Here Are the IMAP Settings You Need to Set Up Gmail

If you want to receive Gmail through a separate email client, set up your Gmail account in another email client to get all your mail in one place. You'll need to provide the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) settings so that the email client knows how to retrieve your Gmail messages.

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.

1. Open Gmail in a web browser.

2. Select the Settings gear in the upper-right corner.

3. Select See all settings.

4. Select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

5. In the IMAP access section, select Enable IMAP.

6. Leave the other settings on the default selections.

7. Select Save Changes.

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.com
• Gmail SMTP username: Your full Gmail address (for example, example@gmail.com)
• Gmail SMTP password: Your Gmail password
• Gmail SMTP port (TLS): 587
• Gmail SMTP port (SSL): 465
• Gmail 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.