Gmail is ending Gmailify and POP fetch: what to do

If you funnel a second mailbox — an old Yahoo address, a work account, a domain inbox — into Gmail, the plumbing is being pulled out. Google is winding down both Gmailify and the POP “Check mail from other accounts” option, and as of mid-2026 the change is no longer theoretical: new connections are already blocked, and existing ones expire in January 2027. The Register first flagged the move on 5 January 2026, and Google’s own support page now spells out the timeline. Here is exactly what is going away, who it hits, and the two-minute fix.

What Google is actually removing

Google is ending two features that pull a non-Gmail account into your Gmail inbox: Gmailify, which applied Gmail’s spam filter and inbox categories to a linked account, and POP fetch, the “Check mail from other accounts” setting that retrieved mail from another provider. Per Google’s Gmail Help page, neither accepts new users after the first quarter of 2026, and existing users keep them only until January 2027.

The two features did slightly different jobs. POP fetch logged into your other provider on a schedule and copied messages across; Gmailify went further, wrapping that linked account in Gmail’s spam protection and categorised inbox. The Register, which broke the story on 5 January 2026, tied the retirement to POP3’s age and a basic security flaw: the protocol can send your password in plain text. Mailbird’s breakdown of the change frames it the same way — POP is the dated, less secure path, and IMAP is the modern replacement. The reassuring part: Google confirms that mail already synced into Gmail stays put. You lose the ongoing fetch, not your archive.

Who this hits — and why it stings

This lands hardest on people who use one Gmail tab as a hub for several addresses — freelancers, small-business owners, anyone still checking an old account they never fully left. CaptainDNS confirms the “Check mail from other accounts” box is disappearing from Gmail on the web, so the all-in-one-inbox setup many built over years simply stops updating once the cutoff passes.

The sting is that consolidation was the whole point. Pulling three mailboxes into one Gmail meant one place to read, search and reply. According to Tessera’s guidance for business users, Google Workspace accounts are not caught by this specific change, but personal-Gmail users bridging a work or domain mailbox over POP are. It is part of a busy stretch of Gmail housekeeping — Google has been letting users change their Gmail address and feeding Gmail threads into Gemini across Drive, while rivals court the displaced: Proton Mail just shipped a Gmail bridge aimed squarely at people rethinking where their mail lives.

The fix: forward or switch to IMAP

Replace the dying fetch with one of two things: automatic forwarding from the other provider, or an IMAP connection. Best for most people: turn on forwarding in the other mailbox so new mail keeps arriving in Gmail. Best if you want true two-way control: add the account over IMAP in the Gmail mobile app or a desktop client like Thunderbird or Apple Mail.

I went into Gmail on the web, opened Settings > See all settings > Accounts and Import, and the “Check mail from other accounts” block is exactly where the deprecation lands — that is the panel about to lose its fetch ability. The cleaner path for most readers is forwarding: open the other account’s settings, point its auto-forward at your Gmail address, and new mail flows in untouched, no protocol to babysit. If you want to send and receive from both addresses in one app, IMAP is the answer Google itself points to — its mobile apps add external accounts over IMAP, and any standalone client such as Thunderbird, which keeps gaining ground, connects both over IMAP and SMTP. One more thing Google preserves: a one-time import of old mail and contacts on the web, so when you do switch a connection you can still drag the back catalogue across. Do it before January 2027 and the transition is invisible; leave it, and a mailbox you depend on quietly goes dark.

Alexis Dollé

Founder & Editor

Alexis Dollé, email expert for 10+ years. Founder of Email Tools. I test every email client and utility myself, then write about them the way I’d explain them to a friend — no marketing fluff, no sponsored rankings, every claim sourced.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gmail removing with Gmailify and POP? — the two features that pull a non-Gmail account into your inbox

Google is ending two ways to pull a non-Gmail account into Gmail. Gmailify, which applied Gmail’s spam filter and inbox categories to a linked third-party account, and the POP “Check mail from other accounts” option that fetched mail from another provider into your inbox. Per Google’s own support page, both stop taking new users after the first quarter of 2026, and existing users keep them only until January 2027.

Will I lose the emails already pulled into Gmail? — no, synced mail stays

No. Google states that all messages synced before the deprecation stay in your Gmail account. You lose the ongoing fetch, not the mail already delivered. The practical risk is new mail sent to the other account after the cutoff, which will no longer flow into Gmail unless you set up a replacement.

What should I use instead? — forwarding or an IMAP connection

Two options. Turn on automatic forwarding inside the other provider’s settings so new mail lands in Gmail, or connect the account over IMAP. The Gmail apps for Android, iPhone and iPad already add external accounts via IMAP, and any desktop client such as Thunderbird or Apple Mail connects both accounts over IMAP and SMTP. The Register notes IMAP is also more secure than POP3, which sends passwords in plain text.

Are Google Workspace accounts affected? — this change targets consumer Gmail’s fetch features

The change targets consumer Gmail’s account-fetching features. Tessera’s write-up for business users reports that Google Workspace accounts are not affected by this specific deprecation, but anyone using a personal Gmail to consolidate a work or domain mailbox over POP or Gmailify should plan a migration to IMAP or forwarding now.

Can I still import my old mail from another account? — yes, a one-time web import remains

Yes. Google says a one-time import of mail and contacts from a third-party account is still available in Gmail on the web. What is ending is the continuous fetch, not the ability to bring an archive across once when you switch.

When exactly do I need to act? — new setups are already blocked; the hard cutoff is January 2027

New setups are already blocked as of the second quarter of 2026, so you cannot add a fresh POP or Gmailify connection today. Existing connections keep working until January 2027. Treat that as the hard deadline and switch any account you rely on to forwarding or IMAP well before then.

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