How to Access Gmail with Outlook for Mac

Set up Gmail in Outlook for Mac and synchronize all mail and labels.

Gmail on the web can do much, and it is fast enough at it. On the web, Gmail cannot do all that Outlook for Mac can do on your own machine, though, in quite so snappy and stylish a manner, can it? (Where are the flexible mail sorting options, for example, in Gmail on the web?)

Fortunately, Outlook for Mac can talk to Gmail, letting you access the account with support for most of what Gmail offers.

Set up as an IMAP account, Gmail in Outlook for Mac not only lets you receive incoming emails and send mail; you also get to access to all your old Gmail messages.

Messages you have assigned a label (or more than one) in Gmail on the web will appear in folders in Outlook for Mac. Likewise, if you copy a message in Outlook to a folder, it will appear under the corresponding label in Gmail; if you move a message, it will be removed from the corresponding label (or the inbox) in Gmail.

Under Junk E-mail, you get access to your Gmail Spam label; drafts, deleted and sent messages are in Outlook for Mac's Drafts, Deleted Items and Sent Items folders respectively.

Note that you can hide Gmail labels (even some system labels such as Spam) from appearing in email programs that connect via IMAP.

To set up a Gmail account in Outlook for Mac to send and receive mail:

1. Select Tools | Accounts… from the menu in Outlook for Mac.
2. Click the + below the account list.
3. Select Other Email… from the menu that has appeared.
4. Enter your Gmail address under E-mail address:.
5. Type your Gmail password under Password:.
   1. ​With 2-step authentication enabled for Gmail, do create and use an application password specific for Outlook for Mac.
6. Leave Configure automatically checked.
7. Click Add Account.
8. Close the Accounts window.

To add a Gmail account to Outlook for Mac 2011:

1. Select Tools | Accounts… from the menu in Outlook for Mac.
2. Click the + below the account list.
3. Select E-mail from the menu.
4. Enter your Gmail address under E-mail address:.
5. Type your Gmail password under Password:.
   1. ​If you have turned on 2-step authentication for the Gmail account, create a new application password for Outlook for Mac and use that.
6. Leave Configure automatically checked.
7. Click Add Account.
8. Now click Advanced….
9. Go to the Folders tab.
10. Select Choose… under Store sent messages in this folder:.
11. Highlight Gmail | [Gmail] | Sent Mail.
12. Click Choose.
13. Select Choose… under Store draft messages in this folder:.
14. Highlight Gmail | [Gmail] | Drafts.
15. Click Choose.
16. Select Choose… under Store junk messages in this folder:, too.
17. Highlight Gmail | [Gmail] | Spam:
18. Click Choose.
19. Make sure Move deleted messages to this folder: is selected under Trash.
20. Select Choose… under Move deleted messages in this folder:.
21. Highlight Gmail | [Gmail] | Trash.
22. Click Choose.
23. Make sure Never is selected under When Outlook closes, permanently erase deleted messages:.

(Updated May 2016, tested with Outlook for Mac 2011 and Outlook for Mac 2016)