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How to Set Up Gmail in Windows 10

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This guide will take you each step of the way through setting up your Gmail email address in the Windows 10 Mail app.

The process is actually quite straight forward, but we’ll make sure you get it right the first time :)

2021 Update: Theoretically, the Mail app in Windows 10 doesn’t require you to enable IMAP or POP within Gmail itself. However, there have been incidents of Mail reporting the error code: 0x80070490 – and the solution was to enable IMAP within Gmail. If you’re one of the few people who receive the error 0x80070490, we’ve provided instructions on how to enable IMAP within Gmail at the end of this guide.

  1. Click the Windows 10 Start Button and select All apps

  2. Scroll down the list a bit, and in the M section, select Mail

  3. Welcome to the Welcome screen. Click Get started to, you guessed it, get started.

  4. Click/tap the + Add account button

  5. From the Choose an account screen, select Google

  6. The “Connecting to a service” window will appear, and display a Google login window. Enter your gmail address in the space provided, and then click Next


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  7. Now enter your gmail (Google) password, and select Sign in


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  8. Tap/click Allow


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  9. Yep, that’s it. Click Done

  10. Back at the initial Mail window, there will be a new button labelled Ready to go – click it.

  11. Ta-da! Your Gmail is now is all set up in Window 10.


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  12. You can access Mail the same way as you did in steps #1 and #2, or you can click the mail “Tile” and it will open your Gmail.

  13. Another option is to click-and-drag either the Mail ‘Tile” or the Mail entry in the All apps list, to your Desktop. That will create a shortcut on your Desktop that you can use to launch Mail, if that’s your preference.

  14. If you have any questions, by all means leave a comment.

Enable IMAP in Gmail

If you find yourself on the receiving end of the error 0x80070490, you probably just need to enable IMAP in Gmail, which is super easy.

  1. Open Gmail in a web browser and sign into your account. Click the Settings button (the “cog” looking icon in the upper-right corner) and select See all settings

  2. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab

  3. Finally, select the Enable IMAP option in the IMAP access: section. Click the Save Changes button to make sure the change gets applied.

  4. Back in the Mail app try to check your Gmail again – it should all work just fine now.

View Comments

  • Hello I have opposite problem to many. I don’t WANT my emails in and sent and Trash etc synching AT ALL between my desktop, iPad, and iPhone — I need to handle them all separately and then leave the originals on the gmail server. I had it set like that for years but after an IT engineee cured a different problem, he re/installed it all and it now endlessly synchs.
    I believe it MAY be due to the incoming seton IMAP server as it was POP before. I need to get it back to POP. Can I? And how? (Running WIN10 on desktop with MS Office 2019 and picking up gmail via Outlook management system)

  • @Sadia -

    Here's how to fix that error, thanks very much for pointing it out - I'll be updating this guide accordingly!

    Sign into your Gmail via the Web and then go to Settings (the "cog" looking icon in the upper-right corner) and select "See all settings". Then choose the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab from the list of settings. Scroll down to the part titled "IMAP access:" and then place a check next to "Enable IMAP". Click the Save Changes button and make sure it now says "IMAP is enabled".

    Now try setting it up in Windows again, it will go through without that error.

    Cheers!!!

  • Hi, when I follow these steps, I get a screen called, "Send your messages using this name."
    Unless I fill this in, I can't continue and click "sign in." So after I write my name and click on "sign in" it says "Something went wrong. We couldn't find your settings. Error code: 0x80070490"

    What can be done then?

  • I did what was required to add a Gmail account to Widows 10 and it says that an account already exists. Which it did and it worked until December 14 when the emails quit showing up in Windows 10. This is the reason that I am doing what I am doing now which still doesn't seem to work.

  • all my emails in my windows gmail account have suddenly gone and now are in a google gmail account with all my personal details.any idea why this happened and how can i get it back to windows gmail

  • I have gone through all the steps but the screen ends up telling me that the account I'm trying to add already exists. I can't find it. As an experienced user I'm embarrassed.
    Thank you

  • Hey after doing all procedure given an error is coming showing that there is a problem. but why ..???

  • i did do as you say but they say we cant help you sorry can you lend a help wat must i do . thanks for any help that will provided as soon as possible

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Published by
Ross McKillop
September 8, 2021 11:16 pm