule. Only the options on the page are offered. If none of them works, a reset is ruled out for security and privacy reasons.
Set Up Recovery Before You Need It
mail.de strongly advises storing at least one option. After logging in, click the gear icon and choose "Einstellungen". Then go to "Konto", "Kundendaten" and "Konto-Wiederherstellung". You can store:
- your postal data, which unlocks the identity card option
- a mobile number, which mail.de uses for security contact
- a backup address, which receives a code
- a code to print and keep safe
Change a Working Password
You can change the password at any time. Log in, then pick "Konto" in the settings and click "Passwort". Type the new one twice and add your current one. Click "Speichern". The change counts at once.
Afterwards, enter it in every program that uses the account.
Two-Factor Sign-In and Backup Codes
mail.de recommends a second factor on top of a strong password. Three kinds exist.
- Authenticator: an app creates a 6-digit code every 30 seconds. Write down the secret code, because mail.de can only unlock a lost authenticator against an identity card.
- Passkeys and U2F: a hardware key such as a YubiKey adds a layer. mail.de accepts keys that follow the FIDO U2F or FIDO2 standard.
- Backup Codes: ten emergency codes for the case that you lose your extra step. mail.de creates them when you first switch it on.
The page "Login Historie" lists the latest accesses by IMAP, POP3 or SMTP. If you see accesses you do not know, mail.de points to its article on hacked accounts.
mail.de IMAP and SMTP in Mail Programs
The FAQ offers desktop clients as a second way to sign in. For Outlook and Thunderbird, mail.de recommends IMAP. mail.de IMAP leaves mail on the server and keeps folders in sync across devices. That suits anyone who reads mail on a phone and a laptop. POP3 downloads mail to one computer.
The mail.de SMTP server handles outgoing mail, and the mail.de SMTP login matches your webmail login. The FAQ names these settings:
- imap.mail.de for incoming mail and smtp.mail.de for outgoing mail
- the ports 993, 465 and 587
- SSL/TLS as the right encryption, since STARTTLS is a common mistake
The help area has guides for Android K-9 Mail, Apple Mail on iPhone, iPad and macOS, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, The Bat! and Windows Mail.
Protocol Status
You can switch protocols on or off. Open "Einstellungen", then "Konto" and "Protokoll-Status". If a protocol is off, a program that needs it cannot sign in. The app then shows "Protokoll deaktiviert". A switched-off mail.de IMAP is therefore a common reason for a refused login. The same goes for mail.de SMTP when sending fails.
Router Note for Telekom Speedport
One help page covers the Telekom Speedport W724V. Its list of safe mail servers can block sending. If your program cannot send, add that server to the list "Liste der erlaubten E-Mail-Server" and save.
Fix mail.de Login Problems
The FAQ "Konto" lists the usual causes when a mail.de login fails in the webmail.
| Sign | Reason given by mail.de | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Redirect to my.mail.de/hackorspam | The system detected spam sending or a hack | Follow every step on the page, usually a new password |
| "Login fehlgeschlagen wegen zu vielen Fehlversuchen" | Several wrong passwords caused a temporary lock | Wait 30 minutes, or start a reset |
| "Benutzereingaben fehlerhaft" | A typo, an invisible space from the clipboard, an outdated password in a manager, or a custom name | Check each entry and sign in without autofill |
| "Das Konto wurde geschlossen." | A permanent closure, for example after a cancellation, long inactivity or a serious violation | Contact support |
| A payment page right after login | An open invoice, or a prepaid balance at zero | Pay or top up |
Errors in Mail Programs
Three messages come up most often:
- "Connection timed out" means a wrong server name, a wrong port, or a short IP block after a burst of failed logins from your address.
- "Connection refused" usually points to a wrong port in the mail.de SMTP settings, or a typo in the server name.
- Certificate errors mean the wrong encryption.
For the app, test the sign-in in the browser first. The webmail shows the most precise message.
Habits That Prevent Errors
- Type your details by hand, because pasted text can carry invisible spaces.
