Problems with Outlook G.Mail

Question

Problems with Outlook G.Mail

Lionel Patterson 0

My Outlook G.Mail account requires signing in every time I want to see my emails on my laptop. It also takes an age; sometimes doesn't load at all. The emails list is old emails that don't seem to update.This is since the most recent update. My G. Mail account opens on my phone without any problems, but the laptopis virtually useless for emails.. VERY FRUSTRATING!

Hornblower409 15,330 Reputation points

2026-04-29T05:31:27.31+00:00

If the Q&A Assist Answer did not solve your problem, type "Not Solved" in the "Add Comment" box below and then click the [Add Comment] button. I will try to offer some suggestions on what you can do next.

1 answer

Your answer

Hornblower409 15,330 Reputation points

2026-04-29T05:31:27.31+00:00

If the Q&A Assist Answer did not solve your problem, type "Not Solved" in the "Add Comment" box below and then click the [Add Comment] button. I will try to offer some suggestions on what you can do next.

Answer 1

Follow these steps on the laptop to fix repeated sign‑in prompts, slow loading, and stale Gmail messages in Outlook:

Verify IMAP is enabled in Gmail
- In a browser, sign in to Gmail.
- Select Settings (gear) > See all settings.
- Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
- Under IMAP access, select Enable IMAP.
- Select Save Changes.
Ensure Gmail folders are exposed to Outlook
- In Gmail settings, open the Labels tab.
- For Inbox, Sent Mail, Trash, and All Mail, make sure Show in IMAP is selected.
- Optionally enable Show in IMAP for any other labels that should appear in Outlook.
Confirm correct Gmail server settings in Outlook
- In Outlook, open the Gmail account settings.
- Check that the incoming and outgoing servers match:
  - Incoming (IMAP): imap.gmail.com, SSL enabled, port 993.
  - Outgoing (SMTP): smtp.gmail.com, SSL enabled, authentication required.
    - Port 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS/STARTTLS) with TLS enabled if available.
- Make sure the username is the full Gmail address and the password is the current Gmail password (or app password if using one).
Refresh Outlook after changes
- After updating Gmail and Outlook settings, refresh Outlook.
- It can take up to 15 minutes for syncing to fully refresh and the message list to update.

If IMAP is disabled, folders are hidden from IMAP, or the server/port settings are incorrect, Outlook can repeatedly prompt for sign‑in, fail to sync new mail, and show only old messages.

References:

Fix problems connecting your Google account to the Microsoft Cloud