If Gmail on the web stopped fetching Hotmail or Outlook messages, the likely explanation may be Google’s planned end to continuous POP retrieval—not a confirmed, universal authentication bug. The right fix depends on where you are trying to read the mail: Gmail on the web, the Gmail mobile app, or Outlook connecting to another account.
First identify where the sync is failing
“Gmail won’t sync Outlook” can describe different connections with different causes. Check which app is receiving mail and which account is being added before changing passwords or credentials.
- Gmail website receiving Hotmail or Outlook: Check whether Gmail’s “Check mail from other accounts” POP feature is set up. Google is ending this continuous web retrieval feature on a published schedule.
- Gmail mobile app receiving Hotmail or Outlook: Google says third-party accounts can still be added to the app using a standard IMAP connection. This is separate from Gmail’s web POP feature.
- Outlook receiving Outlook.com or Hotmail mail: Check whether the Outlook version supports the modern authentication required by Outlook.com.
- Classic Outlook receiving Gmail: Microsoft documents a separate Google OAuth-consent issue. That is Outlook connecting to Gmail, not Gmail connecting to Hotmail or Outlook.
Search phrases such as “Unable to authenticate” or “Unable to Authenticate – Hotmail/Outlook” describe errors users may encounter; they do not establish one cause for every failure.
Gmail’s web POP retrieval is being discontinued
Google says that after the first quarter of 2026, Gmail’s web-based POP retrieval will no longer support new users. People already using it can continue until January 2027. Google also says messages that were previously synced into Gmail will remain there. See Google’s explanation of the Gmailify and POP changes.
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This change affects the Gmail website’s continuous checking of another provider’s inbox. It does not mean that Gmail universally rejects Hotmail passwords, and it should not be confused with adding a third-party account to the Gmail mobile app.
Options if you used “Check mail from other accounts”
- Use automatic forwarding: Google lists provider-side forwarding as an alternative if you want incoming Outlook or Hotmail mail to appear in Gmail on the web. Follow the mail provider’s current instructions. Forwarding is not established as identical to POP retrieval in folder behavior or timing.
- Add the account to the Gmail mobile app: Google says third-party accounts such as Outlook can still be added using IMAP. This gives access in the mobile app; it does not restore continuous POP retrieval in Gmail on the web.
- Import messages once: Google says web import remains available, but it is a one-time import rather than ongoing synchronization.
These paths differ in where messages appear and whether new mail is continuously fetched, forwarded, or imported just once.
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Choose the access path that matches your goal
| Access path | Use it when | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail web POP retrieval | You already use Gmail on the web to fetch another provider’s mail. | Existing users may continue through January 2027; Google says new users are no longer supported after Q1 2026. This is a dated transition, not a permanent service guarantee. Google’s timeline |
| Provider-side automatic forwarding | You want new Outlook or Hotmail messages delivered to your Gmail web inbox. | Google lists forwarding as an alternative. The cited guidance does not claim it reproduces POP retrieval in every respect. Google’s alternatives |
| Gmail mobile app with IMAP | You want to view the third-party account in Gmail on a phone or tablet. | Google says accounts such as Outlook remain addable in the app using IMAP; this is not a way to restore Gmail web POP retrieval. Google’s guidance |
| Compatible Outlook client | You are using Outlook to access Outlook.com or Hotmail. | The app and account setup must support modern authentication. Some older Outlook desktop versions do not. Microsoft’s compatibility guidance |
Check authentication support in the app you are using
When a client connects to Gmail
For compatible third-party clients connecting to Gmail, Google recommends “Sign in with Google” rather than sharing your Google account password. Google says Gmail no longer supports third-party apps or devices that require you to share that password. For personal Google accounts, the IMAP enable/disable control was removed starting in January 2025 because IMAP access is always on. These details concern access to Gmail from another client; they do not make your Google password the password for a Hotmail or Outlook account. See Google’s instructions for adding Gmail to another email client.
When a non-Microsoft app connects to Outlook.com
Microsoft says Outlook.com connections in non-Microsoft apps must use modern authentication. Its support article lists Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, Outlook 2016 MSI, and Outlook 2019 LTSC as desktop versions that do not support Modern Authentication for Outlook.com. If your client is one of these versions, repeated password attempts cannot add a capability the app lacks; use a supported app or version and an appropriate modern-authentication setup. See Microsoft’s list and guidance.
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A separate issue: classic Outlook connecting to Gmail
Microsoft’s article, last updated January 7, 2025, concerns classic Outlook failing to add or sync a Gmail account when the user did not grant the requested Google consent for Microsoft apps and services to access Gmail. Microsoft says the issue was fixed starting with Current Channel Version 2412 Build 18324.20168. Its documented options include retrying browser sign-in and granting the requested permissions, or using its manual workaround to revoke the Microsoft connection and remove the affected Google IMAP OAuth credentials from Windows Credential Manager before signing in again. Verify your Outlook build and follow Microsoft’s current steps carefully. This is an Outlook-to-Gmail problem, not evidence of a Gmail-to-Hotmail authentication bug.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to record if authentication still fails
If none of these distinctions explains the error, note the details that identify the connection before attempting further changes:
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- Whether the failing app is Gmail on the web, the Gmail mobile app, Outlook, or another client.
- Which account is being received: Gmail or Hotmail/Outlook.
- The exact error text, such as “Unable to authenticate.”
- Your device and operating system, and the app version where relevant.
- Whether the account is personal or work/school.
- For Outlook desktop, the Outlook edition and build; for Gmail web, whether you used “Check mail from other accounts.”
Those details help distinguish a scheduled Gmail web feature change, an unsupported authentication method, and a client-specific sign-in problem. There is no single fix established for every error carrying similar wording.
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