How to Access Gmail in Outlook Using a POP Server

This article explains how to set up Gmail in Outlook as a POP account. The instructions apply to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and Outlook for Microsoft 365, including the Outlook mobile app.

Add Gmail to Outlook Using a POP Server

You can set up Gmail as a POP account in Outlook, however, you'll have to disable two-step verification first, as the Outlook app won't ask for a verification code.

1. Make sure you've enabled POP access for the Gmail account.

2. Open the Outlook desktop app. Click File > Account Settings (in the Info section) and choose Account Settings from the drop-down menu.

3. In the Account Settings window, go to the Email tab. Click New to add a new external email account for POP access.

4. Type your Gmail address in the blank field. Under Advanced options, check the box next to Let me set up my account manually. Click Connect to continue.

5. On the Advanced Setup window, select POP from the list of options.

6. On the next screen, type your Gmail account password, then hit Connect.

7. Outlook will connect to your Gmail account using your credentials. Once it's finished, you should see a new window with a success message.

8. Click Done to finish, and you'll see the new Gmail account displayed in your list of Outlook email accounts.

To test that your new Gmail POP account works, go to the Send/Receive menu in Outlook, and click Send/Receive All Folders. You should see a status window pop up that shows the send/receive syncing process.

When it's finished, email messages from your Gmail account will appear in the Outlook inbox under that account.

If your Gmail account has a lot of emails, the syncing process could take hours.

Every sync session that takes place uploads a block of messages at a time, starting with the oldest ones and finishing with your most recent.

Adding Gmail POP access in Outlook Mobile

You can also sync your Gmail account via POP in the Outlook mobile app which is available for Android and iOS.

Once you have the Outlook app installed, add your Gmail account via POP as follows.

1. Once you launch the Outlook app, it'll recognize any email accounts you've signed into on your smartphone. If you're using an Android device, the odds are good you're already signed into your Gmail account.

2. When you select the Google account, the Outlook app will request permission to access it.

3. You'll see another screen with your email accounts. Select your Gmail account from the list. Again, confirm permissions for the Outlook app to access your Gmail account.

4. When you've finished, you'll see your Gmail account emails in the Gmail inbox inside the Outlook mobile app.

5. If you ever want to add more Gmail accounts to your Outlook mobile app, tap the menu icon and select the gear settings icon. In the Settings screen, you can tap Add Account to add another Gmail account (or any other external email account that supports POP access).

6. Then repeat the same process as when you set up the first Gmail account.

Accessing Gmail via POP vs. Gmail via IMAP

Having Gmail in Outlook as an IMAP account is useful, but complicated to set up. If you're looking for an alternative to cumbersome IMAP approach, consider adding Gmail as a POP account, which is an easier process. You can configure how you'd like Outlook to organize those incoming messages, without changing anything in your Gmail account.

Using Gmail in Outlook as an IMAP account can be daunting, especially if your Gmail account has many labels or folders. Syncing those to an external email client with IMAP may lead to emails getting imported in random places in your client. You'll also need to deal with keeping several GB of data in sync.