A webmail app lets you send out and receive messages by way of an Internet browser without the need to set up an email address in a program like Thunderbird or Outlook. If you travel, for instance, you can check your e-mail messages from an Internet café and you will not have to download, install or set up anything at all. Webmail applications are advanced enough to present you with many options like having an address book or making folders that can afterwards show up in your email app. As a webmail app works with the messages on the server, it is necessary that you use the IMAP protocol if you configure an email account on your computer. You may still use webmail if you choose POP, but older messages will not be accessible due to the fact that they'll have been downloaded on the PC. You can use webmail as long as there is any email address set up inside your web hosting account and using an e-mail client before being able to use webmail is not a prerequisite, so that you can manage your electronic communication solely from an Internet browser.