Onet is pulling the plug. You won’t do anything this way again

Grupa Onet announced a new strategy that will enter into force on March 31, 2026. From this date, the way you connect to your mailbox will change. Free access to news will only be possible in two ways. The first is to log in via the website, and the second is to log in via the official mobile app.

People who are used to their own email programs must be prepared for expenses. Popular applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird and system programs on phones will stop working on free accounts. Access through these will require a fee.

Mail handling by external programs is based on the IMAP protocol. Onet decided to move this function only to paid packages. A user who wants to maintain the convenience of using e-mail in their favorite program must purchase a subscription.

The operator explains these steps with the desire to organize services and modernize them. Indicates the development of its own application and security systems. The introduction of fees is intended to further maintain server stability and fight spam.

An important technical change is the complete withdrawal of support for the POP3 protocol. This is an older standard for retrieving mail. From the end of March, it will cease to function for all users. This means it is necessary to change the configuration of programs to IMAP, which involves the above-mentioned fees.

The function of downloading messages from so-called external accounts will also be disabled. The only exception to the new rules are holders of “perpetual accounts”. This small group of users will retain access to IMAP at no additional cost.

For other people, Onet has prepared a paid offer. Poczta Plus and Poczta Standard packages are available. To encourage migration, the company offers discount codes. The annual Poczta Plus package costs PLN 4.95 per month after a discount.

Paid packages also offer larger disk space. Another advantage is the lack of advertisements sent by the operator. Users who do not decide to pay the fee will have to use e-mail only via a browser or the Onet application.