Gmail's outgoing (SMTP) server is smtp.gmail.com, with SSL required, TLS if available, authentication on, and port 587 for TLS/STARTTLS. If you're also collecting mail by POP, the incoming server is pop.gmail.com on port 995 with SSL.
Here's the catch. The server and port are rarely what goes wrong. To keep accounts more secure, Gmail no longer supports third-party apps or devices that need you to share your Google username and password. So an email client can have every setting right and still refuse to sign in. Google's answer is to look for a Sign in with Google option in the client, and only fall back on an app password if there isn't one.
The Gmail server settings, in one table
| Setting | What Google lists, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Outgoing mail (SMTP) server | smtp.gmail.com |
| SMTP security | Requires SSL: Yes. Requires TLS: Yes (if available) |
| SMTP authentication | Requires Authentication: Yes |
| SMTP port | 587 for TLS/STARTTLS |
| Incoming mail (POP) server | pop.gmail.com |
| POP security and port | Requires SSL: Yes. Port: 995 |
| Server timeouts | Greater than 1 minute (5 is recommended) |
| Full name or display name | Your name |
| Account name or username | Your email address |
| Password | Your Gmail password |
If you use Gmail with a work or school account, Google says to check with your administrator for the correct SMTP configuration, because it can differ from the settings above.
POP or IMAP: which one you're setting up
Both let you read Gmail in another email client, such as Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird, but they behave very differently.
| IMAP | POP | |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | Works across multiple devices | Only for a single computer |
| Syncing | Emails sync in real time | Emails are downloaded, not synced in real time |
| When new mail arrives | Straight away | When your client downloads, on a schedule you choose |
| Turning it on | Always on for personal accounts | You switch it on in Gmail settings |
That last row is new. Since January 2025, personal Google Accounts no longer get the option to choose Enable IMAP or Disable IMAP. IMAP access is always on, and existing connections to other email clients aren't affected, so there's nothing for you to do. When you add Gmail to a client this way, your messages and labels sync with it.
How to switch on POP in Gmail
- On your computer, open Gmail.
- In the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
- Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- In the POP download section, choose Enable POP for all mail (even mail that's already been downloaded) or Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on.
- Under When messages are accessed with POP, pick what happens to Gmail's copy: keep it in the Inbox, mark it as read, archive it or delete it.
- At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes, then enter the server settings from the table in your email client.
Be patient after you switch it on. Google warns it may take some time for your messages to download to your email client. And think hard before you pick Delete Gmail's copy, because those messages then live only in the client on that one computer.
Sign in with Google, or an app password
Adding Gmail to a modern client is meant to be short: open the client and look for an option to Sign in with Google. If you need help setting Gmail up in a particular client, Google points you to that client's developer.
If the app has no Sign in with Google option, you have two choices: use an app password, or switch to a more secure app or device. Google is blunt that app passwords aren't recommended and are unnecessary in most cases, but here's what you need to know if you're stuck with one.
| App password fact | What Google says |
|---|---|
| What an app password does | A 16-digit passcode that gives a less secure app or device permission to access your Google Account |
| What you need first | 2-Step Verification turned on for your Google Account |
| When to try one | If you use 2-Step Verification and get a password incorrect error when you sign in |
| How often you enter it | Usually once per app or device |
| iPhone and iPad | iOS 11 or up doesn't need one; use Sign in with Google |
Can't see the option to add an app password even though 2-Step Verification is on? Google gives three reasons: your 2-Step Verification is set up only for security keys, you're signed in to a work, school or other organisation account, or your account has Advanced Protection.
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Errors Google lists for email clients
Google's own troubleshooting lists are a useful map of where things break. For clients that use IMAP, the named problems are being unable to sign in, a Too many simultaneous connections error, and a client that crashes or takes too long to download emails. For POP, they include an Account exceeded POP command or bandwidth limits error, being unable to send emails, wanting to download emails on multiple email clients, emails being deleted from Gmail, and the option to change the POP setting being unavailable. If sending is your problem and it isn't a setting, check you haven't run into Gmail's daily sending limits.
My verdict on Gmail SMTP settings
I'd use IMAP with Sign in with Google for almost everyone, because it's always on, it syncs across your devices, and you never type your password into another company's app. I'd only set up POP if you read mail on one computer and want a local copy there. Reach for an app password last, and only if the client you can't give up has no Sign in with Google button. If all you want is your Gmail landing somewhere else, setting up forwarding in Gmail is often the simpler route.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Gmail SMTP server and port?
The outgoing server is smtp.gmail.com. It requires SSL, TLS if available and authentication, and the port for TLS/STARTTLS is 587.
What are the Gmail POP settings?
The incoming POP server is pop.gmail.com, it requires SSL and it uses port 995. You also have to enable POP in Gmail's Forwarding and POP/IMAP settings.
Why won't my email client accept my Gmail password?
Gmail no longer supports third-party apps or devices that require you to share your Google username and password. Look for a Sign in with Google option, or use an app password if the app doesn't offer one.
Do I need to turn on IMAP in Gmail?
Not on a personal Google Account. Since January 2025 IMAP access is always on and the option to enable or disable it has gone.
Can I use an app password without 2-Step Verification?
No. App passwords can only be used with accounts that have 2-Step Verification turned on.
