Sync G Suite Gmail with an IMAP client

If your G Suite users want to send and receive mail from another email client, such as Microsoft® Outlook® or Apple® Mail, a G Suite administrator must first enable Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) access in the admin console. You can enable access for everyone or only those in specific organizational units. 

Learn how to access G Suite on mobile devices. 

Step 1: Enable IMAP for your account

  1. On your computer, sign in to Gmail with your G Suite account.
  2. In the top right, click Settings Settings and then Settings.
  3. At the top, click Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
    Don't see this tab? Make sure IMAP is enabled for your domain.​
  4. In the IMAP Access section, select Enable IMAP.
  5. At the bottom, click Save Changes.

Step 2: Set up your mail client to access Gmail

Microsoft Outlook

Use these steps for Outlook 2013. If you’re using a different version of Outlook, see Other mail clients.

Note: To let Outlook access Gmail, you might need to allow users to enable access to less secure apps.  

  1. In Outlook 2013, click File and then Info.
  2. Click Account Settings and then Account Settings.
  3. On the Email tab, click New.
  4. Select Email Account and click Next.
  5. Select Manual setup or additional server types and click Next.
  6. Select POP or IMAP and click Next.
  7. Enter your account details:
    • Your Name: Enter your name.
    • Email Address: Enter your G Suite username, for example ann@kitbeat.com.
    • Account type: Choose IMAP.
    • Incoming mail server: Enter imap.gmail.com.
    • Outgoing mail server (SMTP): Enter smtp.gmail.com.
    • User Name: Enter your G Suite username, for example ann@kitbeat.com.
    • Password: Enter your G Suite account password.

      If you use 2-Step-Verification to access your G Suite account, an App password is needed. Learn how to generate an App password.

  8. Click More Settings.
  9. On the Outgoing Server tab, check the My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication box and the Log on using radio button.
  10. Enter your full username and password again.
  11. On the Advanced tab, under Server Port Numbers, enter the following information:
    • Incoming server (IMAP): Enter 993.
    • Use the following type of encrypted connection: Choose SSL.
    • Outgoing server (SMTP): Enter 465.
    • Use the following type of encrypted connection: Choose SSL.
  12. On the Advanced tab, under Sent Items, check the Do not save copies of sent items box.
  13. Click OK and thenNext.
  14. Wait while Outlook tests your settings, and then click Finish.
    If the test fails, go to your Google Account and change your security settings to let less secure apps access your account , then repeat Step 12.
Apple Mail

Use these steps for Apple Mail 9.3. If you’re using a different version of Apple Mail, see Other mail clients.

  1. Open Apple Mail 9.3.
  2. Click Mail and then Add Account.
  3. Select Google and click Continue.
  4. Sign in to your G Suite account.
  5. Check the Mail box and click Done.
Other mail clients

For other mail clients, including different versions of Outlook and Mail, go to the application’s support page for help with setting up IMAP. You might need to provide the following details:

Account information

Full name or display name: This is how your name appears when you send email
Your G Suite account details: Your username and password

Incoming mail settings

Server: imap.gmail.com
Require SSL: Yes
Port: 993

Outgoing mail

Server: smtp.gmail.com
Require SSL: Yes
Require TLS: Yes
Require authentication: Yes
Port for SSL: 465
Port for TLS/STARTTLS: 587

Note: Some IMAP clients might implement the IMAP4rev1 protocol only partially or incorrectly, and therefore some features might not work as expected. Third-party IMAP clients are not supported by Google. Problems with a third-party IMAP client must be handled by the third-party vendor.

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