Outlook has stopped syncing with my gmail

Michael Moore 10 Reputation points
2026-03-16T19:16:50.6866667+00:00

On or about March 14, 2026 outlook stopped working with my gmail account on two separate laptops. Both functioned properly before this. What's changed and how do i resolve? I've already tried removing and re-adding my gmail to outlook but it keeps failing.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-03-16T19:17:13.1633333+00:00

    A recent change in how Google authenticates Gmail accounts caused classic Outlook profiles using Gmail to stop syncing and fail when re-adding the account. This is a known issue that has been fixed in updated Outlook builds, and there is also a manual workaround if the profile is still broken.

    Follow these steps in order:

    1. Update Outlook to a fixed build The fix that changes Gmail sign-in to use a separate browser window is available in these channels/builds:
      • Beta Channel: Version 2404 (Build 17531.10000)
      • Current Channel Preview: Version 2404 (Build 17531.10000)
      • Current Channel: Version 2404 (Build 17531.10000)
      • Monthly Enterprise Channel: Version 2407 (Build 17727.10000)
      In classic Outlook:
      1. Open Outlook.
      2. Go to File > Office Account.
      3. Select Update Options > Update Now.
      4. After the update completes, restart Outlook and try adding/signing in to the Gmail account again. The sign-in should now open in a browser window.
      If Outlook is on an older build and does not update automatically, switching channels (for example, from Insider back to Current Channel) can be done using the documented registry methods in the article, then running Update Now again.
    2. Verify IMAP is enabled in Gmail Gmail must have IMAP enabled or Outlook will fail with errors like “We weren’t able to set up your Google account with IMAP. You may need to make changes to your Gmail settings.” In a browser:
      1. Go to Gmail.
      2. Open Settings > See all settings.
      3. Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
      4. Under IMAP access, select Enable IMAP.
      5. Select Save Changes.
    3. If Outlook still fails, clear old Google/Outlook permissions and credentials If the profile is still broken after updating, use the manual workaround: Step 1: Remove “Microsoft apps & services” access in Google
      1. Close Outlook.
      2. Sign in to the Google account at google.com.
      3. Select the profile picture > Manage your Google Account.
      4. Select Security.
      5. Scroll to Your connections to third-party apps & services and select Microsoft apps & services.
      6. Under Access you've given to Microsoft apps & services, choose Remove all access and confirm.
      Step 2: Delete old Google IMAP OAuth credentials from Windows Credential Manager
      1. Open Credential Manager from the Windows Start menu (on some systems via Control Panel > Credential Manager).
      2. Select Windows Credentials.
      3. Under Generic Credentials, find entries starting with MicrosoftOffice16_Data:OAUTH2.
      4. Expand each and hover over the name until it shows the full name including tp_google_imap_Oauth2.
      5. For each credential that includes tp_google_imap_Oauth2, select Remove. There are two such credentials per Gmail account.
      6. (Optional) To target only one Gmail account, map credentials to identities under the registry key:
        • Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity\Identities
    4. Sign in again from Outlook using browser-based sign-in
      • If the Gmail account is still in the profile but not syncing, open Outlook and use the Sign in via browser bar that appears. During browser sign-in, ensure the checkbox for Microsoft apps & services is selected.
      • If the Gmail account was removed from the profile, in Outlook select File > Add account, add the Gmail address, and complete the browser sign-in, again checking Microsoft apps & services.
    5. Confirm server settings if using manual setup If using manual IMAP/SMTP configuration, verify the Gmail settings match:
      • Incoming (IMAP) server: imap.gmail.com, SSL required, Port 993
      • Outgoing (SMTP) server: smtp.gmail.com, SSL required, TLS required if available
        • Port for SSL: 465
        • Port for TLS/STARTTLS: 587

    After these steps on each laptop (update Outlook, enable IMAP, clear old permissions/credentials, then re-add/sign in via browser), Gmail should resume syncing in classic Outlook.

    References:

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