AOL Mail

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AOL Mail has the following features available:

• Email attachment limit: 25 MB{{cite web|url=https://postmaster.aol.com/members-help|title=AOL Postmaster|publisher=postmaster.aol.com|access-date=February 20, 2019}}
• Max mailbox size: Unlimited{{Cite web|last=Wenzel|first=Elsa|title=AOL Mail offering unlimited storage, integrated chatting|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/aol-mail-offering-unlimited-storage-integrated-chatting/|access-date=2020-11-08|website=CNET|language=en}} New accounts seem to be limited to 1 TB.
• Supported protocols: POP3, SMTP, IMAP
• Link to other email accounts from other service providers (such as Gmail and Hotmail).
• Ads: are displayed while working with the email account. Embedded links within emails are automatically disabled and can only be activated by the email user.
• Spam protection{{cite web|url=https://smallbusiness.chron.com/block-email-addresses-aol-54093.html|title=How to Block Email Addresses in AOL|author=Nick Davis|work=Houston Chronicle|access-date=February 20, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.clickz.com/america-online-acquires-mailblocks/68130/|title=America Online Acquires Mailblocks|date=August 4, 2004|access-date=February 20, 2019}}
• Virus protection[http://help.aol.com/help/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=222031&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_AOLFAQS_1_1&dialogID=9362812&stateId=1%200%209376610 Help.aol.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423033058/http://help.aol.com/help/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=222031&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_AOLFAQS_1_1&dialogID=9362812&stateId=1%200%209376610 |date=April 23, 2013}}
• Spell checking
• Domains: @aol.com and previously @love.com, @ygm.com (short for you've got mail), @games.com, and @wow.com{{citation |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/aols-project-phoenix-e-mail-overhaul-is-here/|publisher=CNET|title=AOL's 'Project Phoenix' e-mail overhaul is here |date=October 14, 2010|access-date=February 20, 2019}}
• Supports TLS/HTTPS after login[http://help.aol.com/help/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=101068&sliceId=2&docTypeID=DT_AOLFAQS_1_1&dialogID=3691282983&stateId=1%201%201543828500&radios=False Help.aol.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084759/http://help.aol.com/help/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=101068&sliceId=2&docTypeID=DT_AOLFAQS_1_1&dialogID=3691282983&stateId=1%201%201543828500&radios=False |date=August 19, 2014}}

If an AOL Mail account is inactive for 12 months, it may be deleted.[https://help.aol.com/articles/reasons-aol-deactivates-or-deletes-an-account?guccounter=1#:~:text=The%20following%20actions%20can%20result%20in%20an%20account%20being%20deleted%3A&text=You%20requested%20your%20account%20be%20deleted.&text=You%20didn't%20sign%20in,in%20the%20past%2012%20months.&text=Your%20account%20was%20used%20in,violates%20our%20Terms%20of%20Service Help.aol.com] Retrieved February 23, 2024

In 1993, both America Online (AOL) and Delphi started connecting their proprietary e-mail services to the Internet.[https://www.livinginternet.com/e/ei.htm Email History] Retrieved February 20, 2019.

As of October 1997, AOL Mail was the world's largest e-mail provider, with around 9 million subscribers{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/hotmail-1-land-of-the-free-1.119801|title=Hotmail (1) - Land of the free|work=Irish Times|date=October 27, 1997}} (identical with the number of AOL subscribers).{{cite news|date=August 3, 2006|title=AOL tries to survive by going free|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/aug/03/news.citynews|author=Richard Wray and Dan Milmo|work=The Guardian}}

In 1997, AOL launched NetMail, a web-based version of its e-mail service. It was initially criticized for only working on Internet Explorer, but a later Java-written version ensured compatibility with Netscape Navigator.{{cite news|title=AOL's NetMail not universal|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/aols-netmail-not-universal/ |first=Paul |last=Festa |work=CNET|date=December 15, 1997}} The service was renamed AOL Mail on the Web in December 1999.{{cite news|url=https://www.warnermediagroup.com/newsroom/press-releases/1999/11/22/america-online-launches-aol-mail-on-the-web|title=America Online Launches AOL Mail on the Web|publisher=Warner Media|date=November 22, 1999}}

In January 2001, an e-mail alert service for text-based digital cellphones and pagers was launched.{{cite news|title=AOL Launches E-Mail Alert Service|work=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=99249&page=1|date=January 9, 2011|access-date=February 20, 2019}}

In 2004, AOL tested a new free webmail service for the public, without the need of customers subscribing to AOL. This was done in an effort to compete better against MSN Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail and Gmail.{{cite news|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/aol-gets-ready-to-launch-free-web-e-mail/|author=Jim Hu|title=AOL gets ready to launch free Web e-mail|publisher=ZDNet|date=December 22, 2004}} The service launched in May 2005 under the name AIM Mail, with 2 gigabytes of mail storage and tightly integrated with AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). It is based on technology from MailBlocks, which AOL acquired in 2004.{{cite news|author=John Leyden|date=June 7, 2005|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/Print/2005/06/07/aim_mail/|title=AOL launches free 2GB webmail service|website=The Register|access-date=February 20, 2019}}

From August 2006, AOL became entirely free of charge for broadband users.{{cite news|title=About Time: AOL Goes Free|date=August 2, 2006|url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060802/0959233.shtml|author=Joseph Weisenthal|access-date=February 20, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/03/technology/03warner.html|author=Saul Hansell and Richard Siklos|title=In a Shift, AOL Mail to Be Free|work=The New York Times|date=August 3, 2006|access-date=February 20, 2019}} The same month, Netscape Mail was migrated to AIM Mail.{{cite news|url=https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1008306/netscape-webmail-killed-aim-calacanis-experiment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091121043608/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1008306/netscape-webmail-killed-aim-calacanis-experiment|url-status=unfit|archive-date=November 21, 2009|title=Netscape WebMail to be killed by AIM after Calacanis experiment|author=Fernando Cassia|website=The Inquirer|date=July 19, 2006|access-date=February 20, 2019}}

In November 2010, AOL released Project Phoenix, an email application program that features a Quick Bar where emails, text messages, and AOL Instant Messenger messages can be sent from one area. It also lets people add up to five accounts into it.{{cite news|date=November 14, 2010|author=Caroline McCarthy|title=AOL's Project Phoenix overhaul is here|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/aols-project-phoenix-e-mail-overhaul-is-here/ |work=CNET |access-date=February 20, 2019}} In 2012, AOL released the Alto Mail software.

As of July 2012, there were 24 million AOL Mail users.{{cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/07/26/aol-mail-redesign/|title=To keep its 24M users from fleeing, AOL redesigns Mail with much sharper look|author=Sean Ludwig |website=VentureBeat |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=February 20, 2019}} By 2021, the number of paying users had dropped to 1.5 million. {{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/aol-1point5-million-people-still-pay-for-service-but-not-for-dial-up-internet.html |first=Alex |last=Sherman |title=About 1.5 million people still pay for AOL — but now they get tech support and identity theft services instead of dial-up internet |work=CNBC |date=May 3, 2021 |access-date=May 17, 2022 }}

On March 16, 2017, Verizon, which had acquired AOL in 2015, announced that it would discontinue its in-house email services for internet subscribers, and migrate all customers to AOL Mail.{{cite news|title=Verizon Dropping Its Email Business |date=March 16, 2017 |first=Jeff |last=Baumgartner|url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/verizon-dropping-its-email-business-411568|website=Multichannel News|access-date=February 20, 2019}}

• Comparison of webmail providers
• Gmail
• Outlook.com
• Yahoo! Mail

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