Gmail SMTP settings: server, port, and app password (2026)

Whether you’re connecting Gmail to Outlook or Thunderbird, sending notifications from your WordPress site, or setting up a scan-to-email printer, you’ll need Gmail’s SMTP settings.

The server and port are the easy part. What trips most people up is the password: Gmail doesn’t accept your regular account password in other apps. You’ll need to use Sign in with Google or create an app password — a 16-character code that takes about a minute to generate.

This guide gives you the exact Gmail SMTP settings for 2026, shows you how to create an app password, and walks you through the setup in the most common email clients and apps.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Gmail SMTP Settings at a Glance
• What Is SMTP, and When Do You Need It?
• Why Your Gmail Password No Longer Works
• How to Create a Gmail App Password
• How to Set Up Gmail SMTP in Your Email Client or App
• Gmail SMTP Server vs. SMTP Relay vs. Restricted Server
• Gmail IMAP and POP Settings for Receiving Email
• Gmail SMTP Sending Limits
• How to Fix Common Gmail SMTP Errors

Sounds good? Then let’s dive in.

Gmail SMTP Settings at a Glance

Here are the Gmail SMTP settings you need to send email from any external app or email client:

If your app asks whether the server “requires authentication” or a “secure connection,” the answer is always Yes.

What Is SMTP, and When Do You Need It?

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It’s the set of rules mail servers use to send messages from one address to another. Think of it as the postal service for outgoing email: your app hands the message to Gmail’s SMTP server, and Gmail delivers it.

Receiving email works differently. That’s the job of IMAP and POP, two other protocols that let an app download or sync the messages sitting in your inbox.

You’ll need Gmail’s SMTP settings when you want to:

• Send Gmail from another email client, like Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail.
• Send emails from your website, such as contact form notifications or WordPress password resets.
• Connect a printer or scanner that emails documents (scan-to-email).
• Send emails from a script, CRM, or internal tool using your Gmail account.

Why Your Gmail Password No Longer Works

For years, you could connect any app to Gmail with just your email address and password. Google called these “less secure apps,” and it has phased them out to protect accounts from hijacking.

Here’s the timeline:

• May 30, 2022: personal Gmail accounts lose the “Allow less secure apps” option.
• March 14, 2025: Google Workspace accounts follow. IMAP, SMTP, and POP stop accepting plain account passwords.

So today, you have two ways to connect an app to Gmail ⤵️

Google’s own recommendation is simple. Use Sign in with Google whenever the app supports it. Only fall back on an app password when it doesn’t.

How to Create a Gmail App Password

App passwords only work on accounts with 2-Step Verification turned on. If you haven’t enabled it yet, start there.

Step 1: Turn On 2-Step Verification

1. Go to your Google Account.
2. Click Security in the left menu.
3. Under How you sign in to Google, click 2-Step Verification.
4. Click Turn on 2-Step Verification.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to add your phone number or authenticator app.

And that’s it. Your account is now ready for app passwords.

Step 2: Generate Your App Password

1. Open the App passwords page. Sign in again if Google asks you to.
2. Type a name that reminds you where you’ll use it (e.g. “Thunderbird laptop” or “WordPress site”).
3. Click Create.
4. Copy the 16-character password that appears in the pop-up.
5. Click Done.

And voilà. Paste that code into the password field of your app, wherever it asks for your Gmail SMTP password. You can include or remove the spaces — Gmail accepts both.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Google shows the password only once. If you lose it, delete it and create a new one.
• Use one app password per app or device. That way, you can revoke a single connection without breaking the others.
• Changing your Google password revokes all app passwords. You’ll need to create new ones afterward.

Can’t Find the App Passwords Option?

The App passwords page won’t be available if:

• 2-Step Verification isn’t turned on for your account.
• Your 2-Step Verification is set up with security keys only.
• You’re enrolled in Google’s Advanced Protection Program.
• You use a work or school account and your administrator has disabled app passwords.

In the last case, contact your Google Workspace admin. They can either allow app passwords or set up Google’s SMTP relay service for your organization.

How to Set Up Gmail SMTP in Your Email Client or App

Every app has its own menus, but the logic is always the same. Try Sign in with Google first, and use the manual SMTP settings with an app password only if that option isn’t available.

Outlook

Recent versions of Outlook (the new Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and the Outlook mobile app) connect to Gmail with Sign in with Google ⤵️

1. Open Outlook and go to Settings > Accounts.
2. Click Add account.
3. Enter your Gmail address and click Continue.
4. Sign in to your Google Account in the window that opens.
5. Click Allow to give Outlook access.

All done. Outlook configures SMTP and IMAP for you behind the scenes. If you use an older version that asks for server settings manually, enter imap.gmail.com (port 993, SSL) for incoming mail, smtp.gmail.com (port 587, STARTTLS) for outgoing mail, and your app password.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird detects Gmail automatically and uses *Sign in with Google:

1. Open Thunderbird and click the menu icon (☰).
2. Go to Account Settings > Account Actions > Add Mail Account.
3. Enter your name, your Gmail address, and leave the password field empty.
4. Click Continue. Thunderbird finds Gmail’s IMAP and SMTP settings and selects OAuth2 as the authentication method.
5. Click Done and sign in to your Google Account in the window that opens.

And that’s it. Your Gmail account now sends and receives in Thunderbird.

Apple Mail (iPhone and Mac)

Apple Mail has Gmail built in, so you never have to type SMTP settings:

• On iPhone: go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account, then tap Google and sign in.
• On Mac: go to System Settings > Internet Accounts > Add Account, then choose Google and sign in.

