my gmail is no longer working in outlook

Question

my gmail is not longer working in outlook. it stopped yesterday morning and the message i receive is "you have denied access to Google - IMAP"

i did not do anything and now i can't seem to fix this. a chat with a live person would be the best

Answer 1

Hi Mary Musacchia, 

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

I understand how frustrating it can be when a Gmail account suddenly stops connecting in classic Outlook, especially when you did not make any changes.

I noticed there is already a Q&A Assist answer in the thread with the standard recovery steps. Before I add more details, did you have a chance to try those steps yet, especially updating Outlook and then re-adding the Gmail account?

To add a bit more helpful context: this “denied access” message usually means Google is blocking or has revoked the permission for Outlook to access Gmail over IMAP, so Outlook cannot complete the connection until Google allows the sign-in again. One key step that often helps in this situation is to remove the existing Google permission for “Microsoft apps & services” (if it exists), then add the Gmail account again so the permission prompt reappears and you can select Allow.

Also, since classic Outlook has had a documented Gmail sign-in problem that was addressed through updates, making sure Outlook is fully up to date before retrying the sign-in is important.

Helpful references you can use while trying the steps:

• Classic Outlook Gmail sign-in issue and the update-based resolution: Unable to sign in or add a Gmail account to classic Outlook
• Steps to add (or re-add) a Gmail account in Outlook for Windows: Add a Gmail account to Outlook for Windows
• Google’s overview for using Gmail with other email clients and modern sign-in: Add Gmail to another email client

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Regarding your question about chatting with a live support agent, you can try the steps below to contact Microsoft Support directly for further assistance:

1. Visit the Microsoft Support contact page: Contact - Microsoft Support  
2. In the search bar provided on the page, type "Outlook issue" and press Enter.  
3. Click on the "Get Help" button that appears.  
4. Scroll down the page until you see and click on the "Contact Support" option.  
5. When prompted to select your product or service, choose "Other Products".  
6. For the category, choose "Outlook".  
7. Look for and click on "Chat with a support agent in your web browser".  
8. Confirm your personal email when prompted - this is the email Microsoft will use to communicate with you during and after the support session.  
9. Explain your situation clearly: Be concise but provide all the relevant details.    

I hope this helps clarify the situation.

Answer 2

The error indicates Outlook can no longer access the Gmail account over IMAP. Recent changes in Google/Outlook authentication and Gmail IMAP settings commonly cause this. Use the steps below in order.

1. Verify IMAP is enabled in Gmail
   1. In a browser, go to Gmail.
   2. Select Settings (gear icon) > See all settings.
   3. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
   4. Under IMAP access, make sure Enable IMAP is selected.
   5. Select Save Changes.
2. Confirm Outlook is on a fixed build for Gmail sign-in For classic Outlook for Microsoft 365, a known Gmail sign-in issue has been fixed in current builds. Make sure Outlook is updated:
   1. Open Outlook.
   2. Go to File > Office Account.
   3. Select Update Options > Update Now.
   4. After the update completes, restart Outlook and test the Gmail account again.
3. If adding the Gmail account fails with IMAP or “app not secure” errors Classic Outlook had an issue where Gmail sign-in failed with messages like “The browser or app may not be secure” or “We weren’t able to set up your Google account with IMAP. You may need to make changes to your Gmail settings.” This has been fixed in newer Outlook builds. If Outlook is not yet on one of the fixed builds, update the channel/build as documented:
   • The fix 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)
   • If Outlook is on an older build and cannot update normally, use the documented registry method to switch channels, then update Outlook and try adding the Gmail account again.
4. If Outlook shows “You have denied access to Google – IMAP” after sign-in This typically means Google has blocked or revoked Outlook’s IMAP access. After confirming IMAP is enabled and Outlook is updated:
   1. Remove the Gmail account from the Outlook profile.
   2. Close and reopen Outlook.
   3. Add the Gmail account again from File > Add Account, and complete the Google sign-in in the browser window that opens.
5. If the issue started recently and coincides with an Office update Some users worked around earlier Gmail/Outlook issues by temporarily switching to an Insider channel and then back once the fix was released. If a temporary channel change was used before, follow the same documented steps to switch back to Current Channel and then update Outlook again.

For real-time assistance, use Microsoft’s official support channels (phone or chat) from the support site for Outlook/Office, where an agent can review the specific account and build details.

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References:

• Unable to sign in or add a Gmail account to classic Outlook
• Fix problems connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud