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How to Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail

By , About.com Guide

All of Both Worlds

If you use Gmail, you know how elegant it is — almost as elegant as Mac OS X Mail. How about combining the two?

Of course, you can have, for example, both the accessibility of Gmail and the speed of Mac OS X Mail; both the photo slide-shows of Mac OS X Mail and the search of Gmail; both the calendar integration of Gmail and the filters of Mac OS X Mail.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail Using IMAP

Now, to send and receive mail to and from a Gmail account in Mac OS X Mail:

  • Make sure IMAP access is enabled in Gmail.
  • Select Mail | Preferences… from the menu.
  • Go to the Accounts tab.
  • Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
  • Type your name under Full Name:.
  • Enter your Gmail address under Email Address:.
  • Now enter your Gmail password under Password:.
  • Click Create.
  • If you do not want to synchronize your iCal calendars with Google Calendar, make sure Calendars is not checked under Also set up:.
  • Click Create again.
  • Go to Mailbox Behaviors tab of the newly added account.
  • Make sure Store junk messages on the server is checked.
  • Make sure Never is selected under Delete junk messages when:.
  • Now make sure Never is selected under Permanently erase deleted messages when: as well.
  • Close the Accounts preferences window.
  • Click Save if prompted.
  • Open the [Gmail] | Drafts folder for the newly added Gmail account
  • Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Drafts from the menu.
  • Open [Gmail] | Sent Mail.
  • Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Sent from the menu.
  • Open [Gmail] | Trash.
  • Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Trash from the menu.
  • Now open [Gmail] | Spam.
  • Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Junk from the menu.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail 3 Using IMAP

To add Gmail as an IMAP account to Mac OS X Mail 3:

  • Make sure IMAP access is enabled for the Gmail account.
  • Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu.
  • Go to the Accounts tab.
  • Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
  • Type your name under Full Name:.
  • Enter your Gmail address under Email Address:.
  • Now enter your Gmail password under Password:.
  • Make sure Automatically set up account is not checked.
  • Click Continue.
  • Make sure IMAP is selected under Account Type:.
  • Type "imap.gmail.com" (not including the quotation marks) under Incoming Mail Server:.
  • Verify your Gmail account name (what precedes "@gmail.com" in your Gmail address) appears under User Name:.
  • Click Continue.
  • Type "Gmail" under Description: for the Outgoing Mail Server.
  • Check Use Authentication is checked and that your Gmail account name appears under User Name:.
  • Click Continue.
  • Verify the Account Summary reads like this:
    • Account Description: Gmail
    • Full Name: your name
    • Email Address: your Gmail address
    • User Name: your Gmail account name
    • Incoming Mail Server: imap.gmail.com
    • SSL: on
    • Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.gmail.com
    • SSL: on
  • Click Create.
  • Go to your newly set up Gmail account's Mailbox Behaviors tab.
  • Check Store junk messages on the server.
  • Make sure Never is selected under Delete junk messages when:.
  • Now make sure Never is selected under Permanently erase deleted messages when:
  • Close the preferences window.
  • Go to GMAIL | [Gmail] | Drafts in the folder list.
  • Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Drafts from the menu.
  • Go to GMAIL | [Gmail] | Sent Mail.
  • Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Sent from the menu.
  • Go to GMAIL | [Gmail] | Trash.
  • Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Trash from the menu.
  • Go to GMAIL | [Gmail] | Spam.
  • Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Junk from the menu.

You can also star and label messages using IMAP Gmail in Mac OS X Mail.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail Using POP

  • Make sure POP access is turned on for your Gmail account.
  • Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu in Mac OS X Mail.
  • Go to the Accounts tab.
  • Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
  • Type your name under Full Name:.
  • Enter your Gmail address under Email Address:.
  • Click Continue.
    • Do leave the Password: field blank.
  • Click Continue again, acknowledging the message that Logging in to the Google IMAP server "imap.gmail.com" failed..
  • Make sure POP is selected under Account Type:.
  • Enter "pop.gmail.com" under Incoming Mail Server:.
  • Type your full Gmail email address under User Name:.
  • Now enter your Gmail password in the Password: field.
  • Click Continue.
  • Click Continue again to accept the Outgoing Mail Server settings.
  • Now click Crete.
  • Close the Accounts preferences window.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail 3 Using POP

  • Make sure POP access is enabled in Gmail.
  • Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu.
  • Go to the Accounts tab.
  • Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
  • Type your name under Full Name:.
  • Enter your Gmail address under Email Address:.
  • Now enter your Gmail password under Password:.
  • Make sure Automatically set up account is checked.
  • Click Create.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail 2 Using POP

To access a Gmail account in Mac OS X Mail 2 using POP:

  • Make sure POP access is turned on for the Gmail account.
  • Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu.
  • Go to the Accounts tab.
  • Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
  • Make sure POP is selected under Account Type:.
  • Type "Gmail" under Account Description:.
  • Enter your name under Full Name:.
  • Type your full Gmail address under Email Address:.
  • Click Continue.
  • Enter "pop.gmail.com" under Incoming Mail Server:.
  • Type your full Gmail email address under User Name:.
  • Put your Gmail password in the Password: field.
  • Click Continue.
  • Make sure Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is checked.
  • Select Password under Authentication:.
  • Click Continue.
  • Type "smtp.gmail.com" under Outgoing Mail Server:.
  • Make sure Use Authentication is checked.
  • Enter your full Gmail address under User Name:.
  • Put your Gmail password in the Password: field.
  • Click Continue.
  • Make sure Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is checked under Outgoing Mail Security, too.
  • Under Authentication:, select Password.
  • Click Continue.
  • Click Continue again.
  • Now click Done.
  • With the new "Gmail" account highlighted, click Server Settings... under Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP):.
  • Type "465" under Server port:.
  • Click OK.
  • Close the mail preferences.

(Updated January 2012)

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