December 12, 2025, 7:49 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
A quiet but significant change is coming for millions of Gmail users. Starting in 2026, Google will remove two features that have been key to the service’s convenience for many. Those who manage multiple mailboxes through a central Gmail account will face noticeable limitations.
Beginning January 2026, Gmail will shut down two core features: integration via Gmailify and access through the POP3 protocol. Users of third-party accounts must adapt in time to continue retrieving emails.
Overview
Google Discontinues Gmailify and POP3 in Gmail
Gmailify allowed third-party mail accounts like Yahoo or Outlook to connect with Gmail, offering enhanced features such as spam filters, inbox categories, and improved search options. Push notifications were also among the benefits. These features will be completely eliminated in the future.
The POP3 protocol, which was previously used to retrieve external emails via Gmail, will no longer be supported starting in 2026. This means users will lose the ability to automatically integrate messages from other accounts into their Gmail inbox.
IMAP Becomes the New Mandatory Solution
To continue accessing third-party accounts, Google recommends switching to the modern Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). Unlike POP3, IMAP will continue to be supported and allows email synchronization directly on mobile devices like Android smartphones or iPhones via the Gmail app. However, this usage will not include the usual Gmail extras like spam protection or categorization.
Google explicitly advises users to check their mail settings and make the switch early. As an alternative to the previous POP3 retrieval, an automatic forwarding can be set up with the external email provider to ensure new messages appear in the Gmail inbox.
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How to Identify How an External Mail Account is Linked
To check which external mailboxes are integrated into Gmail via POP3, follow these steps:
- Open Gmail in your browser.
- Click the gear icon in the top right → See all settings.
- Go to the Accounts and Import tab.
- Under Check mail from other accounts, all accounts integrated with Gmail are listed.
If there are still entries here, such as those with POP3 integration, you need to take action and switch to IMAP. Ensure that IMAP is enabled on both email clients. At Gmail, this has been the default since January 2025.
Also interesting: If Users Don’t Do This, Google Will Delete the Gmail Account
Users Face Challenges
Gmail generally supports external mailboxes like GMX only through the older POP3 protocol. A full IMAP integration, where folders, structures, and changes remain synchronized between both mailboxes, is not provided by Google. Therefore, external accounts cannot be directly integrated into Gmail via IMAP, and importing the complete folder structure is technically impossible.
Those who want to reliably receive all new messages in Gmail even after the shutdown of POP3 and Gmailify must set up automatic forwarding. This ensures incoming emails are immediately delivered to the Gmail account—without the limitations that come with the lack of IMAP support.
Previously imported emails will remain in the Gmail account even after the mentioned features are discontinued. It is also still possible to perform one-time imports of messages and contacts from third-party accounts. However, ongoing synchronization as before will no longer be possible.