What does Internet Message Access Protocol 4 (IMAP4) allow a user to do that Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) does not?

Choosing the ability to view the same email from many different devices as the correct answer highlights a key feature of Internet Message Access Protocol 4 (IMAP4) compared to Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3). IMAP4 is designed to keep emails stored on the server, allowing users to access their email messages from multiple devices without the risk of losing any data or email state. This means that if a user reads or deletes an email on one device, those changes will be reflected on all other devices accessing the same email account.

In contrast, POP3 primarily downloads emails from the server to a single device and often removes them from the server afterward, which can lead to discrepancies when trying to access email from multiple devices. This fundamental difference allows IMAP4 users seamless access to their emails across various platforms, ensuring a synchronized experience.

The other aspects of the question touch on functionalities that are not distinguishing features of IMAP4. For instance, sending emails is a function that both protocols provide (often through other protocols, such as SMTP), and retrieving emails without an Internet connection is not a feature of either protocol, as both require an Internet connection for email retrieval. Thus, the ability to view the same email across multiple devices is what sets IMAP