Hi Rema
Thank you for reaching out through the Microsoft Q&A forum with your detailed question about adding a Google Business account to the new Outlook for Mac.
Your observations are correct and point to the two different connection types available for Google accounts in Outlook. The difference in feature availability, such as Pinned emails, is an expected outcome based on the method chosen.
When you sign in with Google, this method connects your account via the Microsoft Cloud, this is required to enable Outlook's advanced features like (Pinned emails) for your Google account > the sync is not work as expect.
And when you try to sync with Google" or "IMAP", this method uses the standard IMAP protocol, which is designed only to sync email messages and folders. Due to this protocol limitation, features like Pinned emails may not supported and are therefore disabled in Outlook for a consistent experience.
Here are some recommended solutions you can try:
- Reset Permissions and Configuration (to clear any corrupted settings and force a fresh authentication).
- Remove the Account from Outlook: In Outlook, go to Outlook > Settings > Accounts. Select your Google account and click the minus (-) button to remove it > Quit Outlook.
- Revoke Microsoft Access in Google: Go to your Google Account permissions page and find "Microsoft apps & services" in the list, click on it, and select "Remove Access."
Ensure IMAP is Enabled in Gmail: While not the primary sync method, it is a best practice for compatibility. Here are detailed steps and information you can refer to:
Re-add the Account: Restart your Mac to ensure all changes take effect and open Outlook and add your account again, make sure to select the "Sign in with Google" option > Follow the prompts in your browser to grant Microsoft the necessary permissions. After the account is added, please allow sufficient time for the initial sync to complete.
If the issue persists after the steps above, it may indicate a more complex problem with either your local Outlook data or your organization's security policies. You can try to:
- Contact Your IT Administrator (for Business Accounts): Your Google Workspace administrator may need to approve access for Microsoft services. Since this is a Google Business account (Workspace), your organization's administrator may have security policies that are blocking the connection. Please ask them to check the Google Admin Controls to ensure that "Microsoft apps & services" is not being blocked.
I hope this information is helpful. I look forward to your response!
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