Prepare your Gmail or Google Apps account for connecting to Outlook and Office 365

Applies To: Outlook 2016 , Outlook 2013 , Office for business , Office 365 Admin , More...

Before you connect to your Gmail account from Outlook on the web, or add a Gmail account to Outlook, you need to prepare your Gmail account. You need to turn on 2-step verification for Gmail and then create an app password that Office 365 will use with your Gmail address to make the connection.

You will also have to do this if your admin is planning to migrate your Gmail or Google apps Gmail to Office 365.

Enable your Gmail to be connected by Office 365

To use an app password with Gmail, you have to first turn on 2-step verification, and then obtain the app password. Once you have an app password you can use that in combination with your username to connect to Gmail.

To turn on 2-step verification

1. Sign in to your Gmail account
2. Select Google apps > My Account.
   
3. On the My Account page choose Sign-in & security.
4. Under the Password & sign-in method, choose the arrow next to the 2-Step verification, and provide your password if asked.
   
   
   
5. On the Signing in with 2-step verification page, choose Start setup.
6. Re-enter your password if asked, and in the Set up your phone step, enter or verify your cell phone. On the next step enter the verification number sent to your cell phone and choose Verify.
7. In the Trust this computer step choose Next, and in the Turn on 2-step verification step choose Confirm.

To create an app password

1. Sign in to your Gmail account
2. Select Google apps > My Account.
3. On the My Account page choose Sign-in & security.
4. Under the Password & sign-in method, choose the arrow next to the App passwords, and provide your password if asked.
5. On the App passwords page, in the Select app drop-down choose Other (custom name).
   
6. Type in a name, for example Myconnection > GENERATE.
   Note the app password under Your app password for your device. You can use this with your Gmail address in the app you are connecting to your Gmail account (or adding you Gmail account to). This combination grants complete access to your Gmail account by the app that is using it.
   After you have entered the app password, you do not have to remember it.
   
   IMPORTANT: The 16-character app password is displayed with spaces so it is easier to read. When you enter it to the app you want to connect, ignore the spaces and enter it as an unbroken string of 16 characters.

Optionally revoke the app password

If you need the Gmail connection for a brief time only, for example for an IMAP mailbox migration that your admin is running, you can later revoke the App password.

To revoke the app password code

1. Sign in to you Gmail account
2. Select Google apps > My Account.
3. On the My Account page choose Sign-in & security.
4. Under the Password & sign-in method, choose the arrow next to the App passwords, and provide your password if asked.
5. On the App passwords page, select REVOKE next to the app password you want to revoke.