Set up Gmail with a third-party email client

Your users might want to send and receive mail from other email clients, for example Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail. This article has steps for admins and users to set up Gmail with another mail client.

Recommended email clients

We recommend you use Gmail only with third-party email clients that support OAuth. OAuth lets apps and websites share your Google account data without requiring your username or password. Email clients that use OAuth keep your Gmail account more secure.

The latest versions of Outlook, Apple Mail, and Samsung Mail support OAuth. If you're not sure if your email client supports OAuth, contact tech support or check the help documentation for the client. Learn more about OAuth.

We recommend using the latest versions of:

• Microsoft Outlook
• Apple Mail

Important: Your support plan might not include support for third-party products. In this case, contact support for the third-party mail app. 

Before you begin: Turn on IMAP in the Admin console

To let your users sync Gmail with third-party mail clients, turn on IMAP in the Admin console by following the steps in Turn POP and IMAP on and off for users.

Set up Gmail with Microsoft Outlook

These versions of Outlook support OAuth:

• Outlook from Microsoft 365 (desktop version)
• Outlook 2019
• Outlook 2016

Check what version of Outlook you have.

Notes:

• Outlook 2016 volume licensed version with Windows Installer (MSI) does not support OAuth.
• When you connect your Gmail account to Outlook, you might get a warning message in your inbox telling you that a new sign in was detected. This is expected behavior.

Set up Gmail with Outlook on a PC

If you’re using Outlook on a PC, follow the steps at Add a Gmail account to Outlook for Windows, on the Microsoft Office support site.

Set up Gmail with Outlook on a Mac

If you’re using Outlook on a Mac, follow the steps at Add a Gmail account to Outlook for Mac, on the Microsoft Office support site.

Set up Gmail with Apple Mail

Set up Gmail with the Mail mobile app

If you’re using Mail on a mobile device, follow the steps at Add an email account to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, on the Apple support site. 

Important: When you’re asked to select your email provider, select the Google option.

Set up Gmail with Mail on a Mac

Follow these steps to set up Gmail on a Mac with Apple Mail 9.3 or later.

Important: If you’re using an Apple Mail version earlier than 9.3, follow the steps in Set up Gmail with other mail clients.

1. Open Apple Mail on your computer.
2. Click MailAdd Account.
3. Select the Google option, then click Continue:

   

4. If prompted, click Open Safari to let Google to finish authentication:

   

5. Enter your Google Workspace Gmail email address in the Google Sign in window and click Next:

   

6. Enter your password in the Google Welcome window and click Next. If prompted, select Allow to grant permissions to your account.
7. Check the Mail box in Select the apps you want to use with this account, then click Done:

   

Set up Gmail with older versions of Outlook and other clients

Important: We recommend using Gmail only with mail clients that support OAuth. Your Google account is less secure when it's linked to mail clients that don’t support OAuth.

If you must use Gmail with older versions of Outlook, or other mail clients that don't support OAuth, follow the steps in this section

These are examples of mail clients that don’t support OAuth:

• Outlook versions earlier than Outlook 2016
• Apple iOS Mail versions earlier than Mail 8.3
• Apple Mail versions earlier than Mail 9.3

Open all   |   Close all

Step 1: Turn on Less secure apps

To use earlier versions of Outlook and other mail clients that don’t support OAuth, turn on Less secure apps:

• Turn on less secure apps in the Admin console.
• Tell your users to turn on less secure apps in their account.

Important: Google is turning off less secure app access to Google Workspace accounts. When this happens, new users won't be able to use Gmail with mail clients that don’t support OAuth.

 Step 2: Create and use App Passwords

This step is only for users who need 2-step verification to sign into an email client that doesn't accept verification codes. These users need application-specific passwords to access the mail client.

Tell these users to create and use App passwords.

Step 3: Turn on IMAP in Gmail

Tell your users to turn on IMAP in their Gmail account:

1. In Gmail, in the top right, click Settings See all settings.
2. At the top, click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
3. In the IMAP Access section, select Enable IMAP.
4. At the bottom, click Save Changes.

Step 4: Set up Gmail with the older version of Outlook

Important:

• The email addresses and domains shown in these steps are examples. Replace them with your own email address and domains. 
• These steps and screenshots are for older versions of Outlook, but you can use the values shown in these steps with other mail clients.
• Read more about the settings for syncing Gmail with another mail client.

1. Click Add Account:

   

2. Select the Manual setup or additional server types option, then click Next:

   

3. Select the POP or IMAP option, then click Next:

   

4. In the Add Account window, enter these values:
   • Your Name: The name you use with your Google Workspace Gmail account
   • Email Address: Your Google Workspace Gmail address
   • Account type: IMAP
   • Incoming mail server: imap.gmail.com
   • Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.gmail.com
   • User Name: Your Google Workspace Gmail address
   • Password: Your Google Workspace Gmail password

   Then click More Settings…

   

5. In Internet E-mail Settings, enter these values in the General tab:
   • Mail Account: Your Google Workspace Gmail address
   • (Optional) Organization: Your company or school name
   • (Optional) Reply E-mail: A reply email address, if it’s different from your email address

   Then click the Outgoing Server tab.

   

6. In the Outgoing Server tab:
   • Check the My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication box.
   • Select the Use same settings as my incoming server option.

   Then click the Advanced tab.

   

7. Enter these values in the the Advanced tab:
   • Incoming server (IMAP): 993
     • Use the following type of encrypted connection: SSL
   • Outgoing server (SMTP): 587
     • Use the following type of encrypted connection: TLS

   Note: If you change the Outgoing server (SMTP) encrypted connection type to SSL, enter 465 in the Outgoing server (SMTP) field (instead of 587).

   Then click OK.

   

Outlook tests your settings and then shows a message when your account is correctly set up:

Related topics

• Turn POP and IMAP on and off for users
• About Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook
• Access Google Workspace on mobile devices

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