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Enable IMAP for Gmail Inbox

To enable IMAP and configure SMTP for your Google Workspace account, follow these steps. Note that SMTP is always enabled on the server side, so you just need the correct server settings for your email client.

1. Enable IMAP for Your Organization (Admin Task)​

If you are the Google Workspace administrator, you must first enable IMAP access for users:

  1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.
  2. Go to Menu > Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail.
  3. Click on End User Access.
  4. (Optional) Select the specific organizational unit or team on the left if you don't want to apply this to everyone.
  5. Scroll to the POP and IMAP access section and check Enable IMAP access for all users.
  6. Click Save.

2. Enable IMAP in Your Gmail Settings (User Task)​

Once the administrator has enabled it, individual users may also need to turn on IMAP in their own settings:

  1. Open Gmail.
  2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top right, then select See all settings.
  3. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
  4. In the IMAP access section, select Enable IMAP.
  5. Click Save Changes at the bottom.
Last updated on by Hovo