You receive your Gmail emails on the web, but you would like to check them from Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail without losing synchronization between your devices. The IMAP protocol is the technical solution that allows this synchronization. However, you need to enter the correct settings in your email client for the connection to work on the first try.
OAuth Authentication and App Passwords: What Has Changed for Gmail
Before adjusting server settings, it’s important to understand a point that blocks most users. Google has gradually phased out simple password authentication for IMAP connections. Today, only OAuth 2.0 or an app password works.
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In practical terms, if you enter your usual Gmail password in an older email client, the connection will be refused. The error message won’t always tell you why.
There are two scenarios. If your email client (recent Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird) supports OAuth, it will open a standard Google login window. You authenticate as usual, and the client receives a secure access token. If you can set up the Gmail IMAP server with OAuth-compatible software, prefer this method.
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If your application does not support OAuth (some CRM software, older mail clients), you will need to generate an app password from the security settings of your Google account. This unique password replaces your usual password in the client’s authentication field.
For Google Workspace accounts, the situation adds a layer: your organization’s administrator may restrict IMAP access to only OAuth-compatible clients and even define a list of authorized OAuth credentials. If your IMAP connection fails with a business account, first check with your administrator that IMAP access is indeed enabled in the admin console.
Gmail IMAP Settings: Server, Port, and Encryption
You have enabled IMAP in the Gmail settings (tab “Forwarding and POP/IMAP”) and prepared your authentication method. Now you need to fill in the connection settings in your email client.
IMAP Incoming Server
The incoming server is always the same, regardless of the software used:
- IMAP Server: imap.gmail.com, port 993, SSL/TLS encryption enabled
- Username: your full Gmail address (example: [email protected])
- Password: your Google account password, an app password, or OAuth authentication depending on your setup
SMTP Outgoing Server
To send emails from your client, you also need to configure the SMTP server:
- SMTP Server: smtp.gmail.com, port 465 with SSL/TLS, or port 587 with STARTTLS
- Authentication required: yes, with the same credentials as for IMAP
- Port 587 with STARTTLS is the recommended choice by Google for most email clients
A common pitfall: some software offers “SSL” and “TLS” as two distinct options in a dropdown menu. For port 993 (IMAP), select SSL/TLS. For port 587 (SMTP), select STARTTLS. Reversing these settings will consistently result in a silent connection failure.
IMAP or POP: Why This Choice Changes Everything for Synchronization
Are you hesitating between IMAP and POP for Gmail? The difference can be summed up in one sentence: IMAP synchronizes your emails, POP downloads them and removes them from the server.
With IMAP, an email read on your computer also appears as read on your phone and on the Gmail web interface. Deleting a message from Thunderbird deletes it everywhere. Your folders (Gmail labels) remain consistent across all your devices.
With POP, your client downloads messages and, depending on the configuration, may delete them from the Gmail server. The result: your emails end up on a single device, without synchronization. POP remains useful in a specific case when you want to archive a local copy of all your messages on a hard drive, without relying on the cloud.
For the vast majority of uses, IMAP is the protocol to choose for Gmail.
Resolving IMAP Connection Errors with Gmail
The configuration is in place, but the connection fails. Before starting over, check these points in order.
Make sure that IMAP access is enabled in Gmail. Go to Settings (gear icon), then “See all settings,” tab “Forwarding and POP/IMAP.” If the line “IMAP Access” indicates “Disabled,” enable it and save.
If you are using two-step verification (and you should), a regular password will not work in a non-OAuth compatible client. Generate an app password from the security page of your Google account, under “App passwords.”
The message “connection refused” almost always comes from an authentication issue, not from a wrong server or port. If your settings imap.gmail.com / port 993 / SSL are correct, focus on the connection method.
For Workspace accounts, also check that your administrator has not restricted IMAP to certain specific OAuth clients. This restriction can block compatible software if its OAuth identifier is not included in the authorized list in the admin console.
One last often-overlooked point: Google imposes limits on IMAP session duration. If your email client disconnects regularly, check that it is configured to keep the connection active (option “IMAP IDLE” or “push” depending on the software). A disconnection every few minutes often indicates a client that opens too many simultaneous connections.
The Gmail IMAP configuration remains stable over time. The server settings have not changed for years. What evolves is the security layer. Keeping an email client up to date and using OAuth when possible will prevent most future blocks.