How to Set Up Outlook or Thunderbird with Gmail via POP3 to Download All Emails Locally

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to configure Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird to connect with Gmail using POP3, allowing you to download all emails to your local computer. POP3 downloads emails from the server to your device, and by default, it may remove them from the server unless configured otherwise.

Prerequisites

1. Gmail Account: Ensure you have a Gmail account and know your email address and password.

2. Email Client: Install Microsoft Outlook (e.g., Outlook 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365) or Mozilla Thunderbird on your computer.

3. Enable POP3 in Gmail: Gmail’s POP3 access must be enabled in your account settings.

4. App Password (if 2-Step Verification is enabled): If 2-Step Verification is active on your Gmail account, you’ll need an App Password to log in securely.

Step 1: Enable POP3 in Gmail

Before configuring your email client, enable POP3 access in your Gmail account.

1. Log in to Gmail:

   • Open a web browser and go to mail.google.com.

   • Sign in with your Gmail account.

2. Access Gmail Settings:

   • Click the gear icon in the top-right corner.

   • Select See all settings.

3. Navigate to the POP/IMAP Settings:

   • Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

4. Enable POP:

   • Under POP Download, select Enable POP for all mail (even mail that's already been downloaded) to ensure all emails, including old ones, are downloaded.

   • Alternatively, choose Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on if you only want new emails.

5. Configure POP Behavior:

   • Under When messages are accessed with POP, choose one of the following:

     • Keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox: Keeps emails on Gmail’s server (if so desired).

     • Mark Gmail’s copy as read: Marks emails as read on Gmail.

     • Archive Gmail’s copy: Archives emails on Gmail.

     • Delete Gmail’s copy: Deletes emails from Gmail after downloading (if you want to remove emails from the server after they are downloaded).

   • For most users, Keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox is the safest option to retain emails on Gmail.

6. Save Changes:

   • Scroll down and click Save Changes.

Step 2: Generate an App Password (If 2-Step Verification is Enabled)

If 2-Step Verification is enabled on your Gmail account, you cannot use your regular Gmail password. Instead, generate an App Password.

1. Go to Google Account Settings:

   • Open a browser and go to myaccount.google.com.

   • Sign in with your Gmail account.

2. Navigate to Security:

   • Click Security in the left-hand menu.

3. Enable 2-Step Verification (if not already enabled):

   • Under Signing in to Google, ensure 2-Step Verification is turned on. Follow the prompts to set it up if needed.

4. Create an App Password:

   • Under Signing in to Google, click App passwords (you may need to re-authenticate).

   • Click Select app and choose Mail.

   • Click Select device and choose Other (Custom name), then enter a name like “Outlook” or “Thunderbird”.

   • Click Generate.

   • Copy the 16-character App Password displayed (you’ll need this for your email client).

   • Click Done.

5. Note:

   • If 2-Step Verification is not enabled, you can use your regular Gmail password in the email client, but Google may require you to enable Less secure app access (not recommended for security reasons). To do this:

     • Go to Security > Less secure app access and turn it on.

     • It’s strongly recommended to use 2-Step Verification and an App Password instead.

Step 3: Configure Microsoft Outlook with Gmail via POP3

Follow these steps to set up Gmail in Microsoft Outlook using POP3.

1. Open Outlook:

   • Launch Microsoft Outlook on your computer.

2. Add a New Account:

   • Go to File > Add Account (in newer versions) or File > Account Settings > New (in older versions).

   • Enter your Gmail address (e.g., yourname@gmail.com) and click Connect or Next.

3. Choose Manual Setup (if prompted):

   • If Outlook auto-detects settings, select Advanced options and check Let me set up my account manually.

   • Click Connect or Next.

4. Select POP:

   • Choose POP as the account type and click Next.

5. Enter POP3 Settings:

   • Incoming mail server:

     • Server: pop.gmail.com

     • Port: 995

     • Encryption: SSL/TLS (or “This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL)” in older versions).

   • Outgoing mail server (SMTP):

     • Server: smtp.gmail.com

     • Port: 587

     • Encryption: STARTTLS (or “Auto” in some versions).

   • Account details:

     • Username: Your full Gmail address (e.g., yourname@gmail.com).

     • Password: Your App Password (from Step 2) or your Gmail password if 2-Step Verification is disabled.

   • Advanced Settings (if needed):

     • Check Leave a copy of messages on the server if you want to keep emails on Gmail (recommended).

     • Optionally, set Remove from server after X days or Remove from server when deleted from Deleted Items based on your preference.

6. Test the Connection:

   • Click Next or Test Account Settings to verify the configuration.

