Gmail is ending third-party “Send as”

1. What Google says is changing

According to Gmail Help: changes to third-party email account support (fetched for this page on 5 Nov 2026):

• Starting January 2027, you will no longer be able to send mail from third-party email accounts via the “Send as” feature in Gmail on the web or in the Gmail mobile apps.
• Gmail-to-Gmail aliases and Google Workspace “Send as” are not affected.
• Gmail will also remove Gmailify and checking mail from other accounts with POP on the web. Details are repeated on Gmail Help: upcoming changes to Gmailify & POP.
• Before January 2027, Google says it will restrict new configurations of these features. Q3 2026 begins an announcement / notice period; Q3–Q4 2026 is a transition period where existing setups may still work.

2. What Google says is not changing

From the same third-party support help page:

• You can still add and use non-Google accounts in the Gmail mobile app (Android, iPhone, iPad).
• Third-party clients (examples Google lists: Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail) can still access Gmail over IMAP/POP/API.
• Messages you already imported into Gmail are not deleted by this change.
• You can still auto-forward from a third-party provider into Gmail; Google says forwarding is independent of “Send as.”

3. Google’s recommended paths (from their help page)

Google lists three official options on that page:

1. Option A — Use your provider’s native website or app Host mail where the domain’s MX records point, and send/receive in that host’s webmail or apps.
2. Option B — Use a desktop mail client Google suggests a client with IMAP/SMTP if you rely on “Send as” for business, and also mentions moving the domain to Google Workspace for a custom domain.
3. Option C — Use the Gmail mobile app Keep reading and sending from the other account inside the Gmail app over IMAP (per Google).

Google also warns that third-party tools or browser extensions that try to recreate “Send as” often need mailbox credentials or OAuth tokens, and that Google cannot guarantee those tools. Source: same help page.

4. Practical checklist (before January 2027)

1. Confirm you are affected You are in scope if free Gmail “Send as” points at a non-Google address (custom domain, Outlook.com, Yahoo, etc.). Workspace aliases on Google-hosted mail are not in scope, per Google.
2. Decide whether Gmail must stay your main UI If yes, Google’s supported long-term path for a custom domain is Google Workspace (paid per user). If no, pick a mail host and move MX records.
3. If you only need to keep reading mail in Gmail Google says auto-forward from the other provider into Gmail still works; you will need somewhere else to send as the domain.
4. Check send and receive limits on cheap hosts Flat-rate hosts often meter messages per day. Example from Migadu’s pricing FAQ (fetched 5 Nov 2026): after limits and a stated tolerance, mail can be deferred or bounce. See cards below.
5. Plan DNS once You will usually change MX, and add SPF / DKIM / DMARC as the new host instructs. Do this in a maintenance window; delivery can look broken for a few hours while DNS propagates (estimate, not a guarantee).
6. Test send and receive both ways Send to Gmail, Outlook.com and a phone before you delete the old “Send as” setup.

5. Starter comparison (entry prices from vendor pages)

All figures below were read from the linked pricing / feature pages on 5 Nov 2026. Taxes, promos and regional currency lists can change. Prefer the vendor page if anything conflicts.

Fastmail’s Basic business plan on the same pricing page is cheaper but the page’s business FAQ states that using Fastmail with other email apps and sharing custom domains across users is tied to Standard / Professional. Read the pricing FAQ before buying Basic if you need Apple Mail / Outlook or shared domains.

6. Which path fits which person? (estimates)

• Want Gmail UI + custom domain long term: Google Workspace is the path Google documents. Price estimate from their page: about $7/user/mo list, with a new-customer intro that may be lower for a year.
• Want cheapest paid IMAP with many aliases: Migadu Micro at $19/year is the lowest flat yearly figure among the paid IMAP-style hosts above—watch the daily send/receive caps.
• Want free but accept web/app-only: Zoho Mail Free, knowing IMAP/POP/ActiveSync are not included on that free row.
• Want polished apps + custom domain: Fastmail Individual or Standard, or Proton Mail Plus (1 domain on Plus).
• Already in Apple’s ecosystem with iCloud+: Custom Email Domain is included with every iCloud+ storage tier (from 50 GB), per Apple’s iCloud+ plans & pricing and custom-domain help.

FAQ

Sources used for this page

• Gmail Help — third-party email account support changes
• Gmail Help — Gmailify & POP changes
• Google Workspace pricing
• Zoho Mail pricing
• Migadu pricing
• Fastmail pricing
• Proton Mail pricing
• Apple Support — Use Custom Email Domain with iCloud Mail (requirements, domain/address limits)
• Apple Support — iCloud+ plans and pricing (Custom Email Domain on all iCloud+ tiers; US monthly prices)

Unverified on this page: exact DNS TTL behavior at your registrar; whether a specific old “Send as” setup will get Google’s in-product notice on your account; Apple’s full step-by-step DNS screens (102540 covers requirements and limits; 108047 covers plan prices; detailed UI steps may live on linked Apple guides).