Gmail SMTP Settings
Google's free personal mailbox at gmail.com, reached by mail apps over IMAP and SMTP
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Outgoing mail (SMTP)
SMTP server
smtp.gmail.com
Port. STARTTLS
587
Port. SSL/TLS
465
Security
STARTTLS on 587 (recommended) or SSL/TLS on 465.
Incoming mail (IMAP)
IMAP server
imap.gmail.com
Port. SSL/TLS
993
Incoming mail (POP3)
POP3 server
pop.gmail.com
Port. SSL/TLS
995
Sending limits & login
Daily send limit
About 500 recipients per day on free Gmail.
Authentication
Requires an app password with 2-Step Verification enabled: your normal Gmail password will not work over SMTP.
App password
Create one at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords.
Gmail requires an app password (2-Step Verification) for SMTP, IMAP and POP access.
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Gmail SMTP, IMAP and POP3 settings
Gmail here means the free personal Google account with an address ending in gmail.com. Google no longer accepts your ordinary account password from a third-party mail app, so the client either signs in with Google or uses a 16 character app password, and that app password only exists once 2-Step Verification is on. Since January 2025 the Enable IMAP toggle is gone and IMAP is always available.
For incoming mail, use the IMAP server imap.gmail.com on port 993, or POP3 at pop.gmail.com on port 995. Pick the exact values from the tool above and copy them straight into your mail client.
Checked against Gmail's own documentation: support.google.com. Ports and limits change, so check there too if something will not connect.
Gmail settings at a glance
One card with every server and port on it. Right click to save it, or share the page and this is the preview people see.
What to enter as your Gmail username and password
Wrong credentials, not a wrong port, are the usual reason a Gmail connection fails. These are the exact values to type.
Your full Gmail address, including @gmail.com
The 16 character app password, typed without the spaces Google displays
Get your app passwordHow to set up Gmail in a mail client
The exact path through Gmail's own settings, in order.
- 1
Turn on 2-Step Verification first
No app password exists until 2-Step Verification is on. Switch it on from your Google Account security page at https://myaccount.google.com/security.
- 2
Create a 16 character app password
Go to https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords, give it a name such as the client you are setting up, and copy the code Google shows once.
- 3
Set the outgoing server
Use smtp.gmail.com on port 587 with TLS, or port 465 if the client wants SSL.
- 4
Set the incoming server
IMAP is imap.gmail.com port 993 with SSL, POP is pop.gmail.com port 995 with SSL. There is no longer an Enable IMAP checkbox to hunt for.
- 5
Cap huge folders if syncing stalls
In Gmail go to Settings, See all settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP, then use Limit IMAP folders to contain no more than this many messages. Google's advice is to sync only folders holding 10,000 emails or fewer.
What Gmail looks like filled in
Every mail client asks for the same handful of fields. Here they are with Gmail's values already in place.
Account settings: Gmail
Server
smtp.gmail.comPort
587Encryption
STARTTLSAuthentication
RequiredUsername
Your full Gmail address, including @gmail.comPassword
The 16 character app password, typed without the spaces Google displaysServer
imap.gmail.comPort
993Encryption
SSL/TLSAn illustration of the fields, not a screenshot of any one app. Field names differ slightly between Outlook, Apple Mail and Thunderbird; the values do not.
Gmail SMTP settings in Thunderbird
The outgoing server dialog with Gmail's details entered. Outlook and Apple Mail ask for the same four things under slightly different names.
Which port should you use for Gmail?
STARTTLS on 587 (recommended) or SSL/TLS on 465.
STARTTLS
Starts as a plain connection, then upgrades to an encrypted one. The modern standard for sending.
SSL/TLS
Encrypted from the first byte. Widely supported and a good choice when 587 is blocked.
Plain SMTP
Meant for server-to-server relay. Home networks and cloud hosts block it, so do not use it to send from a client.
Why your Gmail connection is failing
The failures people actually hit with Gmail, and what fixes each one.
Gmail refuses your normal account password from a mail app. Pick Sign in with Google inside the client, or paste a 16 character app password instead.
Google hides it when 2-Step Verification is off, when a security key is your only second step, or when the account is on Advanced Protection. Add a phone or authenticator second step, then reload the page.
Google allows one Gmail account in up to 15 mail clients at a time. Remove the account from clients and devices you no longer use, then reconnect.
Changing your Google Account password revokes every app password on the account. Create a fresh one at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords and paste it into the client.
Google removed the IMAP on and off toggle in January 2025 and IMAP is now always on. Skip that step and go straight to the client's server settings.
Gmail sending limits
Go past either 500 and Gmail blocks further sending for 1 to 24 hours before it clears on its own.
Per day
500 messages
Recipients per message
500 recipients
Max attachment
25 MB
Gmail quirks by mail client
Thunderbird
Choose Sign in with Google rather than a stored password, which Google prefers over app passwords and skips the 16 character code entirely.
Apple Mail
Adding the account as a Google account gives you the Google sign-in window, so no app password is needed.
Sending cold email through Gmail
About 500 recipients per day on free Gmail. Requires an app password with 2-Step Verification enabled: your normal Gmail password will not work over SMTP.
Those caps make single-mailbox sending fine for personal mail but a poor fit for cold outreach at volume. Emailchaser spreads sending across warmed inboxes and manages deliverability, so you can scale without burning Gmail accounts.
Other consumer email providers
Setting up more than one mailbox? These sit in the same category as Gmail.
Common questions about Gmail SMTP settings
What are Gmail's SMTP settings?
Gmail's outgoing (SMTP) server is smtp.gmail.com. Use port 587 (STARTTLS) or 465 (SSL/TLS). STARTTLS on 587 (recommended) or SSL/TLS on 465. Sign in with your full email address and password (or app password).
What is Gmail's IMAP or POP3 server?
Gmail's incoming IMAP server is imap.gmail.com on port 993 (SSL/TLS). If you prefer POP3, use pop.gmail.com on port 995.
Which port should I use for Gmail?
Use port 587 with STARTTLS wherever it's offered, it's the modern standard for authenticated sending. Port 465 with SSL/TLS is a solid alternative. Avoid port 25, which most networks block for client sending. Gmail's recommended value is above.
Why won't my Gmail SMTP connection work?
Check authentication first: Requires an app password with 2-Step Verification enabled: your normal Gmail password will not work over SMTP. Create one at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords. Then confirm the host, port and security method match exactly, a 587/SSL or 465/STARTTLS mismatch will fail to connect.
Can I send bulk or cold email through Gmail?
Not at scale. About 500 recipients per day on free Gmail. Providers throttle bursts to fight spam, so pushing cold email through one mailbox hits limits and wrecks deliverability. High-volume outreach belongs on dedicated infrastructure that spreads sending across warmed inboxes, which is what Emailchaser does.
Do I still have to switch IMAP on inside Gmail settings?
No. Google removed the Enable IMAP and Disable IMAP toggle in January 2025, and IMAP access is always turned on. Existing connections were not affected by the change. Plenty of older guides still show the checkbox, so ignore that step.
Google says app passwords are not recommended. Should I use one anyway?
Use one only when the mail app cannot show a Sign in with Google window. Google treats app passwords as a fallback for older apps because they bypass your second sign-in step. If the client offers Sign in with Google, pick that and never create the code.
Can I send from a different address through Gmail's SMTP server?
Only after you add and verify that address in Gmail. Go to Settings, See all settings, Accounts and import, then Send mail as, Add another email address. Gmail emails a confirmation link from send-as-noreply@google.com and you have to click it. Until then Gmail sends as your own address.
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