Imail and Umail

Indiana University has partnered with Microsoft and Google to offer students two options for email and other online communication services, Imail (powered by Microsoft) and Umail (powered by Google), at no cost to IU.

Eligibility and creating accounts

All students are eligible to create Imail and Umail accounts by following the appropriate instructions below:

• If you're a newly admitted student, create an Imail or Umail account using the Starter Kit; see How do I get my first computing accounts at IU?
  
  
• If you're currently a student, create an Imail or Umail account by following the link on the IU Webmail login screen, or by using the Account Management Service (AMS); see At IU, if I already have some computing accounts, how do I get others?
  

You can create both an Imail and a Umail account, but you must choose one account for your preferred email address.

IU faculty and staff are not eligible for Imail or Umail accounts, and should continue to use existing mail services (e.g., IU Webmail or Exchange).

Things to consider

If you create an Imail or Umail account:

• Your full IU email address will contain your Network ID username and your campus domain regardless of the system you choose, because your preferred email address determines where you receive IU mail. Your reply-to address, however, will reflect the mail service you have chosen (e.g.,  username@imail.iu.edu  or  username@umail.iu.edu ).
  
  
• You are required to establish an IU email account and read email sent from IU faculty and administration; see official communications information.
  
  
• You will manage your mail accounts through the Account Management Service (AMS).
  
  
• While you are an enrolled student, advertisements will not appear in the IU-customized systems. After you graduate, you will have the option of keeping your account, at which time ads will appear.
  
  
• Any accounts with Google Gmail or Microsoft email (e.g., Hotmail, Windows Live Mail, or Exchange Labs) that you already have or create in the future will remain separate from your Umail or Imail account.

Important: Because much of the information shared via email to conduct university business is protected by privacy laws and other institutional policies, student employees must use their Webmail (Cyrus) accounts to conduct university business. Imail and Umail accounts are hosted by vendors external to IU; therefore you cannot use them to conduct university business. IU students who are employed by the university may use their Imail or Umail accounts to send student-related mail, but must use their Webmail accounts for work-related mail. For example, associate instructors may use Imail or Umail to send mail about academic work to their professors and other students, but must use Webmail to send work-related mail to professors for whom they work and students whom they teach. If you have questions, contact your campus Support Center.

Getting help

The Support Center provides help for all IU mail systems, including Imail and Umail. Both Microsoft and Google also offer 24/7 support.

IT Training & Education provides training for student email, in the form of self-study tutorials and demonstrations for both Imail and Umail.

Also see:

• At IU, what are Exchange accounts, and how do I get one?
• Email at each IU campus
• How private are Imail and Umail accounts?
• Reading your Imail or Umail mail using a desktop email client
• Why am I having trouble logging into Imail or Umail, and what can I do to correct this?