If you are experiencing problems connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud, you are in the right place. This post will address the issue and give you workable solutions. The most common problem is connecting your Gmail to your Mail or Outlook on your Windows PC. The main cause of the issue is your Gmail settings, and you need to check them and try some changes.
Your Gmail account is different from your Microsoft account. The original Gmail address acts as the Google account and gives users access to Google services and gadgets. On the other hand, your Microsoft cloud account also gives you access to their services, even if it’s associated with your Gmail address. However, the two services can be connected. For example, in order to sync with Gmail, you must configure your Outlook account for IMAP. Now, let us see how you can fix problems connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud. Read on.
Fix problems connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud
When you try to connect your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud and you get errors indicating that they were not able to connect to your Google account with IMAP and that you need to change your IMAP settings, you only need to do exactly that as the first solution. In most cases, the issue is with your Gmail settings. IMAP and SMTP settings cause problems connecting your Google accounts to Microsoft Cloud, so you need to configure them correctly. Follow the following steps to fix this issue:
- Check and enable your IMAP settings
- Tweak SMTP settings in the email client
- Enable your folders
- Restart your Mail and Outlook for your Windows PC
Let’s go deeper into these solutions
1] Check and enable your IMAP settings
Enabling IMAP on your Gmail account is the first major requirement before connecting your account. If it’s disabled, it means you cannot access Gmail on other email clients using IMAP settings. So you need to change these settings, and here is how:
- On your web browser, log in to your Gmail.
- On the top right, you will see a Settings icon. Click on it then select See all settings.
- A new detailed window will appear. Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP option.
- Scroll down until where you will see IMAP access. If the status is Disabled, then go ahead and check the box next to Enable IMAP to enable it.
- Select the Save Changes button to complete the process.
2] Tweak SMTP settings in the email client
Here, you need to change the SMTP and other settings in your Outlook account. We recommend using the Outlook app to easily access these settings. However, you can, as well, use Outlook Web, the Mail app, or Mail Web. Use the following steps to change SMTP and other settings on the Outlook App:
- Open your Outlook app on your Windows Computer and click Files.
- If you haven’t added your Gmail account on Outlook, click Add account and sign in using your Gmail address and password.
- Click Account settings and on the drop-down, select Server settings. A new window will appear with IMAP Account Settings.
- For incoming mail, change the settings as follows:
Username: Your Gmail address
Server: imap.gmail.com
Port: 993
Encryption method: SSL/TLS - For outgoing mail, change the settings as follows:
Server: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 465
Encryption method: SSL/TLS
Click Next to update your account and then Done to complete the process.
If you are using Outlook Web, use the following steps to change SMTP settings:
- Go to Outlook web account settings here and change the following settings.
- In the Incoming Mail IMAP server settings, ensure your details are as follows:
Server: imap.gmail.com
Requires SSL: Yes
Port: 993 - For Outgoing mail SMTP settings, the details should be as follows:
Server: smtp.gmail.com
Requires SSL: Yes
Requires TLS: Yes
Requires Authentication: Yes
SSL port: 465
TLS port: 587
Remember to use your full name or display name as your name. Use your email address as the account name or username. You should use your Gmail password, not the Outlook one.
3] Enable your folders
Mail for Windows and Outlook need to access your Gmail folders. To do this, you need to ensure your folders show up in the IMAP settings. You are at liberty to choose the labels you want to appear on the IMAP. You can remove the ones you don’t want. Here is how to enable the folder on Gmail:
- On your browser, log in to your Gmail account.
- Click the Settings icon on the top right. Scroll down and select See all settings.
- On the new window, select Labels on the top bar.
Here, every Label you want is enabled by checking the box next to Show in IMAP on each label. Ensure the main ones like Sent Mail, Inbox, All Mail, and Trash are enabled.
4] Restart your Mail and Outlook for your Windows PC
Once all the above steps are complete, you need to refresh or reload your Mail for Windows and Outlook. If you are using Outlook Web, click the refresh button of your browser or right-click anywhere on the page and select reload. On Mail for Windows, use the circular reload icon. Please give it some time, because the syncing process might take up to 15 minutes. That’s all.
We hope this guide helped you fix problems you encountered when connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud.
Does Gmail work with Microsoft account?
Gmail works with a Microsoft account as the username. When creating a Microsoft Cloud account, you can use any email address, like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, or Outlook. You can also configure their settings and receive or send emails from any of these email clients’ accounts. When using a Gmail address to create a Microsoft account, use a new password, not the one on Gmail.
Why are Gmail and Outlook not syncing?
Outlook may fail to sync with Gmail due to reasons like slow internet speeds, an outdated Windows OS, and unconfigured Outlook settings, among other causes. Before syncing these email clients, you need to ensure all settings and apps are up-to-date. If you encounter any issues, you can follow the above steps to fix them.
