Get started with IMAP and POP3

Select an option below for instructions on how to enable POP or IMAPI want to enable IMAP
If you're a Gmail user, and you're looking for instructions to sync your account via IMAP/POP in Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc., please refer to our configuration instructions for POP and IMAP access.
You can retrieve your Gmail messages with a client or device that supports IMAP, like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail.

Enable IMAP in your Gmail settings

  1. Sign in to Gmail.
  2. Click the  gear in the top right.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Click Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
  5. Select Enable IMAP.
  6. Click Save Changes.
Note: This setting is not available while using the basic HTML view of Gmail. To enable IMAP, use the standard view instead. Find out more about standard view and basic HTML view.
Once you've enabled IMAP in your Gmail settings, you need to configure your client. Select a client below to see specific configuration instructions.Outlook / Windows Mail
  1. Open Outlook or Windows Mail.
  2. Click the Tools menu, and select Accounts or Email Accounts
  3. Click Add.
If you're setting up IMAP for the first time, confirm your settings to make sure they're correctOk, confirm my settings
Google Apps users, please follow the default instructions unless otherwise noted, replacing 'your_domain.com' with your actual domain name.
Many clients will automatically configure the appropriate IMAP connection settings for your account, but confirm that the connection settings your client configures are the same as what's listed below.
If you're using a client that's not listed above, you can also use the following information to configure your IMAP. If you have problems, contact your mail client's customer support department for further instructions.
  • Incoming Mail (IMAP) Server - Requires SSL
    • imap.gmail.com
    • Port: 993
    • Requires SSL:Yes
  • Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server - Requires TLS
    • smtp.gmail.com
    • Port: 465 or 587
    • Requires SSL: Yes
    • Requires authentication: Yes
    • Use same settings as incoming mail server
  • Full Name or Display Name: [your name]
  • Account Name or User Name: your full Gmail address (username@gmail.com). Google Apps users, please enter username@your_domain.com
  • Email address: your full Gmail address (username@gmail.com) Google Apps users, please enter username@your_domain.com
  • Password: your Gmail password
If your client does not support SMTP authentication, you won't be able to send mail through your client using your Gmail address.
Also, if you're having trouble sending mail but you've confirmed that encryption is active for SMTP in your mail client, try to configure your SMTP server on a different port: 465 or 587.