Cant add gmail account to outlook

Question

Cant add gmail account to outlook

Ubaid Ugradar 25

Upgraded from an s22 ultra to an s26 ultra and using the native outlook app hotmail and microsoft emails add on fine but gmail accounts get to the sign in page until the loading spin animation just keeps going indefinitely but wont actually add on the accounts.

Ive tried removing and re adding the accounts, there's no POP or IMAP settings to adjust as on the google settings its no longer an option (google have said its automatically on after Jan 2025). Im stuck on what to do now.

Any help would be appreciated.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

YipYipYip 80

I seem to have fixed this issue on my new tablet. I couldn't seem to authenticate the google account. I had used Samsung smart switch to switch tablets, and wonder if that was the issue. I created a secure folder on the tablet and put outlook in there. Then logged in and it worked there (no authentication issue). Then I tried outlook outside of the secure folder, logged in, and it all worked fine!. I have now deleted the secure folder because I don't need it. I think that all of this forced Android to refresh some of the authentication components.

0 comments

1 additional answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Anonymous

Hi Ubaid Ugradar

I understand that you're facing an issue where Gmail accounts get stuck on an endless loading spinner when you try to add them to Outlook on your new S26 Ultra, even though Hotmail/Microsoft accounts are added without any trouble.

To help narrow this down, could you please confirm the following?

What version of Outlook for Android are you currently using? (Tap your profile icon > Settings > scroll to the bottom.)
If you sign in to the Gmail account directly through a web browser (not the Outlook app) on the S26 Ultra, does it load normally without any additional security prompts or CAPTCHA challenges?

In the meantime, please try the following:

1, Clear the Outlook app's cache and data

Go to Android Settings > Apps > Outlook > Storage > Clear cache, then Clear data.
Reopen Outlook and try adding the Gmail account again.

2, Update Android System WebView and Google Chrome

The Gmail sign-in screen within Outlook is rendered through Android's WebView component.
Update both Android System WebView and Google Chrome from the Google Play Store, restart the phone, and then try adding the account again.

3, Sign in to the Gmail account in a regular browser first

Open a web browser on the phone and sign in to the Gmail account directly.

If Google prompts you for a security check, device confirmation, or CAPTCHA, complete it there first. This can sometimes silently block Outlook's sign-in process from completing, which could explain why the loading spinner never finishes.

4, Check battery optimization and background restrictions for Outlook

Go to Settings > Apps > Outlook > Battery and set it to Unrestricted.

Aggressive battery management on some Samsung devices can interrupt the authentication process, causing the sign-in flow to fail before it completes.

Please feel free to let me know how it goes so we can continue further.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes". If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Hornblower409 15,070 Reputation points

2026-07-21T00:57:20.2166667+00:00

Seeing similar reports on Outlook Reddit.

[External Non-Microsoft Site] https://www.reddit.com/r/Outlook/comments/1uzt3v6/i_cant_add_my_gmail_account_to_outlook_on_android/
Anonymous

2026-07-21T07:30:20.14+00:00

Good day Ubaid Ugradar, I hope you're well. May I know if you've got any chance to check my reply? If you have any further updates on this issue, please feel free to reach back.
Ubaid Ugradar 25 Reputation points

2026-07-21T13:00:52.46+00:00
Hello Winnie, thank you for your suggestions. I've gone through your thread and Ive:

Cleared data/cache from the outlook app.

Updated chrome but was unable to update android webview, there were only options for webview dev and beta to be installed from the play store app

Checked there are no baterry restrictions/optimisation for the outlook app.

Gmail can be signed up just fine on browser and the gmail app.

Attempted adding the account multiple ways and haven't been prompted with captchas at any point.

Im currently running Outlook version 5.2627.2

After doing some digging it seems possibly related to googles OAuth verification method which isnt verifying for outlook. Seems like no ones found a workaround so far unless there are any other suggestions.

Thanks in advance.
Hornblower409 15,070 Reputation points

2026-07-21T14:15:19.1733333+00:00

@Ubaid Ugradar said

it seems possibly related to googles OAuth verification method which isnt verifying for outlook

Just curious. Does Google show any entry for "Microsoft apps & services" at
[External Non-Microsoft Site] https://myaccount.google.com/linkedapps

I'm wondering if a previous attempt has left something there. e.g. For me I see
Anonymous

2026-07-22T04:16:44.16+00:00
Hi Ubaid Ugradar

Thank you for the detailed update and for testing all of those steps.

To help narrow this down further, could you confirm:

Does the issue occur with only this Gmail account, or have you tested adding a different Gmail account to Outlook on the same device?

Are you using a personal Gmail account or a Google Workspace account managed by an organization?

If you try the same Gmail account in Outlook on another Android device, does the account add successfully?

These details may help determine whether the issue is specific to the Gmail account, the device, or the interaction between Outlook and Google's authentication service.

If the problem continues across multiple Gmail accounts and devices, it may indicate an issue that requires investigation by either the Outlook or Google engineering teams rather than a device-specific configuration problem.

Thanks again for your patience, and I look forward to your update.
Ubaid Ugradar 25 Reputation points

2026-07-22T06:31:24.4566667+00:00

@@Hornblower409 funnily enough it does still show it linked. I did try the other day to delete access and then try re add the accounts but unfortunately this made no difference.
Hornblower409 15,070 Reputation points

2026-07-22T07:10:15.0366667+00:00
@Ubaid Ugradar said

it does still show it linked. I did try the other day to delete access and then try re add the account

Do I understand correctly? (Just looking for another data point).

You remove the GMail account from your device.

You remove any Microsoft access from your Google account https://myaccount.google.com/linkedapps

You try to add back the GMail account to your device. It fails.

Do you see a new Microsoft access entry on your Google account?