New mail server software
Our mail server runs the widely used and actively maintained open source system Mailcow.
We updated it to the latest version on 15 July 2025. This was a little earlier than originally planned, applied as a precaution to ensure continued server security and reliability.
What’s changed
- The login screen now looks different. This is expected and part of the new software.
- When users go to mail.mail.coop, they are now taken directly into SOGo webmail after logging in — rather than first seeing the Mailcow dashboard.
- From within the SOGo webmail interface, users can still access their mailbox settings (e.g. spam filter, identities, passwords) by clicking the spanner icon in the top-right corner. This will take them to the familiar Mailcow interface.
- The update also fixes an issue that affects users who have two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA or MFA) set up. If you use two-factor authentication, you may well find that your email software can no longer login to the account. This is because the system now requires that you use what's known as an 'app password' when using 2FA. An app password is an additional password that you can set up from within your account, so that you can use different passwords for different purposes. For example, if you use Outlook to send and receive mail on your phone, you could set up a password for that, whilst still being able to access the admin controls using the main password. (This would be useful for example in a scenario where you lose your phone and can disable its access to email by changing the app password, whilst still ensuring that other devices you use can continue to have access). There was a bug in the software that meant that people who had 2FA enabled could still access their email without needing an app password. That bug has now been fixed so that you now must use an app password if you have 2FA enabled.
- Search in webmail has improved — it now runs faster and includes more accurate results, including searches within message bodies as well as subject lines and sender fields.
- Mobile users may notice a cleaner, more responsive display when using webmail on phones or tablets.
For domain administrators
If you manage multiple addresses under your own domain (e.g. as part of a community group or organisation), please note that you now need to log in via the admin interface:
This gives you access to mailbox management functions for your domain, including creating new addresses, resetting passwords, and disabling accounts.
If you experience any problems with the new interface or need help navigating the changes, just contact us and we’ll be happy to assist:
hello@mail.coop
