While it’s possible to set up mail forwarding in Gmail, an easier way to get all of your messages in one inbox is to connect your Gmail account to your preferred email client via POP access. That way, you can enjoy the editing power of your desktop email client while retaining the archiving and search proficiency of Gmail’s web interface.

How POP Access to Gmail Works

You can access your Gmail account directly via POP using any email client. Mail downloaded via POP can either be archived in Gmail, remain unread, or be trashed.

Instructions in this article apply to the standard web version of Gmail. All steps are the same for all browsers.

If you send a message through Gmail’s SMTP server from the email program of your choice, a copy is automatically placed and archived in Gmail’s Sent Mail folder; you do not have to add yourself as a Bcc: recipient.

How to Enable POP Access to Gmail

To enable POP access to your Gmail account with any email client:

Alternatively, you can connect to Gmail via IMAP, which gives you to access archived mail as well as your Gmail labels in a different email client.

  • Select the gear in the upper-right corner of Gmail and select Settings from the drop-down menu.
  • Select See all settings.
  • Select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
  • Make sure Enable POP for all mail or Enable POP only for mail that arrives from now on is selected.
  • Next to When messages are accessed with POP, select what you want to happen to mail after it gets downloaded
  • Scroll to the bottom and select Save Changes.
  • For some email clients, you may also need to allow access for less secure apps in your Gmail account.

How to Set up Your Email Client for Gmail POP Access

The steps for setting up Gmail POP access differ depending on your email client. The following email programs provide streamlined integration with Gmail via POP:

Select the gear in the upper-right corner of Gmail and select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Select See all settings.

Select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

Make sure Enable POP for all mail or Enable POP only for mail that arrives from now on is selected.

Next to When messages are accessed with POP, select what you want to happen to mail after it gets downloaded

Scroll to the bottom and select Save Changes.

For some email clients, you may also need to allow access for less secure apps in your Gmail account.

  • Eudora
  • iPhone Mail
  • Mac OS X Mail
  • Mozilla Thunderbird 2.x
  • Mozilla Thunderbird 1.x
  • Outlook 2007
  • Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003
  • Outlook Express
  • Pegasus Mail
  • Windows Live Mail

Gmail POP Access for Other Email Clients

If your email program is not listed above, you may still be able to connect to Gmail using these settings:

  • Gmail POP server address: pop.gmail.comGmail POP username: Your Gmail address (e.g. example@gmail.com)Gmail POP password: Your Gmail passwordGmail POP port: 995Gmail POP SSL required: yesSMTP server: smtp.gmail.comGmail SMTP port (TLS): 587Gmail SMTP port (SSL): 465Require SSL/STARTTLS: YesRequire SMTP authentication: Yes

You may need to go to an Advanced Settings or More Settings screen to enter the required information.

If you have 2-step authentication set up for your Gmail account, you can use a password generated specifically for the app you are configuring.

Precede your Gmail address with recent: to get the latest messages even if they have been downloaded elsewhere.

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