The @dbmail.com addresses created during the DartyBox era now pose a configuration problem that older guides do not document: the email infrastructure has migrated to Microsoft/Outlook servers. This switch changes the connection settings, accepted protocols, and the behavior of anti-spam filters. Understanding this technical change is the first step to regaining access to your Dbmail Darty mailbox without going in circles between error messages.
IMAP and SMTP Dbmail Darty Settings on Outlook Servers
The most common confusion comes from here: users try to connect with the old DartyBox settings (pop3.dbmail.com, smtp.dbmail.com) while the @dbmail.com addresses now transit through the Microsoft infrastructure. The servers to use are those of Outlook.
| Protocol | Server | Port | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMAP (incoming) | outlook.office365.com | 993 | SSL/TLS |
| POP3 (incoming) | outlook.office365.com | 995 | SSL/TLS |
| SMTP (outgoing) | smtp.office365.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
The username remains the full address ([email protected]) and the password is that of the associated Microsoft account. If you have never linked your Dbmail address to a Microsoft account, the recovery procedure goes through the page account.live.com.
The connection to the Dbmail Darty email from a browser works directly via the Outlook.com interface, by entering the @dbmail.com address as the username.
Thunderbird, Outlook Desktop, Mobile: Configuring Each Mail Client
Forums are filled with reports of connection failures on Thunderbird with errors like “Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password” on pop3.live.com. This message almost systematically appears when the mail client attempts a basic authentication (simple login/password) while Microsoft now requires OAuth2 for third-party connections.
Thunderbird
Since recent versions, Thunderbird supports OAuth2. When adding the account, select “OAuth2” as the authentication method instead of “Normal password”. A Microsoft login window will then open to validate access.
- Remove the old Dbmail account configured with the classic POP3 settings, then recreate it with the Outlook servers listed in the table above
- In the account settings, ensure that the authentication method is set to OAuth2 for both incoming and outgoing servers
- If Thunderbird does not offer OAuth2, update the software to the latest stable version
Mobile Application (iOS and Android)
On smartphones, the simplest option is to use the Outlook mobile app. Add the @dbmail.com address like any Microsoft account. The app automatically manages server settings and authentication.
The native mail apps (Apple Mail, Samsung Email) also work, provided you manually enter the IMAP/SMTP servers from the table and select OAuth2 when the option exists. Apple Mail on iOS generally recognizes the domain and offers automatic configuration via the Microsoft flow.
Dbmail Emails Rejected by Gmail: A Domain Authentication Issue
A documented malfunction for several years specifically affects sending from @dbmail.com to @gmail.com addresses. Messages do not arrive, without any error notification on the sender’s side. The recipient sees nothing, not even in their spam.
Google has gradually tightened its requirements for sender authentication. For an email to be accepted, the sending domain must have correctly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. The dbmail.com domain relies on Microsoft for these DNS settings, and the end user has no leverage to modify them.
If your Gmail contacts do not receive your messages, there are two workarounds:
- Ask the recipient to add your @dbmail.com address to their Gmail contacts, which reduces the risk of automatic filtering
- Use an alternative sending address (an Outlook alias or a secondary Gmail address) for exchanges with Gmail contacts
- Check in the sent items on Outlook.com that the email does not show a rejection or quarantine status
Securing Your Dbmail Account After the Microsoft Migration
Linking to the Microsoft ecosystem means that the security of the Dbmail account depends on the same mechanisms as any Outlook or Hotmail account. Enabling two-step verification on account.microsoft.com protects access to the email against fraudulent login attempts.
A separate app password is required for software that does not support OAuth2. This password is generated from the “Security” section of the Microsoft account. It replaces the usual password only in the authentication field of the relevant mail client.
What to Do If the Password No Longer Works
Resetting goes through the Microsoft recovery page (account.live.com), not through a Darty service. You will need the email address or backup phone number associated with the account. If no recovery information was provided at the time of the DartyBox, the manual identity verification procedure from Microsoft remains the last resort, with a processing time of several days.
The migration to Microsoft servers has rendered all old DartyBox tutorials obsolete. The Outlook settings (servers, ports, OAuth2) are the only configuration that works today to access an @dbmail.com address, regardless of the mail client used. Keeping this information in mind avoids most of the reported blocks on help forums.