Not getting email in Outlook

Question

My laptop is not receiving email in Outlook. I have a gmail account and updated my Microsoft 365 account in December. I usually use my ipad for email which is up to date but my windows laptop stopped getting email on 12/4. We have tried many things so far, including resetting our google password, repairing outlook, etc, but mail will not come into Outlook. If I log into google I can see it, but I pay for Microsoft 365 and prefer to use Outlook.

When I click on Send/Recieve I get an error message to check server and network administrator. My account settings look OK, but I am unfamiliar with IMAP and other server terminology and have not changed anything there. My laptop internet is working fine, it is just Outlook email.

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Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office | Other

Answer 1

Hi Kathy Zopf-Herling

I hope you are doing well ! I just want to check if you have had a chance to test the steps earlier? Please let me know if they helped resolve the issue or if you are still experiencing any difficulties. I am here to assist you further.

Best Regards

Answer 2

Dear Kathy Zopf-Herling

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand you are having problem with Gmail not syncing in Outlook on your Windows laptop (home use). I am happy to assist you. Have you tried the AI given steps? Please also check these additional steps:  

• Update Outlook and retry Google sign‑in (Classic Outlook only) 
  • Open File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now to get the Current Channel build that includes the Gmail sign‑in fix (Version 2412 Build 18324.20168 or later). When the error banner offers Retry, select it to re‑run the Google OAuth sign‑in and finish the permission prompt.  
• Remove and re‑add the Gmail account (New Outlook) 
  • In new Outlook: View settings (or File > Account info) > Accounts > Your accounts > Add account and select Gmail, then complete the Google permission prompt (Allow). If the account already exists and still won’t sync, choose Manage > Remove, close Outlook, reopen it, and Add account again.  
• Clear cached Google OAuth tokens in Windows
  • Open Credential Manager > Windows Credentials > Generic Credentials and remove entries named MicrosoftOffice16_Data:OAUTH2…tp_google_imap_Oauth2. Reopen Outlook and sign in when prompted.  
• Create a fresh Outlook profile  
  • Start Outlook with the profile picker (hold Shift while launching Outlook) > Options > New and add your Gmail account to the new profile; or run Outlook.exe /profiles from Win + R to open the chooser. Use Prompt for a profile to be used while testing.  
• Allow time for New Outlook’s Microsoft Cloud sync to hydrate 
  • In new Outlook, Google accounts sync via the Microsoft Cloud; large mailboxes can take time to fully populate after you reconnect, even though new mail should begin to flow quickly.  

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Answer 3

Follow these steps in order, stopping if email starts syncing again.

1. Confirm internet connectivity on the laptop

• Open Edge or Chrome.
• Browse to http://www.microsoft.com or http://www.bing.com.
• If these sites do not load, fix the network first using the guidance in Fix network connection issues in Windows.

2. Check for sync errors in Outlook

• In classic Outlook, go to the View tab.
• Select Sync (or Send/Receive All Folders) to force a manual sync.
• Watch the status bar at the bottom for any specific error text.
• If the error mentions the server or IMAP, continue with the Gmail-specific steps below.

3. Verify Gmail IMAP is enabled Gmail must have IMAP enabled for Outlook to sync.

• In a browser, sign in to Gmail.
• Select Settings (gear icon) > See all settings.
• Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
• Under IMAP access, select Enable IMAP.
• Select Save Changes.

4. Confirm Outlook is using the correct Gmail server settings

• Open Control Panel in Windows.
• Search for and open Mail.
• Select Email Accounts.
• Select the Gmail account and choose Change.
• Verify the settings against the recommended Gmail IMAP values:
  • Incoming mail (IMAP) server: imap.gmail.com
    • Port: 993
    • SSL: enabled
  • Outgoing mail (SMTP) server: smtp.gmail.com
    • SSL: Yes
    • TLS: Yes (if available)
    • Authentication: Yes
    • Port for SSL: 465, or Port for TLS/STARTTLS: 587
  • User name: full Gmail address
  • Password: current Gmail password or app password (if using 2‑step verification)
• Select More Settings > Advanced and confirm the ports/SSL match the above.
• Select Next to test the account settings and confirm the test completes successfully.

5. Recreate the Gmail account in Outlook (if errors persist) If tests fail or Send/Receive still shows server errors after correcting settings:

• In Account Settings, remove the Gmail account from Outlook.
• Add the Gmail account again using the automatic setup.
• During the Google sign-in in the browser, ensure the permission for Microsoft apps & services to Read, compose, send, and permanently delete all your email from Gmail is granted when prompted.

If Gmail works on the iPad and via the browser, but Outlook still cannot connect after these steps, the most common remaining causes are incorrect IMAP/SMTP settings or IMAP being disabled in Gmail; correcting those typically restores mail flow.

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References:

• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook
• Fix problems connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud
• Change or update email account settings in Outlook for Windows
• Unable to sign in or add a Gmail account to classic Outlook