Port 995 (POP3S)
Port 995 is POP3 over implicit TLS: the encrypted way to download mail to a single device. Use it in place of port 110.
- Service
- POP3S
- Protocol
- TCP
- IANA registry
- Officially assigned: pop3s (POP3 over TLS protocol), TCP/UDP
Check if a port is open on your IP
We only check the address you are visiting from, one TCP port at a time. You cannot enter someone else’s address: this is not a port scanner.
Is it safe to open port 995?
Encrypted from the start, 995 is safe to offer on a mail server as long as logins are protected against password guessing.
Sources
“Port 995 is already in use”: how to fix it
The error means another program is already listening on port 995. Find its process ID (PID), then stop that program or start yours on a different port.
Windows (Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator)
netstat -ano | findstr :995taskkill /PID <PID> /FmacOS
lsof -nP -iTCP:995 -sTCP:LISTENkill <PID>Linux
sudo ss -ltnp | grep :995sudo lsof -i :995sudo kill <PID>Replace <PID> with the number from the last column (Windows) or the PID column (macOS, Linux).
Port 995 vs 993
Both are encrypted mail retrieval. 993 is IMAP: messages stay on the server and sync across devices. 995 is POP3: messages are downloaded to one device. For a phone plus a laptop, choose IMAP on 993.
Port 993 (IMAPS)Port 995 vs 110
Same protocol, POP3. 110 starts unencrypted (optionally upgraded with STLS); 995 uses TLS from the start. Use 995.
Port 110 (POP3)Why a port can look closed when your server is running
Most home networks sit behind a router doing NAT: the router owns the public address, and your computer has a private one such as 192.168.1.10. A connection from the internet reaches the router and stops there unless you add a port forwarding rule to your computer.
Many mobile and some home providers go further and use carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT): several customers share one public address, and your router itself gets an address from 100.64.0.0/10. Then no rule on your side can open a port; ask the provider for a public IP or use a tunnel or VPN service.
Even with forwarding in place, the firewall on the computer (Windows Defender Firewall, ufw, firewalld) must allow the port, and the program must listen on all interfaces (0.0.0.0), not only on 127.0.0.1.
UDP cannot be checked this way: a UDP service usually stays silent to packets it does not understand, so “no answer” means nothing. This check uses TCP only.
Frequently asked questions
What is port 995 used for?
Port 995 is POP3 over implicit TLS: the encrypted way to download mail to a single device. Use it in place of port 110.
Is port 995 TCP or UDP?
Port 995 uses TCP. IANA reserves the number for both TCP and UDP, but in practice only TCP is used.
Is it safe to open port 995?
Encrypted from the start, 995 is safe to offer on a mail server as long as logins are protected against password guessing.
How do I free port 995 if it is already in use?
Find the process: on Windows run netstat -ano | findstr :995 and stop it with taskkill /PID <pid> /F; on macOS or Linux run lsof -i :995 and stop it with kill <pid>.