You can read and send your own domain email -- you@example.com -- right inside the Gmail app on your iPhone, iPad or Android phone. The app connects to your Instant Access Internet Services mailbox with IMAP, just like any other mail app. This guide shows you how to use the Gmail app with your own domain email, step by step, and explains what changed in 2026 with Gmail's "Check mail from other accounts" and Gmailify features.
What changed in 2026: Gmailify and POP fetching
For years, many people pulled their domain email into Gmail on the web using Settings > Accounts and Import > Check mail from other accounts (a POP3 "fetcher"), or linked it with Gmailify. Google has retired both:
- Google announced the change for 2026. After the first quarter of 2026, Gmailify and POP-based Check mail from other accounts are no longer available to new users.
- Google says people who were already using them can keep using them until January 2027.
- Messages that were already fetched into Gmail stay in your Gmail account.
Google suggests two replacements: forwarding your mail to Gmail, or -- the one in this guide -- adding your domain mailbox to the Gmail mobile app as an IMAP account. The app connects directly to our mail server, so there's no fetching delay and nothing is copied into your personal Gmail storage.
If you still use the old POP fetcher on Gmail on the web, plan to switch before it stops working for you. Google's help page "Learn about upcoming changes to Gmailify & POP in Gmail" has the latest dates.
What you'll get (and what you won't)
| Works | Doesn't work |
|---|---|
Reading and sending as you@example.com in the Gmail app on iPhone, iPad and Android. | Seeing your domain mailbox inside Gmail on the web (mail.google.com) -- use our webmail on a computer instead. |
| All your server folders (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, your own folders) stay in sync with webmail and other devices. | Gmail's own spam filtering, categories (Promotions, Social) and labels for this mailbox. Our server's spam filters still apply. |
| Notifications for new mail. | Instant push in every case -- the app checks at intervals you choose, so new mail may appear a few minutes late. |
Before you start
- Your full email address, for example
you@example.com. - Your email account password (not your cPanel password). To reset it, see How to Change an Email Account Password in cPanel.
- Your mail server name, normally
mail.example.com. Check it in cPanel under Email > Email Accounts > Connect Devices. See How to Find Your Email Settings with Connect Devices. - The latest version of the Gmail app from the App Store or Google Play.
Settings to enter
| Setting | Incoming (IMAP) | Outgoing (SMTP) |
|---|---|---|
| Server | mail.example.com | mail.example.com |
| Port | 993 | 465 (or 587) |
| Security type | SSL/TLS | SSL/TLS for 465, STARTTLS for 587 |
| Username | Your full email address | Your full email address |
| Password | Your email password | The same password |
| Require sign-in | -- | On |
If your domain's SSL certificate isn't active yet, or the app shows a certificate error, use secure.instantaccess.net for both servers instead. Full details are in Email Server Settings and Ports (IMAP, POP3 and SMTP).
How to add your email in the Gmail app on Android
- Open the Gmail app. Tap your profile picture (or initial) at the top right.
- Tap Add another account.
- Choose Other. Don't choose Google -- that's only for Gmail and Google Workspace accounts.
- Type your full email address and tap Manual setup (if you only see Next, tap that).
- When asked what type of account it is, choose Personal (IMAP).
- Enter your email password and tap Next.
- Incoming server settings: check that the username is your full email address, set Server to
mail.example.com, then open the advanced or port options if shown and set port993with security type SSL/TLS. Tap Next. - Outgoing server settings: make sure Require sign-in is on, the username is your full email address, and SMTP server is
mail.example.com, port465, security type SSL/TLS. Tap Next. - Account options: choose how often to check for new mail (sync frequency) and whether to be notified. Tap Next.
- Enter the name you want people to see on messages you send, then tap Next.
The account now appears when you tap your profile picture. Switch to it and check your folders load.
How to add your email in the Gmail app on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Gmail app. Tap your profile picture at the top right.
- Tap Add another account.
- Choose Other (IMAP).
- Type your full email address and tap Next.
- If the app asks for your password straight away, enter it. If it can't set things up automatically, it shows the server fields -- fill them in:
- Incoming mail server: host name
mail.example.com, user name your full email address, your password, port993, SSL on. - Outgoing mail server: host name
mail.example.com, user name your full email address, your password, port465, SSL on.
