Gmail to Discontinue Sending from External Addresses in January
Google retires three key features: 'Send As', Gmailify, and POP. Users will need to find an alternative for managing email from other accounts.
Google retires three key features: 'Send As', Gmailify, and POP. Users will need to find an alternative for managing email from other accounts.
Google has announced significant changes on its support pages for all those who use Gmail as a central hub for managing email from various addresses. Starting in January 2027, support for sending messages from external email accounts via Gmail's interface will be discontinued.
The company described this decision as a "difficult decision to retire features," made "in an effort to keep Gmail secure, smart, and easy to use." The changes will affect all users who sent emails through Gmail from addresses that are not @gmail.com.
The retirement covers three key functionalities. The first is the "Send As" feature, which allowed sending emails from external addresses, such as business aliases or accounts on custom domains, making the message appear as if it was originally sent from those addresses.
The second is Gmailify, a service that added Gmail's capabilities, such as spam filtering and smart sorting, to external accounts. The third is fetching mail from external accounts via the POP protocol. It's important to note that these changes do not affect aliases for Gmail addresses or the "Send As" feature within Google Workspace.
Google has defined a clear schedule. Already in Q3 2026, announcements and notifications will begin within the Gmail interface for all affected users. During the transition period, from Q3 to Q4 2026, the features will still work, but Google may limit new configurations. Finally, the complete shutdown of all mentioned options follows in January 2027.
For users relying on external accounts, Google has offered several solutions. The first option is to use the original webmail service or dedicated apps from the email provider, such as Outlook.com or desktop applications like Outlook, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail.
Another possibility is to configure a local email client that connects to the third-party account via IMAP or SMTP, allowing management of multiple accounts in one place. For those with their own domain, Google advises switching to the paid Google Workspace package.
These changes will directly impact many users in Croatia who have used Gmail for years as a central interface for all their email addresses, including business accounts on custom domains or addresses from other services like Yahoo and Hotmail.
