A colleague opens his Android tablet between classes to check a message from the rectorate and encounters a synchronization error. The problem does not stem from the network: the incoming server settings are incorrectly configured. On mobile, the academic messaging system Convergence of Montpellier works very well, provided the correct settings are entered from the start.
Webmail Convergence on educational Chromebook: the ChromeOS case
Configuration tutorials for academic webmail almost always target Android or iOS. Chromebooks, increasingly present in the flexible classrooms of the Montpellier academy, run on ChromeOS, a system that does not natively manage IMAP accounts like a traditional mail client would.
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On ChromeOS, there are two options. The first: use the Chrome browser and access the Convergence webmail directly via the usual URL. This solution works without configuration but does not offer any real-time notifications.
The second, more reliable for daily use: install an Android messaging app from the Google Play Store. Recent Chromebooks support Android applications. Therefore, one can install Gmail, K9 Mail, or FairEmail, and then configure the account with the IMAP and SMTP settings of the academy. Feedback on this point varies: some older Chromebooks do not access the Play Store, and one must then revert to the webmail in the browser.
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To configure the Montpellier Academy webmail on a Chromebook, the same server settings as on a standard Android tablet are used.
IMAP and SMTP settings: incoming and outgoing server
The configuration relies on two distinct blocks of settings. Mixing them up or forgetting one causes either the inability to receive or the inability to send.
Incoming server (incoming mail)
- Protocol: IMAP (allows folder synchronization between the device and the server, unlike POP which downloads and deletes)
- Server address: courrier.ac-montpellier.fr
- Security: SSL/TLS
- Port: 993
- Username: your webmail identifier (not the full email address, but the short identifier like firstname.lastname)
Outgoing server (outgoing mail)
- Server address: smtp.ac-montpellier.fr
- Security: STARTTLS (not SSL/TLS, which is a common mistake)
- Port: 587 (and not 465, which corresponds to standard SSL)
- Authentication: normal password, with the same identifier as for receiving
The most common error on mobile is leaving port 465 with STARTTLS, or conversely port 587 with SSL. The correct combination for sending is STARTTLS on port 587. If the application displays “connection refused by the server,” it is almost always a mismatch between the type of security and the port number.
Configuration on Android and iOS: concrete differences
On Android, the built-in Gmail app accepts external IMAP accounts. In the account settings, select “Other” and then manually enter the parameters listed above. The K9 Mail app, free and open-source, offers more control over synchronized folders and check frequency.
On iOS (iPhone and iPad), go through Settings, then Mail, then Accounts, then “Other.” The form separately requests the information for the incoming and outgoing servers. On iOS, enter the short identifier in the “Username” field, not the full address with @ac-montpellier.fr. This subtlety often blocks the connection.
A often overlooked point: after validating the configuration, iOS attempts an immediate verification. If the network is slow, the device may display “Unable to verify the account.” Generally, it is enough to wait or try again on a stable network.
Username and password: retrieving your academic webmail access
The academic messaging identifier is not always easy to find. It generally corresponds to the format firstname.lastname, but in case of duplicates (homonyms), a number may be added. This is not the NUMEN, which is used for other services.
The initial password is often the one provided during the first job assignment. If it has been changed since in the online Convergence webmail, it is the new password that applies on mobile. In case of forgetting, the reset is done through the arena portal of the Montpellier academy, accessible from a browser.
Note: changing the password on the webmail does not automatically update the already configured mobile applications. After a change, it is necessary to reopen the account settings on each device and enter the new password; otherwise, synchronization will stop without a clear error message.
Security and daily synchronization
The academic messaging system transits through secure servers. SSL/TLS encryption for receiving and STARTTLS for sending protects the content of messages during transport. On a shared device (class tablet, for example), it is better not to save the password and to use the webmail in the browser in private browsing mode.
For synchronization, the IMAP protocol keeps messages on the server. Deleting an email on the tablet also deletes it on the Convergence webmail, and vice versa. Any change on one device is reflected on the others. If one uses the webmail online and a mobile app simultaneously, the folders remain consistent, provided the IMAP connection is correctly configured.
One last practical point: on tablets with limited storage, limiting synchronization to messages from the last two or three weeks prevents memory saturation. This setting can be found in the advanced settings of the mail account, both on Android and iOS.