- Incoming mail server: host name
- Enter the display name you want on sent messages and tap Next.
The exact screens vary a little between app versions, but the values never change: IMAP, your full email address as the username, and the servers and ports above.
Test it
- Send a message from the Gmail app, using your domain account, to a different address you own.
- Reply to it and check the reply arrives in the Gmail app.
- Log in to webmail (How to Log In to Webmail (Roundcube)) and check the sent message is in the Sent folder there too.
Switching from Gmail's old POP fetcher
If you've been using Check mail from other accounts on Gmail on the web, here's how to switch cleanly:
- Add the mailbox to the Gmail app with IMAP, as above.
- Check the POP fetcher settings. If it was set to Leave a copy of retrieved message on the server, your mail is still on our server and will show up in the app. If it wasn't, older messages only exist in your personal Gmail account -- that's fine, they stay there.
- On a computer, open Gmail on the web, go to Settings (gear) > See all settings > Accounts and Import, and delete the old POP account under Check mail from other accounts. Otherwise it keeps logging in to your mailbox, and once you change your password those failed logins can trigger our firewall.
- If you also set up Send mail as for your domain address in Gmail on the web, you can leave it or remove it. Sending from the app's IMAP account goes through our server directly, which is better for SPF and DKIM.
What about forwarding my domain email to Gmail?
You can create a forwarder in cPanel that sends a copy of every message to your Gmail address (How to Create an Email Forwarder in cPanel). It works, but it isn't the best choice: when your server forwards mail from other people to Gmail, some of it fails the original sender's SPF or DMARC checks and gets bounced or marked as spam, and forwarded spam can hurt our server's reputation with Google. Adding the mailbox to the Gmail app with IMAP avoids all of that. See 550 5.7.x Email Rejected: How to Fix SPF, DKIM and DMARC Failures for more on forwarding problems.
Troubleshooting
"Authentication failed" or "Username or password is incorrect"
Use the full email address as the username in both the incoming and outgoing settings, and test the password in webmail. If webmail rejects it, reset it in cPanel.
Certificate error or "Couldn't open connection to server"
Check the port and security type match: 993 and 465 need SSL/TLS, 587 needs STARTTLS. If the error mentions a certificate, change both server names to secure.instantaccess.net.
I can receive but not send
Make sure Require sign-in is on for the outgoing server, with your full email address and password. If port 465 fails on your Wi-Fi, try 587 with STARTTLS, or test on mobile data. See How to Fix "Cannot Send Email" (SMTP Authentication Errors).
New mail shows up late
In the app, open Settings, tap the domain account, and choose a shorter sync frequency. Some phones also limit background activity to save battery; allow Gmail to run in the background.
Sent messages aren't in webmail's Sent folder
Some versions of the app keep sent mail in a different folder. Check the app's folder list and webmail for a second Sent folder. If one exists, you can move the messages into your main Sent folder in webmail.
Everything stopped connecting at once
Repeated failed logins -- often from an old device or the old Gmail POP fetcher using an outdated password -- can make our firewall block your IP address for a while. Remove or update the old connection, then send us your IP from whatismyipaddress.com in a ticket.
Common questions
Does this use my Google storage?
No. With IMAP, your mail stays on our server and counts toward your mailbox quota in cPanel, not your Google storage.
Can I use POP3 in the Gmail app instead?
The Android app offers POP3 as an option, but we don't recommend it: mail downloaded to one device won't appear on others. See IMAP vs POP3: Which Should You Use?
Should I use the Gmail app or my phone's built-in Mail app?
Either works. Use whichever you're comfortable with. Setup guides for the built-in apps are in How to Set Up Your Email on iPhone and iPad and How to Set Up Your Email on Android.
How do I remove the account from the Gmail app?
On Android, tap your profile picture > Manage accounts on this device, choose the account and remove it. On iPhone, tap your profile picture > Manage accounts on this device and remove it there. Removing it from the app doesn't delete any mail from the server.
Related guides
- Email Server Settings and Ports (IMAP, POP3 and SMTP)
- How to Find Your Email Settings with Connect Devices
- How to Set Up Your Email on Android
- How to Set Up Your Email on iPhone and iPad
- IMAP vs POP3: Which Should You Use?
- How to Fix "Cannot Send Email" (SMTP Authentication Errors)
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.
