Gmail changes from January 2026: POP fetching and Gmailify ending

What’s changing?

From January 2026, Google are removing support in Gmail for:

• “Check mail from other accounts” (POP fetching) – the feature that pulled mail from another mailbox into your Gmail inbox.
• Gmailify – the feature that applied Gmail spam filtering and inbox features to a third-party mailbox.

This mainly affects users who log into Gmail in a web browser and use Gmail to collect mail from another address via POP.

What’s not changing?

• You can still use your cPanel mailbox normally (webmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc.).
• Google have stated you can add accounts in the Gmail mobile app (Android/iOS), which uses standard IMAP.

Recommended Options

Option A: Use an email client with IMAP (desktop/mobile)

💡 We recommend Option A for the best experience

Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and others can connect directly to the cPanel mailbox via IMAP.

https://www.freethought.uk/help/mac-mail-adding-an-email-account/
https://www.freethought.uk/help/adding-your-email-to-microsoft-outlook-classic/

Option B: Use the Gmail app on mobile (IMAP)

Add your cPanel mailbox to the Gmail app on Android/iPhone, which connects via IMAP.

Pros: Direct access to the mailbox; works as a “real” mailbox connection.
Cons: This is in the mobile app, not Gmail in a desktop browser.

Option C: Keep mail arriving in your main Gmail inbox

Set up automatic forwarding from your cPanel mailbox to your Gmail address.

Pros: Most similar to POP fetching; mail lands in your Gmail inbox.
Cons: It’s forwarding (not syncing) – folders and sent items won’t mirror across automatically.

https://www.freethought.uk/help/creating-an-email-forwarder-in-cpanel/

How to set up forwarding in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Go to Email → Forwarders
3. Add a forwarder from the mailbox to your Gmail address
   

Need help?

If you tell us the mailbox/domain and what experience you want (everything in Gmail inbox vs accessing the mailbox directly), we’ll recommend the best setup.

Related articles

Gmail for Android: https://www.freethought.uk/help/add-your-email-to-the-gmail-app-for-android/
Gmail for iPhone: Coming soon
Email forwarding via cPanel: https://www.freethought.uk/help/creating-an-email-forwarder-in-cpanel/