BigPond Email Not Working? Telstra Mail Settings and Fixes

Start with Webmail, Not a Reinstall

Open Telstra’s webmail sign-in page and follow its sign-in link. Use your full mailbox address, including its existing ending. Do not change @bigpond.net.au to @bigpond.com just because a setup example uses the shorter ending.

Our suggested check is to send a short message to another address you control, then reply from that address. Note which direction fails. Seeing old messages in an app is not the same as confirming that it can receive new ones.

Source: Telstra: sign in to webmail.

Source: Telstra: cannot send or receive email.

Source: Telstra: recover your username or reset your password.

BigPond and Telstra Mail Server Settings

Telstra recommends IMAP for syncing mail across devices. POP is listed for existing setups, but Telstra does not recommend it. These settings apply to Telstra Mail and BigPond.

The username is your complete email address. Keep each port paired with the encryption shown above; 465 and 587 are not interchangeable settings with the same encryption choice.

If you can see old folders on a computer but not in webmail, stop before deleting the account. Save or export those messages using the mail app’s instructions and confirm the saved copy opens. Telstra warns that switching from POP to IMAP can lose unsaved mail and folders.

Source: Telstra: IMAP, POP and SMTP settings.

When an App Keeps Asking for a Password

An app-specific password is separate from your main account password. Telstra documents it for mail software such as Outlook and Apple Mail; its public page does not say every app and account must use one. If your app requests one, use Telstra’s process rather than repeatedly resetting the main password.

Telstra also says to remove app-specific passwords in webmail settings when resetting your password to prevent login issues. Afterwards, configure the affected apps again as needed. Do not put passwords or recovery codes in support screenshots.

Source: Telstra: app-specific passwords.

Set Up BigPond in iPhone Mail

Apple’s current guide uses Settings → Apps → Mail → Mail Accounts. If your screen differs, use the linked Apple instructions for your software rather than deleting the existing account to start over.

After setup, try the send-and-reply check again. A successful account-add screen alone does not check both directions.

Source: Apple: add an email account on iPhone or iPad.

Set Up BigPond in Outlook for Windows

Check which Outlook you have before following a menu path. New Outlook and classic Outlook use different account screens.

For classic Outlook’s manual setup, use the server details above, continue and enter the password when prompted. If Outlook asks for an app password, generate it with Telstra rather than resetting a Microsoft account password: Telstra hosts this mailbox.

Source: Microsoft: add an email account to Outlook for Windows.

Reset a Forgotten Password or Find Your Mailbox

Use the reset link on Telstra’s email recovery page. Telstra says you need the username, date of birth and access to the registered recovery email or mobile number for a one-time code. If you cannot access that recovery method, use Telstra support rather than guessing answers.

If you already know the password and want to change it, Telstra’s documented path is My Telstra → Profile → Your details → Manage mailboxes → select the mailbox → Manage → Change password. Update the password saved in your mail software afterwards.

Source: Telstra: recover your username or reset your password.

If You Suspect Someone Else Has Access

Use Telstra’s compromised-account guidance. It recommends updating and scanning your devices before resetting credentials. Once access is restored, inspect mail filters, forwarding rules and the default signature for changes you did not make. A password change alone is not a reason to ignore an unfamiliar forwarding destination.

If the account was suspended for suspicious activity, Telstra directs customers to its reset process. Keep the recovery process on Telstra’s official site and never share a password or one-time code with someone offering to fix the mailbox.

Source: Telstra: compromised email accounts.

Can You Keep BigPond Email After Leaving Telstra?

Telstra says to tell it you want to keep the email address when closing your Telstra account. Its current guidance says to use the mailbox at least once every 180 days; inactivity can lead to suspension. Do not assume retaining the address happens automatically.

If it has already been suspended, start with Telstra’s reactivation guidance or chat. Telstra states that reactivation is possible only where the account has not been deactivated for more than six months. That does not guarantee recovery of every closed mailbox.

Our practical suggestion: keep the retention confirmation with your cancellation reference, and set a reminder to sign in well before 180 days. Ask Telstra to confirm any conditions that apply to your account before closing the underlying service.

Source: Telstra: suspended email accounts.

Should You Still Use a BigPond Address?

There is no need to abandon a working address because of a shutdown rumour. Telstra’s support page says BigPond email is not shutting down and existing accounts will continue to be supported.

Source: Telstra Mail support and service continuation.

Our recommendation is to keep it if it suits you, while making sure you can recover important accounts without relying only on that inbox. If you decide to move, do it gradually: update one important account, confirm the new address and test access before moving to the next. Keep a list of what you changed; forwarding mail does not change the address recorded on another company’s account.

Sources and Review Notes

Checked against Telstra, Apple and Microsoft documentation on 10 September 2026. No mailbox was signed into, password changed or mail app configured for this review. Menu names are the providers’ published instructions, not a record of a hands-on test. This replaces the 28 July 2024 troubleshooting article and incorporates the decision about keeping BigPond email from the older companion article.