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Google is making a change to Gmail that could disrupt your access to third-party email services if you rely on the POP3 protocol.
In a support page, the company announced that Gmail will stop supporting POP (Post Office Protocol), which lets email programs access a third-party mail server.
“Gmail will no longer support checking emails from third-party accounts through POP,” the company wrote. The change takes effect Jan. 1, and also ends the company’s Gmailify spam protection-related service for third-party email accounts.
Google is dropping POP3, citing security. Although the company didn’t specify the threat, POP3 can be unencrypted, allowing usernames and passwords to be sent over plain text. The protocol also doesn’t support two-factor authentication. Another issue is that POP will download messages from a mail server, which could include malicious attachments.
“Our priority is giving users access to the best features in Gmail with the best security,” a Google spokesperson added. However, the company expects the change to have a minimal impact. That’s because Gmail will still support IMAP, another widely used protocol for an email program to retrieve messages from a third-party mail server.
As a result, Google says the POP3 change won’t restrict usage of third-party email in the Gmail app at all. “We’re notifying the small number of users who access their email this way of the change, and sharing guidance on how to migrate to the more robust and secure IMAP connection, which is supported in the Gmail mobile app,” the company’s spokesperson added.
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Still, some users say the IMAP support doesn’t appear to involve fetching emails from third-party mail servers. Instead, it looks like the feature is focused on third-party email clients accessing Gmail via IMAP, rather than the other way around.
(Credit: Google)
However, Google’s support page notes: “You can still link your third-party accounts in the Gmail app,” suggesting it’s mobile-only. We’ve reached out to Google for clarification. In the meantime, users can also set up email forwarding as another solution.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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