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Merging Outlook, Gmail, and Android

BY J. CARLTON COLLINS, CPA

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2014. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

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Presented below are three reader questions related to merging your Outlook, Gmail, and Android email.

Reading Gmail in Outlook

Q: Is it possible to read my Google Mail on my desktop computer using Outlook 2013? If so, how?

A: Yes, you can set up Outlook to retrieve your Gmail messages as follows.

1. First, make sure IMAP access is enabled by launching Gmail, clicking the Settings icon, and selecting Settings. Then, on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab in the IMAP Access section, select the radio button labeled Enable IMAP.

2. In Outlook, select File, Account Settings, Account Settings, and on the E-mail tab, click New. Enter Your Name, Gmail address, and Password as prompted, then click Next. Outlook will automatically detect your Gmail account and set up the proper account settings. When it is done, click Finish. (If you have Gmail’s two-step verification security enabled, Google will send a six-digit code to your Gmail account and display an Enter code text box. You will need to sign in to your Gmail account to retrieve the code and enter it correctly to verify your identity.)

Note: If you prefer to set up your Gmail account manually, the Incoming mail server is imap.gmail.com, and the Outgoing mail server (SMTP) is smtp.gmail.com.

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Reading Outlook.com on Android

Q: Can I read my Outlook.com email on my Android phone? If so, how?

A: There are three approaches to reading your Outlook.com email on an Android device: from the Outlook app, from the Gmail app, or via a browser. These options are explained below:

1. Via Outlook app. To use Outlook.com on your Android phone (or tablet), download the free Outlook app by launching Google Play (Google’s app store) and searching for Outlook.com.

Follow the instructions for installing the app by clicking Install, Accept; then enter your Outlook.com email address and password, and tap Next. Adjust your preferences on the Options and Syncing screens that follow, then click Next to complete the setup.

2. Via Android email. You can access your Outlook.com email on your Android device using the Android email reader, as follows. On your device, tap the Email app, then tap Add account. Enter your Outlook.com email address and password, then tap Manual setup. When asked What type of account is this?, tap Exchange. Leave the Domain field blank and in the Username field, enter your email address, enter your Password, and for the Server name, enter s.outlook.com. Make sure the Use secure connection (SSL) box is checked, then tap Next, Done.

3. Via a browser. Of course, you can also retrieve your Outlook. com email by logging into outlook.com on your Android phone’s internet browser.

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Reading My POP3 Outlook Email on Android

Q: I currently have a POP3 email account set up on my computer that I read and respond to using Outlook, but is it possible to also read and respond to these POP3 email messages on my Android phone? If so, how? (Note: The previous question refers to reading Outlook.com messages that are IMAP-based, while this question refers to reading other Outlook email messages that are POP3-based.)

A: Yes, you can access, read, and respond to your POP3 email messages on your Android device using the Android email reader, as follows. On your device, tap the Email app, then tap Add Account. (If you already have at least one account set up, then tap the Menu icon, Settings, and tap Add Account). On the Synchronize Accounts screen, tap Other, then enter your POP3 account’s Email address and Password and click Manual setup. When asked What type of account is this?, tap POP3.

If necessary, edit the POP server field so it matches the same POP3 server name you used on your desktop computer, and check the other settings to make sure they are correct, then tap Next, as pictured below.

The installation routine will then test your incoming server settings, and if they are working properly, the next screen will request your outgoing server information. Enter the proper outgoing server name and your authenticating login username and password, if any, and then tap Next, as pictured below, then Done. You should now be able to access and respond to POP3 email messages from your desktop computer or your Android phone.