Setup could not finish (error 3017) means BlueMail couldn't complete adding your account. It's a general "couldn't add the account" result rather than one specific fault — and in almost every case the cause is something at your email provider that has to be changed first, not a problem in the app. Most of these turn out to be IMAP switched off at the provider, or a separate app-specific password being required.
What usually causes it
- Your provider wants a different password. Many providers no longer accept your normal password in a mail app, and issue a separate one instead — especially with two-factor authentication switched on.
- IMAP is switched off. Several providers ship with mail-app access disabled, and some switch it off again if you don't use it for a while.
- IMAP costs extra, or isn't offered. A few providers only allow mail apps on a paid plan — or not at all.
- Something is blocking the connection — a VPN, antivirus or an unstable network.
- It's a work address, and your employer decides what can connect — see Can't Add a Work or Company Email Account.
Try these in order
1. Verify your password in webmail
Sign in to your email provider's web client with the same password. If it works there, use exactly that password — and your full email address as the username — when adding the account in BlueMail. If it doesn't work there either, reset it with your provider first.
2. Check whether your provider needs an app password
Some providers require two-step verification or an app-specific password when you add the account in an email app, so your normal password will never be accepted. Search your provider's help for "app password", "application-specific password" or "password for mail programs" — or find your address in the table on Why Won't My Account Add? Quick Fixes, which lists the one thing to change per provider.
3. Change or restart your internet connection
Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data or vice versa, then add the account again. If that doesn't help, restart your device and try once more. If you have a VPN or antivirus enabled on your device, turn it off while you add the account.
4. Make sure IMAP or POP3 is switched on at your provider
Some providers have IMAP or POP3 disabled by default, and some only offer it on higher-tier plans. This switch is on your provider's own website, not in BlueMail — sign in to your webmail and look for an IMAP/POP3 setting in its account settings.
5. Enter the server settings by hand
Check the incoming (IMAP/POP3) and outgoing (SMTP) settings your provider requires — their own support page lists them. Then set the account up manually:
- Tap Continue on the welcome screen, then Having trouble? Manual Setup under the Sign in button.
- On the Choose provider screen, tap Manual Setup at the bottom.
- Choose IMAP or POP3, and fill in your provider's incoming and outgoing server settings exactly as your provider lists them.
Full walkthrough: Configuring your account manually.
6. Update BlueMail
Install the latest version from your app store to rule out a compatibility problem.
Find your provider
Many providers need something switched on, or a special password, before any mail app can connect. Why Won't My Account Add? Quick Fixes is a single table — find your address, get the one thing to change. The per-provider pages:
- web.de and mail.de · GMX · T-Online, Arcor and Freenet
- Mail.ru, bk.ru and inbox.ru · mail.com · Yandex · Proton Mail
- Alice, Libero, Virgilio and Tiscali · Orange, Free, La Poste and ik.me
- WP, o2, Onet and Interia · BT, Virgin Media and Plusnet
- Bluewin and Sunrise · Seznam and Centrum · KPN and Ziggo
- Comcast, AOL, Verizon and EarthLink · Japanese ISPs
- iCloud app-specific passwords · Adding a Yahoo account
- Using a work or company address? See Can't Add a Work or Company Email Account.
Adding a Gmail account? Gmail connects by signing in through Google in a browser on your device, not with a password in the app. If the sign-in page fails to open or doesn't complete, see Error When Adding a Gmail Account.
Saw a more specific message?
If BlueMail showed a different error alongside or instead of this one, go straight to its page:
- Incorrect username or password — Bad Username or Password
NOT_AUTHORIZED— Not AuthorizedIMAP_DISABLED— IMAP Disabled- Unsupported or incompatible security protocol — Unsupported Protocol
- Unable to connect to server (
3011) — Unable to Connect to Server
The full checklist for failed account setups is on Can't Add My Account.
Still stuck?
Check with your email provider for restrictions or temporary issues on their end. You can also email us at support@bluemail.me — tell us your provider, whether you chose IMAP or POP3, and that the error was Setup could not finish.
