How to Set Up Gmail with Older Versions of Outlook and Other Email Clients

You can still set up Gmail with older versions of Outlook, even though they don’t use Google’s latest security features. If you have Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010, or another older email program, you’ll just need to change a few settings. In this guide, we’ll show you how to allow less secure apps, create an app password if needed, turn on IMAP, and enter the right server details so your Gmail works smoothly.

In this article, we'll discuss:

• Step 1: Turn on Less Secure Apps
• Step 2: Create and use App Passwords
• Step 3: Turn on IMAP in Gmail
• Step 4: Set up Gmail with the older version of Outlook
• Review

If you need to use Gmail with older Outlook versions or email apps that don’t support OAuth, follow the steps below.

The following are examples of mail clients that don't support OAuth:

• Outlook versions released before Outlook 2016
• Apple iOS Mail versions released before Mail 8.3
• Apple Mail versions released before Mail 9.3

Step 1: Turn on Less Secure Apps

For older Outlook versions and mail clients without OAuth support, turn on Less Secure Apps:

• Enable less secure apps in the Admin console.
• Inform your users to enable less secure apps in their accounts.

Step 2: Create and use App Passwords

Only use this step if your email program can’t process verification codes and you have 2-step verification on—you’ll need an app-specific password to connect.

If you enable 2-step verification, please create and use App passwords.

Step 3: Turn on IMAP in Gmail

Turn on IMAP in their Gmail account:

1. In the top right, click the Settings icon.
   
    
2. Tap See all settings under Quick Settings.
   
    
3. Click Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
   
    
4. In the IMAP access section, tap Enable IMAP, then click Save Changes to complete the process.

Step 4: Set up Gmail with the older version of Outlook

1. In the Account Information section, click Add Account.
   
    
2. Click the Manual setup or additional server types option, then click Next >.
   
    
3. Choose POP or IMAP, then click Next > to proceed.
   
    
4. In the Add Account window, enter the details needed:
   1. Your Name: The name you use with your Google Workspace Gmail account
   2. Email Address: Your Google Workspace email address (Example: [email protected])
   3. Account type: IMAP
   4. Incoming mail server (IMAP): imap.gmail.com
   5. Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.gmail.com
   6. User Name: Your Google Workspace email address (Example: [email protected])
   7. Password: Your Google Workspace email password
   8. Then click the More Settings… button to proceed.
      
       
5. In the Internet E-mail Settings section, provide the details needed in the General tab:
   1. Mail Account: Your Google Workspace email address (Example: [email protected])
   2. Organization (Optional): Your work/company or school name
   3. Reply E-mail (Optional): A reply email address, if it’s different from your email address
   4. Once done, click the Outgoing Server tab.
      
       
6. In the Outgoing Server tab, tick My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication, choose Use same settings as my incoming server, and go to the Advanced tab.
   
    
7. In the Advanced section, use port 993 for Incoming server (IMAP) and port 587 for Outgoing server (SMTP). Then, click OK to proceed.
   
    
   Important: Use the following type of encrypted connection: SSL for the Incoming server (IMAP) and TLS for the Outgoing server (SMTP).
8. In the Test Account Settings section, Outlook tests your settings, then displays a message when your account is configured perfectly.
   
    
9. Once done, information will appear saying You’re all set! Tap Finish to complete the process.
   
    

Review

Setting up Gmail with older versions of Outlook is possible, but it takes a few extra steps because these older email apps don’t have the latest security features like OAuth. You’ll need to turn on “Less Secure Apps” (if still available), create app passwords for accounts with 2-step verification, and enable IMAP in Gmail. After that, you can manually enter Gmail’s IMAP and SMTP details in Outlook, making sure the right security and authentication settings are used. This will let you set up Gmail with older versions of Outlook, but keep in mind that using outdated apps can be less secure and may not work in the future.