Question: Why did Gmail stop checking my other email accounts, and what do I use instead?
A
Answer: Gmail is taking away two jobs it used to do for you: pulling in mail from another provider over POP, and running its spam filter and inbox categories on that other address. Google stopped allowing new setups from the second quarter of 2026, and every setup that still exists is scheduled to stop working in January 2027. Mail Gmail already fetched stays in your inbox. The replacements Google names are automatic forwarding from your other provider and adding that account to the Gmail app on your phone over IMAP, plus a desktop mail client if you want one inbox in a browser-sized window.