IMAP access enable

Russell Brown 0 Reputation points
2026-03-12T14:57:07.3266667+00:00

How do I enable gmail imap access? If i go to forwarding and POP/IMAP mid page it shows imap access but there is no enable selection to chose from. It starts as auto-expunge on/off

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For home
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  1. Hornblower409 13,000 Reputation points
    2026-03-13T03:26:09.77+00:00

    https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7126229

    Gmail users with a personal Google Account - Starting January 2025, the option to choose “Enable IMAP” or “Disable IMAP” won't be available. IMAP access is always turned on in Gmail, and your current connections to other email clients aren’t affected. You don’t need to take any action.

    If you are still having problems adding your GMail IMAP account to New Outlook for Windows - Please try these instructions and describe any errors, or where it does not match what you are seeing.

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-a-gmail-account-to-outlook-for-windows-70191667-9c52-4581-990e-e30318c2c081#picktab=new_outlook

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  2. AI answer

    2026-03-12T14:57:17.7466667+00:00

    In the current Gmail interface, IMAP is enabled or disabled with a single radio button under IMAP access; the older explicit “Enable IMAP” wording may not appear, but the control is still there.

    Use these steps to verify and enable IMAP so the account can connect to Outlook:

    1. In a browser, go to Gmail and sign in.
    2. Select the gear icon in the upper-right corner and choose Settings (or See all settings).
    3. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
    4. Scroll down to the IMAP access section.
    5. Make sure the option that corresponds to Enable IMAP is selected (for example, the radio button that indicates IMAP is on; the options below it such as Auto-Expunge on/off only appear when IMAP is enabled).
    6. Scroll to the bottom and select Save Changes.

    If IMAP options are missing entirely (no IMAP access section at all), the account may be managed by Google Workspace with IMAP disabled at the organization level; in that case, IMAP must be turned on in the Google Admin console before it appears for the mailbox.

    After IMAP is enabled, add the Gmail account in Outlook New for Windows using the Google sign-in flow, or configure it with IMAP using the documented Gmail IMAP/SMTP settings if needed.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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