What uses port 995
POP3S is POP3 wrapped in TLS. Use it instead of port 110 when a client or integration only supports POP, for example ticketing systems that collect mail from a mailbox. IMAP (993) is usually the better option for people reading mail on several devices.
Should port 995 be open to the internet?
Meant to be public. This port is meant to be reachable by clients on the internet when you run this service publicly.
Check what is listening on port 995
sudo ss -ltnp 'sport = :995'sudo lsof -nP -iTCP:995 -sTCP:LISTENGet-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 995 -State Listen
netstat -ano | findstr :995No output means nothing is listening. If a service should be, check that it is running and which address it binds to: 127.0.0.1 only accepts local connections, 0.0.0.0 or :: accepts them on every interface.
Fix “address already in use” on port 995
Another process already holds the port. Find it with the commands above, then stop that service properly, or end the process:
sudo kill $(sudo lsof -t -iTCP:995 -sTCP:LISTEN)Stop-Process -Id (Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 995 -State Listen).OwningProcessOpen port 995 in the firewall
sudo ufw allow 995/tcp
# Close it again:
sudo ufw delete allow 995/tcpsudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=995/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reloadNew-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "POP3S 995/TCP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 995 -Action AllowOn AWS, Google Cloud and Azure, also allow the port in the security group or network firewall rules; host firewalls and cloud firewalls are separate.
Test port 995 from another machine
nc -zv example.com 995Test-NetConnection example.com -Port 995Related ports
- Port 110 (POP3): used by POP3 for downloading email from a mail server.
- Port 993 (IMAPS): used by IMAP over TLS for securely reading email.
- Port 143 (IMAP): used by IMAP for reading email that stays on the server.
More email ports
25 (SMTP) , 465 (SMTPS) , 587 (SMTP submission) . See all ports in the port lookup.
Sources
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Frequently asked questions
What is port 995 used for?
Port 995 is used by POP3 over TLS for securely downloading email. POP3S is POP3 wrapped in TLS. Use it instead of port 110 when a client or integration only supports POP, for example ticketing systems that collect mail from a mailbox. IMAP (993) is usually the better option for people reading mail on several devices.
Is it safe to open port 995?
This port is meant to be reachable by clients on the internet when you run this service publicly. Keep the service behind it up to date and require authentication where it applies.
How do I check if port 995 is open?
On the server, list listening sockets with "sudo ss -ltnp 'sport = :995'" on Linux or "sudo lsof -nP -i :995" on macOS. From another machine, run "nc -zv host 995" or, on Windows, "Test-NetConnection host -Port 995". Connection refused means nothing is listening; a timeout means a firewall is dropping the traffic.