Beginning in January 2027, Gmail will end Send As for third-party addresses, web-based POP fetching from other mailboxes and Gmailify. If you use Gmail as a hub for an Outlook, Yahoo, business-domain or other non-Google address, move to a replacement before then. The least disruptive option depends on whether you receive mail, send mail or do both through Gmail.
Google has announced January 2027 but not a specific final date. Do not assume that you can wait until the end of that month. Gmailify and Gmail’s web-based POP fetching stopped accepting new users after the first quarter of 2026, while existing users can continue using them until January 2027. For third-party Send As, Google’s transition period runs through the third and fourth quarters of 2026, when new configurations may be restricted.
Identify how Gmail handles your other address
On a computer, open Gmail and select Settings, See all settings, then Accounts and Import. For some accounts, the tab is called Accounts.
- Check the Send mail as section. If it lists an address hosted by Outlook, Yahoo, your internet provider, a web host or another non-Google service, you use the affected Send As feature. You may have made it your default From address or selected it while composing.
- Check the Check mail from other accounts section. An external address here may use POP, which lets Gmail periodically fetch mail from that mailbox. If Gmailify is shown for an account, that connection is also affected.
- Check the Gmail mobile app. Tap your profile picture. If the external address appears as a separate account that you can switch to, it can continue to be used in the Gmail app. Google says the mobile app uses a standard Internet Message Access Protocol connection for third-party accounts.
You may use more than one arrangement. For example, Gmail may fetch incoming messages through POP while Send As handles outgoing messages. Replacing only one part would leave the other workflow unavailable.
If the external address is not listed under Check mail from other accounts, but its messages arrive in Gmail, sign in to the original provider and inspect its forwarding settings. Provider-side forwarding is separate from Gmail’s aggregation features. It can continue if the provider supports it.
Know what changes and what remains available
Starting in January 2027, Gmail will no longer support these third-party account features:
- Send As for third-party addresses: You will no longer be able to send from a non-Google address through your main Gmail account on the web or in the Gmail mobile apps.
- Check mail from other accounts through POP: Gmail on the web will no longer collect new messages from an external mailbox using POP.
- Gmailify: Gmail will no longer apply Gmail features, such as spam protection, inbox categories, improved mobile notifications and faster search, to a linked third-party account.
Messages already imported or synced into Gmail will remain there. You can still arrange for another provider to forward new mail to Gmail. You can also add a non-Google account as a separate account in the Gmail app for Android, iPhone and iPad.
Send As remains available for Google-hosted identities, including other Gmail addresses you own and aliases associated with Google Workspace. This exception does not cover a custom-domain mailbox simply because you added it to a personal Gmail account. The mailbox or alias must be hosted by Google.
Gmail is retiring POP only when Gmail uses it to pull mail from another provider. It is not ending POP or Internet Message Access Protocol access to a Gmail mailbox from supported email clients. Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and similar clients can still access Gmail. Google recommends choosing Sign in with Google in a current email client instead of supplying your Google Account password.
Choose a replacement that fits your workflow
| Your current use | Best starting option | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| You only receive the other account’s mail in Gmail | Provider-side forwarding | It does not preserve third-party Send As |
| You mainly work on a phone or tablet | Add the account separately in the Gmail app | The account remains a separate mailbox |
| You send and receive from several accounts on a computer | Desktop email client | Each account requires setup |
| You want the simplest provider-supported setup | Original provider’s website or app | You may lose a combined inbox |
| You control a business domain and want Gmail on the web | Move the domain’s email to Google Workspace | It requires administration, migration and a paid service |
Use forwarding when receiving is the only requirement. Enable automatic forwarding in the original provider’s settings and send new messages to your Gmail address. Keep the original mailbox active because forwarding does not transfer ownership of the account. Providers may apply spam filtering or other rules before forwarding mail.
Forwarding is not a complete substitute if you must reply visibly from the external address. After third-party Send As ends, a reply written in your main Gmail mailbox will use your Gmail address unless you send it through the external account itself.
Use the Gmail mobile app for a mobile-first workflow. Tap your profile picture, choose Add another account, then select the provider or Other (IMAP). For manual setup, use the incoming-mail settings supplied by the provider. You can select All inboxes to view mail from multiple accounts together, while messages remain associated with their original accounts.
Use a desktop client for a combined computer workflow. Add both Gmail and the third-party account to Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird or another supported client. Connect Gmail with Sign in with Google. Connect the other account with its provider-supported sign-in method and mail settings. Send through the external account itself rather than treating it as a Gmail alias.
Use the provider’s own app or website for the lowest setup risk. This is often the most dependable option for security prompts, account recovery, calendars and provider-specific features. It may be less convenient if you need one unified inbox.
Consider Google Workspace only for a domain you control. Moving a business or organisation’s domain to Workspace can make its primary addresses and aliases Google-hosted, retaining a Gmail web experience. It is a hosting migration involving domain records, user accounts, historical mail and administration. It is not a workaround for an address owned by Yahoo, Outlook or another consumer provider.
Complete this checklist before January 2027
- Record your current configuration. Take screenshots of the Send mail as and Check mail from other accounts sections. Note your default From and reply-to settings, forwarding rules, filters and signatures.
- Protect imported messages. Previously imported or synced messages will remain in Gmail. Apply a label to important historical mail if that will make the archive easier to find.
- Set up the replacement before removing anything. Configure forwarding, the Gmail app, a desktop client, the provider app or Workspace while the existing Gmail connection still works.
- Test incoming mail from an unrelated account. Send messages to the external address from a third account. Confirm delivery in the new destination, inspect spam folders and repeat with an attachment.
- Test the visible sender. Send from the replacement to an account at another provider. Check the displayed From address and, where available, the full message details. Make sure the message shows the external address rather than your personal Gmail address or an “on behalf of” variation.
- Confirm where replies go. Reply to the test message and verify that the response reaches the intended mailbox. From and reply-to can differ, and Gmail’s previous settings may not carry into a new app or client.
- Run both routes briefly. If Gmail still permits the old connection, keep it active while testing the replacement. Check the original provider’s inbox directly each day so that delayed forwarding or an incomplete rule does not hide messages.
- Update devices and routines. Add the correct account to every phone and computer, recreate signatures where needed and tell anyone sharing the workflow which account to select before sending.
Disable the old connection only after incoming mail, replies and sender details work correctly. Retain access to the original mailbox and check it regularly until the migration is complete.
Sources
- Google Gmail Help: Learn about changes to third-party email account support in Gmail
- Google Gmail Help: Learn about upcoming changes to Gmailify and POP in Gmail
- Google Gmail Help: Send emails from a different address or alias
- Google Gmail Help: Add another email account in the Gmail app
- Google Gmail Help: Add Gmail to another email client
