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I can't send emails while connected to Surfshark

Updated:

This article will guide you through the steps to take if you're having trouble sending or receiving emails while using Surfshark.


Change SMTP ports

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a TCP/IP protocol used at the application layer to send emails between networks. It defines how messages are delivered to a mail server, from which they’re accessed by your email client.

To help protect your data, our service blocks traffic on the unsecured port 25. Fortunately, most email providers let you switch to a more secure port. Here's how to do that with the most commonly used providers:

  • Mozilla Thunderbird

  • Microsoft Outlook

  • Apple Mail

 

To change the SMTP port for Mozilla Thunderbird, follow the steps below:


  1. Open the Thunderbird client.
  2. Click the menu icon on the top-right:

    Thunderbird window with the top-right menu icon highlighted

  3. Select account settings.

    Thunderbird menu with Account Settings highlighted

  4. Click edit SMTP server on the right of outgoing server (SMTP):

    Outgoing Server SMTP row with Edit SMTP server highlighted
  5. Change the Port to 465 and click ok:
    Thunderbird SMTP Server dialog with Port set to 465 and OK highlighted
The instructions below are for the old Outlook interface, as the ability to manually change SMTP port settings in the new interface has been disabled.

  1. Open the Microsoft Outlook app.
  2. Click file on the top-left:

    Outlook toolbar with File highlighted

  3. Open account settings:

    Outlook Account Information with Account Settings highlighted

  4. On the drop-down menu, select server settings:

    Account Settings menu with Server Settings highlighted

  5. A pop-up window should appear, make sure to select outgoing mail:

    IMAP Account Settings with Outgoing mail highlighted

  6. Change the port to 465 and click next:

    Outgoing mail settings with Port 465 and Next highlighted

  7. You should see a window that your settings have been successfully saved:

    Outlook Account successfully updated dialog with Done

Use the following steps to change the Apple Mail SMTP port:


  1. Open Apple Mail
  2. On the navigation menu choose mail and then settings.
  3. Click accounts and select your mail provider
  4. Head to server settings, and press outgoing mail account.
  5. On the pop-up menu, choose edit SMTP server list and change it to 465.


Change connection protocol

In some cases, email services may block certain VPN protocols. Changing the protocol in the Surfshark app can help you bypass these restrictions. Here’s how you can do that:

  1. Open Surfshark app’s Settings.
  2. Go to the VPN Settings section.
  3. Open the Protocol tab.
  4. Try several different protocols.

 

Try out other servers

Try switching to a different Surfshark VPN server — it’s a quick and easy step that often helps. Sometimes, the issue might be tied to a specific server or IP address, so changing your location can help sort it out.

 

Note: Some email providers might not allow sending outgoing mail through email clients while connected to VPN. In this case, the only way to use mail service with our VPN is to use email through the browser on the mail service page.

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