Google has confirmed it will remove support for two long-standing Gmail features beginning January 2026: the ability for Gmail to fetch mail from third-party accounts using the POP3 protocol, and the “Gmailify” service that applied Gmail’s advanced inbox features (such as spam protection, inbox categorization, and enhanced notifications) to external accounts. The change means that Gmail on the web will no longer automatically pull emails from other mail services (like Outlook, Yahoo, or ISP mail) into a single unified inbox via POP3, and linked accounts using Gmailify will stop receiving Gmail’s organizational benefits. Instead, Google recommends using IMAP connections in the Gmail mobile app or forwarding directly from other providers, and one-time imports remain possible for migrating messages. External POP3 and IMAP access to Gmail itself (for third-party clients such as Thunderbird or Outlook) remains supported, but the specific Gmail “hub” functionality for aggregating other inboxes on the web interface is being discontinued.
Sources:
https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/05/gmail_dropping_pop3/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/10/03/gmail-says-it-wont-deliver-insecure-email-from-january-2026/
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/16604719?hl=en
Key Takeaways
- Gmail will discontinue POP3 “Check mail from other accounts” and Gmailify support in January 2026, ending the ability to automatically aggregate external email accounts into a single Gmail inbox via POP.
- Google suggests users switch to IMAP, use auto-forwarding from other providers, or rely on one-time imports or mobile-app multi-account access as alternatives.
- POP3 and IMAP protocols remain supported for accessing Gmail itself with third-party clients, but Gmail will no longer act as a POP client for external mailboxes on the web.
In-Depth
Starting January 2026, Gmail is making a significant shift in how it handles third-party email integration—a shift that could impact millions of users who have traditionally relied on Gmail as a one-stop hub for multiple mail accounts. Google is removing support for two interrelated features: the “Check mail from other accounts” function that used the aging POP3 protocol to fetch mail from external servers, and the Gmailify service that brought Gmail’s spam filters, inbox categorization, and enhanced search capabilities to non-Gmail addresses. The news was confirmed in official Google documentation and contemporaneous reporting from major tech outlets, and marks the end of a convenience feature that became a staple for many power users.
The rationale from Google centers on security and the evolution of email protocols. POP3—developed decades ago—lacks modern synchronization capabilities and transmits credentials in a less secure manner compared to more recent standards. By encouraging a shift toward IMAP or direct forwarding from other providers, Google aims to streamline email integration while reducing potential vulnerabilities. Under the new setup, if you’re using the Gmail mobile app on Android or iOS, you can still add and manage external accounts via IMAP. On the desktop web interface, however, Gmail will no longer automatically pull new emails from external accounts via POP.
For users and administrators, the transition means planning ahead. Those who depend on centralized access across multiple addresses will need to adopt alternatives: native IMAP support in dedicated mail clients like Outlook or Thunderbird, automatic forwarding set up at the source provider, or the native account management features in the Gmail mobile app. Messages already imported into Gmail before the cutoff will remain in place, but no new emails will be fetched once the POP3 functionality ends. Protocol support for accessing Gmail itself from third-party clients remains intact, ensuring that Gmail as a mail service isn’t losing fundamental interoperability—even though its role as an aggregator on the web interface is effectively being retired.