Gmail is in any browser and very functional there. This is your Mac, however, and Mac OS X Mail is just as functional—if not more so—while being faster to boot with more native a feel and looks.

Setting up Gmail on your computer in Mac OS X Mail also means just about automatic backup copies of mail on a disk your control. Fortunately, adding Gmail is easy, and you get to choose between IMAP (seamless access to Gmail labels with potentially a duplicate here and there) and POP (simple and robust downloading of messages).

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail 5 Using IMAP

Now, to send and receive mail to and from a Gmail account in Mac OS X Mail:

• Make sure IMAP access is enabled in Gmail.
• Select Mail | Preferences… from the menu.
• Go to the Accounts tab.
• Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
• Type your name under Full Name:.
• Enter your Gmail address under Email Address:.
• Now enter your Gmail password under Password:.
• Click Create.
• If you do not want to synchronize your iCal calendars with Google Calendar, make sure Calendars is not checked under Also set up:.
• Click Create again.
• Go to Mailbox Behaviors tab of the newly added account.
• Make sure Store junk messages on the server is checked.
• Make sure Never is selected under Delete junk messages when:.
• Now make sure Never is selected under Permanently erase deleted messages when: as well.
• Close the Accounts preferences window.
• Click Save if prompted.
• Open the [Gmail] | Drafts folder for the newly added Gmail account
• Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Drafts from the menu.

• Open [Gmail] | Sent Mail.
• Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Sent from the menu.
• Open [Gmail] | Trash.
• Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Trash from the menu.
• Now open [Gmail] | Spam.
• Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Junk from the menu.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail 3 Using IMAP

To add Gmail as an IMAP account to Mac OS X Mail 3:

• Make sure IMAP access is enabled for the Gmail account.
• Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu.
• Go to the Accounts tab.
• Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
• Type your name under Full Name:.
• Enter your Gmail address under Email Address:.
• Now enter your Gmail password under Password:.
• Make sure Automatically set up account is not checked.
• Click Continue.
• Make sure IMAP is selected under Account Type:.
• Type "imap.gmail.com" (not including the quotation marks) under Incoming Mail Server:.
• Verify your Gmail account name (what precedes "@gmail.com" in your Gmail address) appears under User Name:.
• Click Continue.
• Type "Gmail" under Description: for the Outgoing Mail Server.
• Check Use Authentication is checked and that your Gmail account name appears under User Name:.
• Click Continue.
• Verify the Account Summary reads like this:
  • Account Description: Gmail
  • Full Name: your name
  • Email Address: your Gmail address
  • User Name: your Gmail account name
  • Incoming Mail Server: imap.gmail.com
  • SSL: on
  • Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.gmail.com
  • SSL: on
• Click Create.
• Go to your newly set up Gmail account's Mailbox Behaviors tab.
• Check Store junk messages on the server.
• Make sure Never is selected under Delete junk messages when:.
• Now make sure Never is selected under Permanently erase deleted messages when:
• Close the preferences window.
• Go to GMAIL | [Gmail] | Drafts in the folder list.
• Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Drafts from the menu.
• Go to GMAIL | [Gmail] | Sent Mail.
• Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Sent from the menu.
• Go to GMAIL | [Gmail] | Trash.
• Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Trash from the menu.
• Go to GMAIL | [Gmail] | Spam.
• Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Junk from the menu.

You can also star and label messages using IMAP Gmail in Mac OS X Mail.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail 5 Using POP

• Make sure POP access is turned on for your Gmail account.
• Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu in Mac OS X Mail.
• Go to the Accounts tab.
• Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
• Type your name under Full Name:.
• Enter your Gmail address under Email Address:.
• Click Continue.
  • Do leave the Password: field blank.
• Click Continue again, acknowledging the message that Logging in to the Google IMAP server "imap.gmail.com" failed..
  • If you do not get the error message and Mac OS X Mail goes on to set up Gmail as an IMAP account, delete any remembered passwords for the account from your Mac keychain.
• Make sure POP is selected under Account Type:.
• Enter "pop.gmail.com" under Incoming Mail Server:.
• Type your full Gmail email address under User Name:.
• Now enter your Gmail password in the Password: field.
• Click Continue.
• Click Continue again to accept the Outgoing Mail Server settings.
• Now click Create.
• Close the Accounts preferences window.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail 3 Using POP

• Make sure POP access is enabled in Gmail.
• Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu.
• Go to the Accounts tab.
• Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
• Type your name under Full Name:.
• Enter your Gmail address under Email Address:.
• Now enter your Gmail password under Password:.
• Make sure Automatically set up account is checked.
• Click Create.

Access a Gmail Account in Mac OS X Mail 2 Using POP

To access a Gmail account in Mac OS X Mail 2 using POP:

• ›› Step by Step Screenshot Walkthrough

• Make sure POP access is turned on for the Gmail account.
• Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu.
• Go to the Accounts tab.
• Click the plus sign under the accounts list.
• Make sure POP is selected under Account Type:.
• Type "Gmail" under Account Description:.
• Enter your name under Full Name:.
• Type your full Gmail address under Email Address:.
• Click Continue.
• Enter "pop.gmail.com" under Incoming Mail Server:.
• Type your full Gmail email address under User Name:.
• Put your Gmail password in the Password: field.
• Click Continue.
• Make sure Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is checked.
• Select Password under Authentication:.
• Click Continue.
• Type "smtp.gmail.com" under Outgoing Mail Server:.
• Make sure Use Authentication is checked.
• Enter your full Gmail address under User Name:.
• Put your Gmail password in the Password: field.
• Click Continue.
• Make sure Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is checked under Outgoing Mail Security, too.
• Under Authentication:, select Password.
• Click Continue.
• Click Continue again.
• Now click Done.
• With the new "Gmail" account highlighted, click Server Settings... under Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP):.
• Type "465" under Server port:.
• Click OK.
• Close the mail preferences.

Access a Gmail Account in OS X Mail 7

Setting up Gmail in OS X Mail 7 is also possible, of course, and particularly easy.

(Updated January 2012)