Google has officially announced that Gmail will discontinue the “Check mail from other accounts (using POP)” feature in January 2026. This change affects users who rely on Gmail to fetch external emails (e.g., from a custom domain or another provider) via the POP3 protocol.
→Google help
In this article, we explain:
- What is ending and when
- Who will be affected
- What you should do before January 2026
📌 Summary: POP3 Fetching Ends in January 2026
The key point is simple:
💡 Gmail will no longer support fetching emails from other accounts using POP (POP3) from January 2026. This is confirmed in Google’s official support documentation.
However, the following will continue to work after the change:
- Gmail itself (for @gmail.com email addresses)
- IMAP access
- Automatic email forwarding set up on your mail server
- Using Gmail app’s account addition (IMAP) on mobile
In other words, it’s not Gmail email service that’s going away — only the POP3 fetching mechanism that retrieves external mail into Gmail.
🛠 Why Google Is Making This Change
Google’s shift away from POP3 is part of a broader effort to modernize and secure email access:
- POP3 is an older email retrieval protocol that often uses basic authentication
- It poses greater security risks compared to newer methods
- Google prefers IMAP and OAuth-based access for better security and real-time sync
As a result, the POP3 “check mail from other accounts” feature no longer meets current security standards and will be discontinued.
📍 Who Will Be Affected
You will need to take action before January 2026 if:
✅ You use Gmail settings to fetch email from another mail server via POP3 (e.g., your webhost or ISP mail).
✅ You’ve centralized external emails in Gmail using POP.
After January 2026, these external emails will no longer be fetched, and Gmail will stop receiving them.
📍 Who Will Not Be Affected
If you fall into any of the following categories, you do not need to worry:
✔ You only use Gmail’s own inbox (@gmail.com).
✔ You’ve added another email account to Gmail using IMAP (including via the Gmail app).
✔ You use automatic forwarding from your external email provider to Gmail.
In these cases, email delivery will continue normally after the POP3 change.
✅ Recommended Actions Before January 2026
Here are practical steps you can take now:
1. Switch to IMAP
IMAP is the modern and secure method for synchronizing email between mail servers and clients. It works across multiple devices and is not affected by Gmail’s POP discontinuation.
2. Set Up Automatic Forwarding
If your external email provider supports it, configure server-side email forwarding to Gmail. This achieves a similar outcome to POP fetching without using POP.
3. Use the Gmail App (Mobile)
On Android or iOS, you can add another email account inside the Gmail app — this uses IMAP under the hood and will continue to work after the change.
📌 FAQs
Q: What happens if I don’t switch before January 2026?
A: Gmail will stop fetching external emails, and you won’t receive new messages from those accounts.
Q: Will my old Gmail settings disappear?
A: Your POP settings may remain visible, but they won’t function after support ends.
🧾 Summary
- Gmail’s POP3 external email fetching will be discontinued in January 2026.
- This only affects the POP email retrieval feature, not Gmail itself.
- Switch to IMAP or automatic forwarding to ensure uninterrupted mail delivery.