No longer syncing with (imap) gmail

Question

Need paid human support for Outlook. No longer syncing with (imap) Gmail. Settings in Gmail (imap) are correct. Tried everything.

Answer 1

This worked for me:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/unable-to-add-a-gmail-account-to-classic-outlook-4d9530c5-3f40-4e6d-9b45-4477f160828f

The last bit when I manually deleted the IMAP credentials, thus forcing Outlook to reauthenticate. Wasted two hours on this.

Answer 2

@Boyce Greenard

Have you run into this known Classic Outlook GMail bug? The article title is "Unable to add a Gmail account ..." but I have seen reports that this bug can also cause working GMail accounts to fail. The fix is the same - Clear the Windows Credentials.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/unable-to-add-a-gmail-account-to-classic-outlook-4d9530c5-3f40-4e6d-9b45-

Answer 3

Hello Boyce Greenard,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand how frustrating it is when standard troubleshooting doesn't resolve sync issues, especially with a critical account like Gmail. 

As of early 2026, Google has completed its transition to OAuth 2.0 (Modern Authentication). This means that traditional IMAP setups using your standard password—or even some older App Passwords—may no longer trigger the necessary permission window, causing Outlook to "hang" or fail to sync. 

To resolve this without manual IMAP configuration: 

1. Remove the Gmail account from your Outlook profile. 
2. When adding it back, enter your email address and select the Google/Gmail icon when prompted. 
3. This will trigger a "Sign in with Google" browser window. This uses OAuth (Modern Authentication), which is now the required method for a stable sync between Gmail and Outlook. 

For more details on this specific issue and the official workaround, you can refer to this article: Unable to add a Gmail account to classic Outlook

If you would like to speak with a live Microsoft support advocate, please follow these specific steps to bypass the automated assistant and reach the chat queue: 

1. Visit the Contact - Microsoft Support page. 
2. In the search box, type "Gmail sync issue" and press Enter. 
3. Click the Get Help button. 
4. Scroll to the bottom of the results and select Contact Support. 

Note: You must be signed in to a personal Microsoft account (e.g., @outlook.com, @hotmail.com) to see the live chat options. 

1. Under Products & Services, select Microsoft 365 & Office. 
2. Under Category, select Outlook (or "Technical Support"). 
3. Click Confirm. 
4. You should now see the option to "Chat with a support agent in your web browser." 

Please note that live chat is generally available during local business hours. If the option does not appear, we recommend trying again during standard 9 AM – 5 PM window. 

I hope this helps you get back up and running quickly. If you encounter any specific error codes while following these steps, please let me know! I am more than happy to provide further assistance. 

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Answer 4

Classic Outlook IMAP connections to Gmail commonly stop syncing because of Gmail-side settings or recent Outlook changes. Since Gmail IMAP is already enabled, use these targeted checks and fixes:

1. Confirm IMAP and folder visibility in Gmail
   1. In a browser, sign in to Gmail.
   2. Select the gear icon > Settings.
   3. Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP and verify:
      • Under IMAP access, Enable IMAP is selected.
      • Select Save Changes if anything was changed.
   4. Go to the Labels tab and verify for at least these labels:
      • Inbox, Sent Mail, Trash, All Mail all have Show in IMAP checked.
   5. Save any changes.
2. Verify Outlook is using the correct IMAP/SMTP settings
   1. In Outlook classic, open File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
   2. Select the Gmail account > Change > More Settings.
   3. Confirm the server values match:
      • Incoming (IMAP): imap.gmail.com, Port 993, SSL required.
      • Outgoing (SMTP): smtp.gmail.com, Port 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS/STARTTLS), authentication required.
   4. On the IMAP details page, make sure Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA) is unchecked.
   5. Save and restart Outlook.
3. Ensure Outlook build is not affected by a known Gmail sign-in bug
   • Classic Outlook has had issues adding or syncing Gmail where sign-in fails or IMAP stops working.
   • Make sure Outlook is updated to a build where these issues are fixed:
     • For the “could not sign you in to Google – IMAP” issue, the fix is in Version 2008 Build 13127.20296 and later.
     • For the “browser or app may not be secure” / IMAP setup failures, the fix is in Version 2404 (Build 17531.10000) or later on supported channels.
   • In Outlook, go to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now to get the latest build.
4. Enable optional connected experiences (if sign-in to Google is failing) If Outlook is failing at the Google consent screen or not completing the connection:
   1. Open Outlook.
   2. Go to File > Office Account.
   3. Under Account Privacy, select Manage Settings.
   4. Check Enable optional connected experiences.
   5. Restart Outlook and test sync again.
5. Refresh Outlook after Gmail changes
   • After adjusting IMAP and label settings in Gmail, allow up to 15 minutes for sync to refresh.
   • In Outlook for Windows, use Send/Receive All Folders to force a sync.
6. When to escalate to paid human support If, after:
   • Confirming IMAP is enabled and folders show in IMAP in Gmail,
   • Verifying IMAP/SMTP settings and disabling SPA,
   • Updating Outlook to a fixed build and enabling optional connected experiences, messages still do not sync, the next step is direct support from:
   • Microsoft Support (for Outlook client issues such as profile corruption, update problems, or authentication bugs), and/or
   • Google Support (if Gmail is rejecting IMAP connections or returning provider-side errors).

These providers can perform account-specific checks, review logs, and, if necessary, remote into the environment as part of paid support.

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References:

• Fix problems connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud
• Unable to sign in or add a Gmail account to classic Outlook
• Unable to add a Gmail account to Outlook "Could not sign you in to Google"
• Troubleshoot Outlook email setup
• Prepare your Gmail or Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) account for connecting to Outlook and Microsoft 365 or Office 365
• Fix problems importing contacts to Outlook
• Connected email accounts like Gmail and Yahoo not working in Outlook.com
• gmail accounts no longer working in outlook classic - Microsoft Q&A