Set up Gmail with a third-party email client

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.

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:

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 for Office 365
  • 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.