POP3 stands for Post Office Protocol version 3 and functions as the protocol for receiving emails to local email clients from remote servers.
Key Characteristics
- Single-Device Reception: Depending on when your mail client checks for messages, you'll only receive emails on one device or client
- Deletion Inconsistency: When you delete an email from one device, it won't automatically delete from another
- Local Storage Dependency: Since POP3 saves emails locally rather than on servers, losing or damaging your local storage may cause you to lose all your emails