# How to Fix IMAP Not Working Outlook issues
In this article, we will consider what to do if Outlook can’t connect to Gmail account. Connecting Gmail to Outlook is a simple process, but due to some security nuances, Outlook may not be able to connect to Gmail. The most popular problem with Outlook and Gmail is that Outlook keeps asking you to supply a username and password, no matter how many times you enter it correctly.

**Bottom line:** This issue is the most common for Outlook 2016 users and Gmail accounts with two-factor authentication enabled. Outlook 2016 does not support 2FA, so it forces users to go through a slightly more complicated process of setting up a Gmail account in Outlook. In this article, we will show you how to fix Gmail account connection problems in Outlook.

## Configure Outlook to use IMAP with an Outlook.com account
* Detailed step-by-step instructions.
* Click on the File tab in the upper left corner of the Outlook window.
* Click Add account.
* Select Manual configuration or additional server types. Click Next>.
* Select POP or IMAP. Click Next>.

## How to Fix IMAP Not Working Outlook issues
**In the Add account window:**
* Enter your name and email address.
* Account Type drop-down menu — Select IMAP.
* Set up the incoming mail server at imap-mail.outlook.com
* Set up an outgoing mail server (SMTP) at smtp-mail.outlook.com
* Enter your login information (username and password).
* Click More Settings …
* Switch to the Outgoing Server tab.
* Check My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication.
* Switch to the Advanced tab.
* In the Server Port Numbers section:
* Set Incoming Server (IMAP) to 993.
* Use the following type of encrypted connection: Select SSL.
* Set the outgoing server (SMTP) to 587.
* Use the following type of encrypted connection: Select TLS.

**Advanced settings**

* Click OK at the bottom of the Internet email settings window.
* Click Next> in the Add Account window to test and save your account settings.

## How to solve Outlook not connecting to Gmail problem?
Before you start setting up a Gmail account in Outlook, make sure your email is set up correctly. You should check if you have IMAP protocol enabled in the settings of a Gmail account.

### Enable POP / IMAP in Gmail
Log in to your Gmail account and click on a small gear in the upper right corner of the window. Select Settings. After that, go to the Forwarding and POP / IMAP tab. You must ensure that the IMAP status is set to Enabled. As for POP, just ignore this old protocol. This is very outdated, and no one should continue to use it.

### Gmail does not work in Outlook
IMAP is a special communication protocol between a client and a mail server. It allows the server to synchronize your mail status between all devices and keep everything up to date. For example, if you open an email in Outlook, IMAP ensures that the letter is also marked as read in the Gmail interface. This is how modern mail works and why everyone abandoned POP, which doesn’t support these handy features.

By default, Gmail keeps IMAP enabled for each account, so this step is not as necessary. We just have to make sure it’s enabled; otherwise, you may have trouble connecting a Gmail account to Outlook.

## How to connect Gmail to Outlook 2019?
Before you go: It is important to enabling two-factor authentication on your Gmail account; otherwise, you may receive Gmail to Outlook connection errors. Follow this Google guide to learn how to enable two-factor authentication for your Google account.

Let’s start with Outlook 2019, which is Microsoft’s latest and newest email app. In Outlook 2019, connecting Gmail is a much easier process than in the previous version (Outlook 2016, etc.).

* Open Outlook and click File in the upper left corner.
* Tap Add account. This action opens a new small window where you must enter your Gmail address.
* Enter your Gmail address. For example, [e-mail]. You must enter a complete email address for Outlook to automatically find the necessary server settings. Click Connect and wait for the application to collect the necessary information.
* Outlook will open a new window with the Google account login. You must enter your password, and then enter the two-factor authentication password that you can find in any Google, Microsoft, or any application you use to generate 2FA codes. If you don’t have a 2FA app, enter one of your one-time passwords instead of your primary account password.
* Allow Outlook access to your account. Your Gmail account is now ready to work in Outlook.