What Is IMAP for Gmail?
IMAP is an internet protocol that allows email clients to communicate with an email service, such as Gmail. IMAP is a replacement for the older POP3 email protocol. IMAP offers many advantages, including the ability to keep the status of emails in sync, access multiple mailboxes on a single server, and allow for server-side searching of content. With IMAP, you can read your Gmail on multiple devices, and messages and folders are synced in real-time.
How to Activate IMAP in Gmail
To access a Gmail account in your email program or mobile device via the IMAP protocol, activate IMAP in Gmail.
Set up Gmail With IMAP
After IMAP is enabled in Gmail, set up a new IMAP account in your email client of choice. If the email client is listed below, select the link to learn how to set up Gmail on your device quickly. Otherwise, follow the generic instructions for setting up Gmail with IMAP manually.
Set up Gmail in iOS Mail Set up Gmail in macOS Mail Set up Gmail in Mozilla Thunderbird Set up Gmail in Outlook Mail Set up Gmail in Yahoo Mail Set up Gmail in Pegasus Mail
Gmail IMAP Settings for Incoming Mail
To receive your Gmail messages on other devices, enter the following settings according to the directions for the specific application:
Gmail IMAP server address: imap.gmail.com Gmail IMAP username: Your full Gmail address (for example, example@gmail.com) Gmail IMAP password: Your Gmail password (use an application-specific Gmail password if you enabled 2-step authentication for Gmail) Gmail IMAP port: 993 Gmail IMAP TLS/SSL required: yes
Gmail SMTP Settings for Outgoing Mail
While setting up your client to receive Gmail messages, provide settings to allow it to send messages. Messages are sent using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) settings. You’ll also need these SMTP settings to access Gmail with another mail client:
Gmail SMTP server address: smtp.gmail.comGmail SMTP username: Your full Gmail address (for example, example@gmail.com)Gmail SMTP password: Your Gmail passwordGmail SMTP port (TLS): 587Gmail SMTP port (SSL): 465Gmail SMTP TLS/SSL required: yes
Either TLS or SSL can be used, depending on your email client. Check the documentation for the email client to determine which one is appropriate.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter problems when setting up Gmail with a mail client, consider these possible issues:
The username or password is mistyped.The server information is mistyped.Two-factor authentification is enabled on your Google account that requires you to generate an app-specific password.IMAP is not enabled in the Gmail settings.The email client is not secure and doesn’t support Google’s latest security standards.
Unsecure Email Clients and Gmail
Gmail, by default, requires email clients that connect to its servers to meet specific security standards. If an email client is outdated, Gmail may not allow it to connect without first altering your account settings. It is highly recommended that you upgrade to a secure email client rather than allow unsecured clients to connect. And, although it’s not recommended, you can turn on access to less secure apps through Google.
