Gmail in Windows Mail
In addition to large email storage space, the popularity of Gmail is also governed by the fact that it can be configured in several popular email programs, plus have your Gmail messages delivered right to your desktop.
Here is how to configure your Gmail account in Windows Mail, which is the default email program in Windows Vista. It’s not too complicated, and you can then start reading emails straight from Windows.
Step 1: Enable POP on Gmail – Click the “Settings” link given on the top-right corner of your Gmail account page. On the “Settings” page, open the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab.
Here, in the “POP Download” section, select the “Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on” option.
Note: If you want to download all emails you have received until now, select the “Enable POP for all mail (even mail that’s already been downloaded)” option.
Step 2: Decide what to do with Gmail’s Copy of emails.
You can choose to keep the Gmail’s copy of email in Inbox, archive it, or delete it. Make your choice and click the “Save Changes” button. Gmail accounts all have large storage space. So it is best that you choose to maintain a copy of your mails in Gmail. This way you will be able to access your emails from anywhere.
Step 3: Configure the Gmail account in Windows Mail.
In your Windows Mail, open the “Tools” menu, and then select the “Accounts” command.
In the “Internet Accounts” dialog that is displayed, click the “Add” button to launch the wizard to create a new account. Select “E-mail Account” and then click “Next”.
Enter your Display Name when asked, and then click “Next”. Now, enter your Gmail address in the “E-mail address” box on the “Internet E-mail Address” screen and then click “Next”.
Next, on the “Set-up e-mail servers” screen, do the following:
- Ensure that “Incoming e-mail server type” is “POP3”.
- Enter “pop.gmail.com” in the “Incoming mail (POP3 or IMAP) server” box.
- Enter “smtp.gmail.com” in the “Outgoing e-mail server” box.
- Select the “Outgoing server requires authentication” checkbox.
Finally, click “Next”.
On the “Internet Mail Logon” screen, provide your complete Gmail ID as the E-mail username and your Gmail login password as the password. If you are configuring the mail on a private computer, select the “Remember password” checkbox. Click “Next”.
On the “Congratulations” screen, select the “Do not download my email at this time” check box, and then click the “Finish” button. Now go back to the “Internet Accounts” dialog box, select the email account you just added, and then click the “Properties” button.
On the Advanced tab of the Properties dialog box do the following:
- Change the value for Outgoing mail (SMTP) to “465”.
- Change the value for Incoming mail (POP3) to “995”.
- Select the “This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL)” checkboxes for both incoming and outgoing mail.
- Finally, click “Apply” to save your changes and then “OK” to exit the dialog box.
Now, close the “Internet Accounts” dialog box. Finally, click “Send/Receive” in Windows Mail to download your Gmail messages.
Yup – one of Gmails many qualities.
also, for a back up you can tick the keep emails on the server – so they will always be there on your gmail.
I have had my account for… well pretty much since Gmail launched and have only cleared my inbox twice (5000+ emails do take up space)
Thanks for the detailed instructions with screenshots, but where did Windows Mail go in Windows 7? I can’t find it anywhere. I want to setup my Gmail to download to Windows Mail, but I cannot seem to locate the program.
Please advice..
Michelle
@ Michelle
Oops, I have reemphasize this is for Windows Vista only. Windows 7 does not have Windows Mail anymore.
windows mail on vista was a joke from microsofts side. I worked in tech before for computers and trying to transfer from outlook express to windows mail to outlook 7 or back between any is really difficuilt and a pain in the you know where
that may be a topic idea for you Darrin!
I’m a vista user. Thanks for your tips on how to configure my account on windows mail. This could be a great help for me.
It’s all transferred to Windows Live now, right? Perhaps for the better.
It’s awesome man.To configure Gmail account in Windows Mail is really good. And I like your way of detailed description, I mean with your instructions and screenshots anybody can comfortably handle it.
I have been using gmail for a long time now and have always used my desktop clients for this, Windows Mail used to prove a problem for me but not anymore
thanks
you know the jyo of getting a new pc, popping it out of the box and pushing on the power button listening to it whirr up into power on state and then, for a brief moment, you stare blankly at the unfamiliar screen.
I sat there thinking, what is this – ohhhhhhhhhh Windows Vista!!!!
After a few failures I found windows mail and for the life of me couldn’t get my Gmail to work on it – so THANK YOU— a BIG THANK YOU!
I love using Gmail…Ever since this one i have been using till now…But i just knew now that it has also a Windows Mail..wheew! this is so cool..Thanks a lot for posting this article..Its clearly detailed the instructions on how to Enable Pop in gmail in Windows Mail..^_^
I am a huge fan of Gmail, but i have to be honest and say that i did,t know about this thing. Reading your emails from Gmail on Windows .. I am going to try to enable it!
Much better and safer to use Outlook or even make your own mail server. It is not so difficult.
I use gmail every day for years and i didnt know that you could do that, i guess i should explore all the options sometime huh?
Step-by-Step info graphics are very helpful for us tech impaired
I am a GMail user. Your guideline is easy to follow. Thank you for sharing this article.
Step-by-step info graphics are very much appreciated.
I am a huge fan of Gmail, but i have to be honest and say that i did,t know about this thing. Reading your emails from Gmail on Windows ..
Thanks. I was able to use this to configure my mail on my PC. Do you know how i can do same on my blackberry?
Amanda
Checked everywhere – even Microsoft website had imap setting not pop – finally found u. Everything worked!!!
@ Melanie
Glad to have been a help.
I was wondering how to do that! Thanks for the detailed help.
much appreciated tutorial. i will pass this on to friends using both clients.
Glad I came across this post. I love bypassing my visit to GMail, and reading all my mail at once. Thank you!
I didn’t even realize I could have one email source — wow, makes things a lot easier.