WordPress

WordPress doesn’t send email through Gmail by default. You’ll need an SMTP plugin such as WP Mail SMTP or FluentSMTP. Some offer a dedicated Google option, which requires creating a project in Google Cloud. The faster route is the generic SMTP option with an app password ⤵️

1. Install and activate your SMTP plugin.
2. Open the plugin’s settings and choose Other SMTP (or the equivalent generic option).
3. Enter smtp.gmail.com as the SMTP host.
4. Select TLS as the encryption and 587 as the port.
5. Turn authentication on.
6. Enter your full Gmail address as the username.
7. Paste your app password as the password.
8. Save your settings.
9. Send a test email from the plugin to check the connection.

And voilà. Your site’s notifications now go out through Gmail. Just remember that every email your website sends counts toward your daily Gmail sending limit.

Printers, Scanners, and Other Devices

Most multifunction printers and scan-to-email devices don’t support Sign in with Google. Use these settings instead:

• SMTP server: smtp.gmail.com
• Port: 587 with TLS (or 465 with SSL, depending on what the device supports)
• Username: your full Gmail address
• Password: an app password created for this device

If you manage a Google Workspace domain with many devices, the SMTP relay service (covered next) is usually a better fit.

Gmail SMTP Server vs. SMTP Relay vs. Restricted Server

Google actually offers three ways to send email through its servers. Most people only need the first one.

Here’s how to choose:

• Pick smtp.gmail.com if you’re an individual connecting an email client, a website, or a device. It works with free Gmail accounts and sends to any address.
• Pick the SMTP relay service if you’re a Workspace admin and need several devices or apps to send on behalf of your domain. It’s configured in the Google Admin console.
• Pick the restricted server only if your device can’t authenticate at all and only needs to email colleagues on Gmail or Workspace.

Gmail IMAP and POP Settings for Receiving Email

SMTP only covers outgoing messages. To read your Gmail inbox in another app, you need IMAP or POP.

• IMAP syncs your mailbox across every device. Read an email on your phone, and it shows as read on your laptop too. It’s the right choice for almost everyone.
• POP downloads messages to a single device without syncing. It’s mostly useful for archiving or for very old email clients.

IMAP Is Already Turned On for Personal Accounts

If you use a personal Gmail account, you don’t need to enable IMAP anymore. Since January 2025, IMAP access is always on for personal Gmail accounts, and the Enable IMAP option has disappeared from Gmail’s settings.

How to Enable IMAP on a Google Workspace Account

On Google Workspace accounts, IMAP is controlled by your organization’s administrator. If you’re not the admin, ask them to turn it on for your account. If you manage your own Workspace account, here’s how to do it ⤵️

1. Sign in to the Google Admin console with your administrator account.
2. Click the menu icon (☰) and go to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail.
3. Click End User Access.
4. In the left panel, select the organizational unit you want to apply the setting to. To apply it to everyone, keep the top-level unit selected.
5. Scroll to POP and IMAP access and check Enable IMAP access for all users.
6. Choose Allow any mail client, or restrict access to specific mail clients.
7. Click Save.

And that’s it. The change usually applies within an hour, but it can take up to 24 hours.

How to Enable POP in Gmail

POP still needs to be switched on manually:

1. Open Gmail on your computer.
2. Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the top right corner.
3. Click See all settings.
4. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
5. In the POP download section, select Enable POP for all mail (or Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on).
6. Choose what Gmail should do with messages after they’re downloaded.
7. Click Save Changes.

And that’s it. You can now add your Gmail account to your POP email client using the settings in the table above.

Gmail SMTP Sending Limits

Using an external app doesn’t give you extra sending capacity. Every email you send through smtp.gmail.com counts toward the same daily quota as the emails you send from Gmail itself.

Gmail counts recipients, not just messages. One email sent to 50 people counts as 50 toward your daily quota. If you go over the limit, Gmail blocks sending for up to 24 hours.

To stay on the safe side:

• Start small with a new account or a new setup, then increase volume gradually.
• Spread your sends across the day rather than sending everything at once.
• Clean your contact list to avoid bounces, which hurt your sender reputation.

How to Fix Common Gmail SMTP Errors

Most Gmail SMTP problems come down to the password, the port, or the sending limit. Here’s how to read the error messages you’re most likely to see:

If the error persists after you’ve created a new app password, check that you’re signed in to the right Google Account. It’s easy to generate the app password on a personal account while configuring a work address.

Send Mail Merge Campaigns From Gmail Without SMTP

Gmail SMTP is perfect for connecting an email client or a website. But if your goal is to send personalized emails to a list of contacts, configuring servers, ports, and app passwords is the long way around.

Trusted by more than 7 million users and recommended by Google for Google Workspace, Mailmeteor sends your campaigns straight from your Gmail account. You connect with Sign in with Google, and that’s it — no SMTP setup required.

Here’s what you get:

📬 Mail merge from Google Sheets, Gmail, or Google Docs, with no host, port, or app password to configure

⏰ Scheduled campaigns that go out at the right time, even when your computer is off

🔁 Automatic follow-ups for contacts who haven’t replied

📊 Real-time tracking of opens, clicks, and replies

🔌 SMTP support for non-Gmail mailboxes, so you can also send campaigns from providers like Yahoo Mail, iCloud, OVH, or Hostinger

The free plan lets you send up to 50 emails per day, no credit card required. Try Mailmeteor for Gmail today (it’s free!) and send your first personalized campaign without touching a single SMTP setting.

Frequently Asked Questions