Get started with IMAP and POP3
What is POP and IMAP?
How much does POP and IMAP cost?
What's the difference between POP and IMAP?
Unlike POP, IMAP offers two-way communication between your web Gmail and your email client. This means when you log in to Gmail using a web browser, actions you perform on email clients and mobile devices (ex: putting mail in a 'work' folder) will instantly and automatically appear in Gmail (ex: it will already have a 'work' label on that email the next time you sign in).
IMAP also provides a better method to access your mail from multiple devices. If you check your email at work, on your mobile phone, and again at home, IMAP ensures that new mail is accessible from any device at any given time.
Finally, IMAP offers a more stable experience overall. Whereas POP is prone to losing messages or downloading the same messages multiple times, IMAP avoids this through two-way syncing capabilities between your mail clients and your web Gmail.
How will using a mail client affect automatic replies?
Select an option below for instructions on how to enable POP or IMAP
Once you've enabled IMAP in your Gmail settings, you need to configure your client. Select a client below to see specific configuration instructions.
If you're setting up IMAP for the first time, confirm your settings to make sure they're correct
If you're setting up IMAP for the first time, confirm your settings to make sure they're correct
If you're setting up IMAP for the first time, confirm your settings to make sure they're correct
Once you've enabled POP in your Gmail settings, you need to configure your client. Select a client below to see specific configuration instructions.
If you're setting up POP for the first time, confirm your settings to make sure they're correct
If you're setting up POP for the first time, confirm your settings to make sure they're correct
If you're setting up POP for the first time, confirm your settings to make sure they're correct
If you're setting up POP for the first time, confirm your settings to make sure they're correct