Connecting your Google Workspace email to Outlook allows you to manage your emails, calendars, and contacts directly from the Outlook desktop application. This guide provides a simple, step-by-step process to set this up, along with a helpful video.
Video Guide: Step-by-Step Setup
If you prefer a visual walkthrough, this video covers the entire process, including setting up IMAP and generating an App Password, before moving on to the Outlook configuration.
Step 1: Enable IMAP in Google Workspace
Before you can connect, you need to enable IMAP in your Google Workspace account. IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is the protocol that allows email clients like Outlook to access and sync with your email server.
- Log in to your Google Workspace account (or your Gmail account if you’re a single user).
- Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner and select See all settings.
- Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- In the IMAP access section, select Enable IMAP.
- Click Save Changes.
Step 2: Generate an App Password (if you have 2-Step Verification enabled)
If you have 2-Step Verification (2FA) enabled on your Google Workspace account, you cannot use your regular password to connect to Outlook. You must generate a special “App Password” to use instead.
- Go to your Google Account Security page.
- Under the “Signing in to Google” section, click on App passwords. You may need to sign in again.
- From the “Select app” dropdown, choose Mail.
- From the “Select device” dropdown, choose Other (Custom Name) and enter a name like “Outlook for Desktop”.
- Click Generate.
- A 16-character password will be displayed. Copy this password; you will use it in the next step.
Step 3: Add Your Google Workspace Account to Outlook
Now you can add your account to the Outlook desktop application. The steps below apply to Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2019, and Outlook 2016.
- Open Outlook.
- Go to the File tab in the top-left corner.
- Click Add Account.
- Enter your Google Workspace email address and click Connect.
- Outlook will attempt to automatically configure the settings. If it’s successful, you’ll be prompted to enter your password. Use either your regular Google password or the App Password you generated in the previous step.
- If automatic setup fails, you’ll need to manually enter the server settings:
- Incoming mail server (IMAP):
imap.gmail.com - Outgoing mail server (SMTP):
smtp.gmail.com - IMAP Port:
993(Use SSL/TLS encryption) - SMTP Port:
465or587(Use SSL/TLS or STARTTLS encryption)
- Incoming mail server (IMAP):
- Enter your password and click Connect.
Once the connection is successful, Outlook will begin synchronizing your emails, calendars, and contacts. The process may take some time depending on the size of your mailbox.