Google is preparing a major update to Gmail that will remove two familiar features early in 2026—Gmailify and POP mail retrieval. These changes are part of a larger effort to simplify Gmail’s handling of external accounts and transition users toward newer standards like IMAP.
The first feature on the chopping block, Gmailify, launched in 2016 to give non-Google email users a “Gmail-like” experience. It enabled accounts from services such as Yahoo! and Outlook to benefit from Gmail’s advanced tools—superior spam filtering, automatic inbox categorization, improved push notifications, and enhanced search capabilities. However, starting January 2026, these perks will disappear, and users will no longer be able to link external accounts through Gmailify.
At the same time, Google will discontinue the option to retrieve emails via the POP protocol, a feature that allowed users to import mail from other accounts directly into Gmail. Moving forward, Gmail will fully transition to IMAP, a more modern email protocol that syncs messages across devices and is already supported by most providers. Users are encouraged to activate IMAP on their external accounts well before the January deadline.
While these changes won’t impact emails that have already been imported, they will reshape how Gmail interacts with third-party services. External accounts can still be accessed in Gmail, but only through IMAP connections. For many users, especially those who relied on Gmailify’s added convenience, this update will require adapting to a slightly less integrated but more standardized email setup.