Google to shut down Gmailify support for Yahoo, Outlook: What users need to know

Gmail is a popular service from Google, used by billions of users worldwide. It is used as an effective tool of personal and professional communication. Over the years, Gmail has introduced several functionalities and services, including spam protection and effective search.

This feature was first rolled out by Google in the year 2016 in a bid to offer the same benefits to its competitors as well through a feature known as Gmailify. However, this feature has now been confirmed to soon come to an end.

Google introduced Gmailify in February 2016 to allow individuals that use email services like Yahoo, AOL, Outlook, or Hotmail to enjoy Gmail’s best features without having to change their email address.

With Gmailify, users have the option to handle all their mail within the Gmail app itself and receive better spam protection, inbox categories such as Promotions or Social, and better notifications even on mobile devices. However, Google has started sending notifications to users about the option to use Gmailify being removed by January 2026.

Google also announced the end of support for the "Check mail from other accounts" feature utilising Post Office Protocol (POP). In other words, Gmail will stop pulling emails directly from other providers using this older system. Though the emails that have been imported will remain accessible, no new messages will be fetched via POP.

Users will still be able to use the Gmail app on Android and iOS to access third-party email accounts via IMAP. However, this configuration won't support Gmail-only features such as inbox categories or beefier spam controls. For web users, Google recommends using automatic forwarding as an alternative: when the other provider supports it, new emails should show up in a main Gmail inbox.