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FAQ in English

General Information about the UniMailbox

What is the UniMailbox, and why do I need it?

The UniMailbox is the official email address for students and doctoral candidates at the University of Freiburg. Starting in the summer semester of 2025, it will be mandatory for all study- and doctoral-related matters. All important notifications from HISinOne, the ILIAS learning platform, and other central systems will be sent exclusively to this address.

Who is required to use the UniMailbox?

All students and enrolled doctoral candidates at the University of Freiburg must use the UniMailbox starting from the summer semester 2025. Employed doctoral candidates who already use an institute email address are exempt from the change.

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By when do I need to activate my UniMailbox?

Activation must be completed by February 15, 2025.

What is my UniMail address?

This address will be automatically stored from April 16, 2025, and will serve as the primary UniMailbox address used for services such as ILIAS.

Setting Up and Using the UniMailbox

How do I set up my UniMailbox?

  1. Go to https://email.uni-freiburg.de
  2. Enter your UniMail address and click on „Next.“
  3. Select „Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg“ and confirm.
  4. Log in with your UniAccount and password.
  5. After a successful login, your UniMailbox will be displayed in the Open-Xchange web interface.

Where do I enter my UniMailbox as my primary contact address?

After activation, you must register your UniMail address in HISinOne:

Important: From April 16, 2025, the UniMailbox will automatically be set as the primary email address in HISinOne for all students. Enrolled doctoral candidates must continue to enter their address manually.

Can I use my UniMailbox with an email app (e.g., Outlook or Thunderbird)?

Yes, you can link your UniMailbox to common email clients. Instructions for this can be found on the university's website.

Can I check whether my email address registered in HISinOne is transferred to other systems like ILIAS?

Yes, you can verify whether your activated email address stored in HISinOne is correctly transferred to other systems, as demonstrated here for ILIAS. Follow these steps:

  1. Log in to ILIAS:
    1. Open ILIAS at https://ilias.uni-freiburg.de and log in with your UniAccount.
  2. Check your registered email address in your profile: https://ilias.uni-freiburg.de/ilias.php?baseClass=ildashboardgui&cmdNode=a9:y9&cmdClass=ilpersonalprofilegui
  3. Optional: Send a test email to yourself:
    1. Open the ILIAS mail function: https://ilias.uni-freiburg.de/ilias.php?baseClass=ilmailgui&cmdNode=jv:ju&cmdClass=ilMailFormGUI&cmd=mailUser
    2. ILIAS always sends messages to accounts (i.e., the email address associated with the account). Therefore, in the „To“ field, enter only your own UniAccount with the scope „@uni-freiburg.de“ (e.g., ab1234@uni-freiburg.de), not your email address.
    3. Send the email to your UniAccount and check whether it arrives in your UniMailbox. If you receive the email, your UniMailbox has been successfully activated and registered. If you do not receive an email, please check whether your UniMail address is correctly registered in HISinOne. In case of issues, contact General Support, providing your UniAccount and matriculation number: beratung@rz.uni-freiburg.de.

Transition from Previous University Email Addresses

What happens to my previous student email address?

If you had an email address with the subdomain @students or @planeten, it will be deactivated on April 16, 2025, and subsequently deleted.

Can I transfer old emails to my new UniMailbox?

Yes, you can transfer your previous emails and contacts to your new UniMailbox yourself until April 1, 2025. Instructions for the migration can be found here: https://wiki.uni-freiburg.de/iam/doku.php?id=public:unimail:outlook_mail_backup

Can I set up an automatic relocation message to inform my contacts about my new email address?

Yes, you can activate an automatic relocation message, which will remain active until your old email address is deactivated. Instructions for setting this up can be found here: Setting Up a Migration Message in CommuniGate Webmail

Forwarding and Settings

Can I forward my UniMailbox emails to another address?

Yes, you can enable automatic forwarding for incoming emails from your UniMailbox.

How do I set up email forwarding from my CommuniGate email address?

1. Log in at https://mail.uni-freiburg.de 2. Go to Mail Control. 3. Check the box „Forward all messages to“ and enter the target email address. 4. Choose a forwarding option:

  1. „Send on behalf of this account“: Your UniMail address appears as the sender.
  2. „Keep the original sender address“: The email is forwarded without changing the sender.
  3. „Send an unaltered copy“: An exact copy of the email is forwarded.

5. Click „Update“ to save the settings.

What happens if I enable forwarding, but my old mailbox is full?

If you have enabled the „Keep a copy“ option, a full mailbox may block forwarding. Please check your storage space regularly.

How can I personalize my UniMailbox (e.g., signature, forwarding, settings)?

You can customize various settings such as signatures, filter rules, or automatic replies at For more details, see Open-Xchange Customization: https://wiki.uni-freiburg.de/iam/doku.php?id=public:unimail:setupofunimailbox

Common Issues and Support

I can't log in to my UniMailbox. What can I do?

Check your login credentials and try again. If the issue persists, please contact IT support at beratung@rz.uni-freiburg.de.

Is my data secure in the UniMailbox?

Yes, GWDG provides two-factor authentication (2FA) for its mail service.

Special Cases for Doctoral Candidates and Students with Special Status

I am a doctoral researcher and use my institute’s email address. Do I still need to activate the UniMailbox?

No, employed doctoral researchers or those who registered before 2018 and use an institute email address are exempt from the change and will keep their current email addresses.

I am an enrolled doctoral researcher and use my institute’s email address. Do I still need to activate the UniMailbox?

Yes, enrolled doctoral researchers with an institute email address must activate the UniMailbox (available under the 2-K „Studium – Korrespondenz“ tile), as it is used in downstream systems (e.g. ILIAS). However, a forwarding option to the institute email address can be set up.

Are FACE students from the Freiburg University of Education affected?

Yes, FACE students are treated as enrolled students of the University of Freiburg and must set up a UniMailbox.

Name Change and E-Mail Address

What happens to my UniMailbox if I officially change my name?

Your UniAccount (e.g. ab1234) and your primary UniMailbox address in the format `ab1234@email.uni-freiburg.de` remain unchanged. This is one of the reasons why the primary address is not based on your first and last name.

How can I update my UniMailbox alias to reflect my new name?

After an official name change and its entry in HISinOne, the change is automatically transferred to the central identity database (LDAP). Please check your myAccount to confirm whether your new surname is already displayed.

Once the new name appears there, please contact the General IT Support by e-mail and include your UniAccount and matriculation number: beratung@rz.uni-freiburg.de

What happens to my previous alias address?

Your previous alias address (e.g. `firstname.oldlastname@email.uni-freiburg.de`) remains active. Emails sent to this address will continue to be delivered. Please do not delete this alias.

Contact and Support

Where can I get help if I have questions?

The Identity and Access Management (IAM) project team and the university’s IT support are available to assist you. Please send an email including your UniAccount and matriculation number to beratung@rz.uni-freiburg.de.

Where can I find a detailed guide on using the UniMailbox?

A comprehensive guide on setting up, managing, and using the UniMailbox can be found here: https://wiki.uni-freiburg.de/iam/doku.php?id=public:unimail:setupofunimailbox