My old mail app keeps rejecting my correct Gmail password
Remove the account and add it again, choosing "Google" or "Sign in with Google". If the app has no such option, turn on 2-Step Verification and create an app password.
Gmail Email: Settings, Sign-In & Fixes
Gmail no longer accepts a plain username and password from other mail apps: you choose "Sign in with Google" instead. IMAP is always on, so there is no switch to find.
Covers @gmail.com, @googlemail.com. Run by Google. Checked against Gmail's own help pages, November 2026.
Gmail email server settings
| Server | Address | Port | Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming (IMAP) | imap.gmail.com | 993 | SSL/TLS |
| Incoming (POP) | pop.gmail.com | 995 | SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing (SMTP) | smtp.gmail.com | 587 | STARTTLS |
- Username: Your full Gmail address
- Password: Usually not needed: add the account with "Sign in with Google" in your mail app. Only an older app without that option needs an app password, which requires 2-Step Verification.
- Use IMAP if you read mail on more than one device; POP downloads mail to one device only.
Official page: Gmail email settings
Email still not working?
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Common Gmail email problems
Mail from my Yahoo or Outlook account stopped showing up in Gmail
Gmail is retiring "Check mail from other accounts". Turn on automatic forwarding at the other provider, or add that account to the Gmail phone app.
I can't find the setting to turn on IMAP
Since January 2025 IMAP is always on in Gmail, so there is nothing to switch on.
Some of my labels or folders don't show up in my mail app
Check each label's "Show in IMAP" setting in Gmail. Very large folders (over about 10,000 messages) may not sync well.
Gmail says too many devices are connected
Gmail allows up to 15 mail apps on one account at a time. Remove old phones and apps from your account.
Problems that look the same on every provider
Can't sign in, or the password stopped working
- Sign in on the provider's own webmail page first. If that works, the problem is your mail app, not the account.
- If webmail rejects the password, use the provider's "Forgot password" page. Never use a reset link from an email you did not ask for.
- Many providers now need a separate app password (or their own sign-in screen) for Outlook, Apple Mail and phone apps. Your normal password will not work there.
Not receiving emails
- Check Spam, Junk and any filters or "blocked senders" in webmail.
- Check whether the mailbox is full; most providers stop accepting mail at the storage limit.
- If your app shows nothing new but webmail does, remove and re-add the account in the app using IMAP.
Can't send, or emails are stuck in the Outbox
- Check the outgoing (SMTP) server, port and security on this page against your app; old guides often list ports that no longer work.
- Turn on "My outgoing server requires authentication" and use the same username and password as incoming.
- Large attachments are a common cause. Remove the attachment and try again.
Contacts are getting spam from my address
- Change the password from webmail, then sign out of all other sessions if the provider offers it.
- Check forwarding rules, filters and the reply-to address in settings; attackers often add a hidden forward.
- Turn on two-step verification, and update the password anywhere else you used the same one.
Setting it up on a new phone or computer
- Use IMAP rather than POP so mail stays in sync across your phone, computer and webmail.
- Enter your full email address as the username unless the provider says otherwise.
- If the app offers the provider by name (Yahoo, Google, Outlook), choose that instead of "Other".
Sources: Google: add Gmail to another email app (IMAP) · Google for Developers: IMAP, POP and SMTP server settings · Google: read Gmail in other email apps using POP · Google: changes to Gmailify and POP fetching. Providers change settings from time to time; their own page is the final word.
Tried the steps and still stuck?
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