- Update your password manager after every change.
- Refresh all devices after a new second factor.
- If nothing helps, write to support with the exact error, the device, the protocol and the time it began.
Outages
The FAQ on faults names two outside pages. The page mailstatus.de shows the weekly availability of single services. The page allestoerungen.de gives a second hint. The footer of mail.de also has a "Serverstatus" link.
A fault does not always block every route. Try the browser, the app and a client set to mail.de IMAP, or one set to POP3. mail.de asks customers not to use the hotline or email support during an outage.
Contact and Phone Support
The help page has a contact form. A free account that wants a call can upgrade. The help page points to ProMail.
Close a mail.de Account
Back up your mails, address book and calendar entries first. Then open "Einstellungen", select the tab "Konto" and choose "Vertragsdaten". Select "Nutzerkonto löschen" and follow the steps. The footer also links to "Vertrag kündigen".
Emailing mail.de Users? Verify Before You Send
Not everyone reading this guide owns a mailbox at mail.de. Some of you send to people who do. If your list holds @mail.de entries, check them before a campaign. The same goes for a signup form that collects them.
A mail.de email can bounce like any other. mail.de's FAQ on the "Mail Delivery System" explains returned messages. The usual causes are a typo, a full mailbox and an address that no longer exists. It quotes these server texts: "550 5.1.1 User unknown", "552 Mailbox full" and "Recipient address rejected". Each one ends up as a bounce in your report.
BillionVerify checks each address in steps and reports one result per entry.
BillionVerify's email verifier works on single entries, and bulk email verification works on lists. What to know:
- valid and invalid results cost 1 credit each, and unknown results are free
- a free re-check is available within 24 hours
- catch-all entries get their own label and are not counted as valid
- the free allowance is 20 credits per day of use, up to 600 a month, and credits never expire
- our servers are in France (EU), and a DPA can be signed
- you can use a REST API, an MCP server or one of 25+ integrations
We make no claim about how mail.de servers answer checks. If your signup form collects phone numbers, our phone number checker shows whether a number is valid for its country. To trace the owner of a suspicious sender, use our reverse email lookup. Other German free mail services follow the same pattern. See our guides to the WEB.DE login and the GMX login.
FAQs
How do I sign in to mail.de?
The mail.de login starts at my.mail.de, or at the "Zum Login" button on the start page. Type your login and your password, then click "Jetzt einloggen". The app and desktop clients take the same details.
Is a mail.de email address free?
mail.de has two free tiers, FreeMail Zero and FreeMail. FreeMail has twice the storage and shows ads. FreeMail Zero has 500 MB and no ads. The paid plans start at 0,99 € a month.
Why can I not register at mail.de?
mail.de blocks registration for networks with an above-average spam rate. From outside Germany, the page showed "Netzwerk gesperrt!". The app offers a second way to register, with a confirmation call to your phone.
What can I do if I forgot my mail.de password?
The link "Passwort vergessen" on the login form leads to a reset form. You can use a stored mobile number, a stored backup address, program access, an ID card or the recovery code you printed. Without any of these, mail.de cannot reset the password.
Can I use mail.de in Outlook or Thunderbird?
Yes, it works with Thunderbird, Outlook and Apple Mail. Its help recommends mail.de IMAP for reading and names imap.mail.de and smtp.mail.de as server names. Sending runs through mail.de SMTP. After a password or login change, enter the new data in the program too.
Why does mail.de say too many failed attempts?
mail.de locks the login for a short time after too many typos in the password. The message asks you to try again in 30 minutes. If you are unsure of your password, use the reset page meanwhile.
Does mail.de delete an account that I do not use?
A free mail.de email that stays idle for six months risks suspension. Signing in now and then keeps the mail.de login alive. A closed account allows no more logins, per the FAQ.
Does mail.de have phone support?
Phone support belongs to the paid plans. FreeMail customers can use the help area, the FAQs and the contact form. The page names an upgrade as the way to get a call.
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