   • If successful, Outlook will connect to Gmail and begin downloading emails.

7. Complete Setup:

   • Click Finish or Done.

   • Outlook will start downloading all emails to your local computer based on your Gmail POP settings.

8. Verify Email Download:

   • Check your Outlook Inbox and other folders to ensure emails are downloading.

   • Depending on the number of emails, this may take some time.

Step 4: Configure Mozilla Thunderbird with Gmail via POP3

Follow these steps to set up Gmail in Mozilla Thunderbird using POP3.

1. Open Thunderbird:

   • Launch Mozilla Thunderbird on your computer.

2. Add a New Account:

   • Go to Tools > Account Settings (or click the menu icon and select New Account > Email in newer versions).

   • Alternatively, if it’s your first time, Thunderbird may prompt you to set up an account.

3. Enter Account Details:

   • Your name: Enter your display name (e.g., “John Doe”).

   • Email address: Enter your full Gmail address (e.g., yourname@gmail.com).

   • Password: Enter your App Password (from Step 2) or your Gmail password if 2-Step Verification is disabled.

   • Click Continue.

4. Choose Manual Configuration:

   • Thunderbird may attempt to auto-detect settings. Click Manual config to enter POP3 settings.

5. Enter POP3 Settings:

   • Incoming Server:

     • Protocol: POP3

     • Server hostname: pop.gmail.com

     • Port: 995

     • Connection security: SSL/TLS

     • Authentication method: Normal password

   • Outgoing Server (SMTP):

     • Server hostname: smtp.gmail.com

     • Port: 587

     • Connection security: STARTTLS

     • Authentication method: Normal password

   • Username: Your full Gmail address (e.g., yourname@gmail.com) for both incoming and outgoing.

6. Confirm Settings:

   • Click Re-test to verify the configuration.

   • If successful, click Done.

7. Set Server Behavior:

   • In Account Settings, select the newly created account under Account Actions > Server Settings.

   • Check Leave messages on server if you want to keep emails on Gmail.

   • Optionally, configure Delete messages on server settings (e.g., after a certain number of days or when deleted locally).

8. Download Emails:

   • Thunderbird will start downloading emails to your local computer.

   • You can monitor the progress in the status bar at the bottom of Thunderbird.

9. Verify Email Download:

   • Check your Inbox and other folders to ensure all emails are downloaded.

   • Depending on the number of emails, this may take some time.

Step 5: Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter issues, try the following:

1. Login Errors:

   • Ensure you’re using the correct App Password (if 2-Step Verification is enabled) or Gmail password.

   • Verify that POP3 is enabled in Gmail settings.

   • If using “Less secure app access,” ensure it’s turned on (not recommended).

2. Emails Not Downloading:

   • Confirm that Enable POP for all mail is selected in Gmail settings.

   • Check your email client’s server settings (e.g., pop.gmail.com, port 995, SSL/TLS).

   • Ensure your internet connection is stable.

3. Outgoing Email Issues:

   • Verify SMTP settings (smtp.gmail.com, port 587, STARTTLS).

   • Ensure the username and password match your Gmail credentials.

4. Duplicate Emails:

   • If emails are downloading multiple times, check the Leave a copy on server setting in your email client and ensure Gmail’s POP settings are configured correctly.

5. Contact Support:

   • For Outlook issues, visit support.microsoft.com.

   • For Thunderbird issues, visit support.mozilla.org.

   • For Gmail issues, visit support.google.com/mail.

Step 6: Best Practices

1. Backup Emails:

   • Regularly back up your local email data (e.g., Outlook PST files or Thunderbird profile folders) to prevent data loss.

2. Keep Emails on Server:

   • Unless you specifically want to remove emails from Gmail, enable Keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox in Gmail settings and Leave a copy on server in your email client.

3. Use IMAP Instead (Optional):

   • If you want to sync emails across multiple devices without removing them from the server, consider using IMAP instead of POP3. IMAP settings are similar but use imap.gmail.com (port 993, SSL/TLS) for incoming mail.

4. Security:

   • Always use 2-Step Verification and an App Password for better security.

   • Avoid enabling “Less secure app access” unless absolutely necessary.

5. Monitor Storage:

   • Downloading all emails can consume significant disk space on your computer. Ensure you have enough storage available.

Summary

By following this guide, you can successfully configure Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird to connect with Gmail via POP3 and download all your emails to your local computer. Ensure POP3 is enabled in Gmail, use an App Password for secure access, and configure your email client with the correct server settings. Regularly back up your emails and consider keeping copies on Gmail’s server for redundancy.

For further assistance, refer to the official support pages for Gmail, Outlook, or Thunderbird.