How to Add Gmail or Google Apps Account to Outlook 2013 Using IMAP

If you want to send and manage emails from a desktop client instead of the browser, Microsoft Outlook could be one of the best choice. Using a desktop client not only helps to manage your emails but also it allows syncing emails between computers.
In this article, I’ll show you how to configure your Gmail or Google Apps account using IMAP and then how to add your accounts at Outlook 2013. Though you can apply the same method in earlier versions of Outlook, we recommend the latest version as it has more advanced options to manage your emails.
Configure your Google Apps or Gmail account using IMAP
Log into your Google account and click  Settings(gear) icon -> Settings. This opens the Gmail settings page. In the settings page, head to the tab ‘Forwarding and POP/IMAP’. Scroll down your mouse wheel to find the ‘IMAP access’ option.

Click the radio button ‘Enable IMAP’. Keep other options as they are and save the changes. No more task is to be done in your Google mail account.
Adding your Google account at Outlook 2013
If you did not configure your Outlook for any other mail service, start the software and you will be asked to configure Outlook with your email account. If you are already using the Outlook with other email services like Yahoo, Hotmail, open the Outlook 2013 and click the File menu. To get started with adding your Google apps or Gmail account click the ‘Add Account’ button.

This will open the ‘Add Account’ window. Type your name, the Gmail or Google apps address. Type the account password twice and click the ‘Next’ button.

Now, Outlook will contact your mail server and try to setup the account and show the progress.

This automatic option may or may not work for you. If you’re lucky, it will show the success message in the progress window. If any error occurs, you’ll have to manually configure your account.
Click the radio button ‘Manual setup or additional server types’ and click Next.

In the next step, select ‘POP or IMAP’ and again click the ‘Next’ button.

Here, fill up the given fields as followings.
Name: Put your name
Email Adress: Type your email address
Account Type: IMAP
Incoming mail server: imap.googlemail.com
Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.googlemail.com
User Name: Type your Google apps or Gmail address
Password: Type your account password

Click the ‘More Settings…’ button. The Internet E-mail Settings dialogue box pops up. Head to the ‘Outgoing Server’ tab, check the box and select the ‘Use same settings as my incoming mail server’ radio button.

Now, flip to the Advanced tab and fill up the required fields as following.
Incoming server (IMAP): 993
Use the following type of encrypted connection: SSL
Outgoing server (SMTP): 587
Use the following type of encrypted connection: TLS
Note: If you change the encryption type to TLS after putting the SMTP sever value, the SMTP value will be reverted. So, change the encryption type to TLS first and then set the SMTP server value.

Once done, click the OK button. Now, Outlook will test the account settings. If everything is okay, you will see this dialogue box.

Close the box and tap the Finish button.
You’ve added your Google apps or Gmail account to Outlook 2013. Now, it will take some time to sync your mail account with Outlook. Click ‘Inbox’  to read incoming mails. You can also send new emails or reply to the received emails from your desktop.
The benefit of using IMAP:
Using IMAP option makes your Outlook interface looking similar as you see your Gmail account with a browser. Any changes in your email account will immediately reflect in Outlook. For example, If you move any email from one folder to another in your Google account, the same will be reflected in Outlook.