Gmail Account Settings Are Out of Date

You open your Mail app and see "Gmail account settings are out of date", but it never says which setting is wrong. Google now blocks old sign-in methods, and Windows Mail no longer works as it did, so out of date Gmail settings return again and again. Below are five fixes, steps that no longer work and a safe way to keep your mail while Gmail account settings are out of date.

What does Gmail account settings are out of date mean?

When Gmail account settings are out of date, your mail app holds sign-in details that Google no longer accepts. Windows Report says it shows up in Windows Mail or Calendar and links it to a wrong password, security settings that block old apps and glitches in Mail. A Microsoft Community user asked about it in May 2024 and wrote that Windows never said which setting to change. Its most-endorsed answer blamed Google blocking an older sign-in method. Gmail settings out of date errors look alike on every device.

Why do Gmail settings go out of date now?

Three changes made Gmail account settings out of date errors common. They explain why Gmail settings go out of date even when you changed nothing.

• Windows Mail, Calendar and People stopped working on 31 December 2024. Microsoft replaced them with new Outlook for Windows and says users can no longer send or receive mail in those old apps.
• Google ended less secure apps access. Its Workspace update notes say support ended on 1 May 2025 and tell users to move to OAuth, which is "Sign in with Google", or an app password.
• Google removed its IMAP on and off switch for personal accounts in January 2025, according to Corbett's Gmail page, so there is no setting to enable.

Our earlier post told you to turn on less secure app access and enable IMAP under Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Neither step works now.

How to fix Gmail account settings are out of date in Mail?

Use Fix account first when Gmail settings are out of date. These steps follow Windows Report. They apply only while your Mail app still opens, since Microsoft ended support for it.

1. Press Windows + S, type Mail and open it.
2. Select Fix account in your notification bar at top.
3. Enter your Gmail password or complete Google's sign in window when asked, then select Done.
4. If Gmail account settings are still out of date, select Settings, then Manage accounts and your Gmail account.
5. Select Change mailbox sync settings, turn Email off and select Done, then Save.
6. Close Mail, wait a few minutes and reopen it. Select Add account, choose Google and sign in again.

Windows Report also lists less secure app access as a fix. Skip it, since Google ended that switch.

How to fix out of date Gmail settings with an app password?

Create an app password when your app only offers a password box and rejects your normal one. It clears Gmail settings out of date errors in apps without Google sign in. Google says an app password is a 16-digit code for apps that lack "Sign in with Google", and calls app passwords "aren't recommended and are unnecessary in most cases."

1. Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account to fix Gmail account settings out of date. App passwords need it.
2. Open myaccount.google.com/apppasswords and sign in if asked.
3. Name your app, then select Create. Google shows 16 characters.
4. Enter those 16 characters in your mail app instead of your Gmail password, then select Done.

Changing your Google password revokes every app password, so make a new one after that. You will not see that option if your account uses only security keys, belongs to a work or school or has Advanced Protection. iPhones and iPads on iOS 11 or later do not need app passwords, according to Google. If Gmail account settings stay out of date after that, remove your account in your app and add it again with your new password.

How to use Sign in with Google instead?

Move to a mail app that supports OAuth, since it fixes Gmail settings out of date for good. Google's update notes say OAuth is preferred: re-add your account and choose Sign in with Google. For Thunderbird and other clients, they say to add your account again and set up IMAP with OAuth.

1. Install new Outlook for Windows, Thunderbird or another client with Google sign in to fix Gmail settings out of date.
2. Select Add account and enter your Gmail address. Gmail settings out of date errors end here for good.
3. Complete Google's sign in and consent window. Do not paste a password.
4. Wait for folders to load. Gmail settings out of date errors should not return. Compare counts with Gmail on web.

Microsoft says IMAP and POP users can hold data stored on their PC, so export events before you leave Windows Mail. If you move mail to Outlook, see how to add Gmail to Outlook.

How to fix Gmail settings out of date on Android or iPhone?

If Gmail settings are out of date on a phone, start with updates. Google's Gmail help says older app versions hold errors that newer ones fix.

1. Open Google Play or App Store and install your latest Gmail app. Old versions keep Gmail settings out of date.
2. Correct your date and time. Google lists a wrong clock as a cause of connection errors.
3. Open your phone settings, select Accounts, then Google and your Gmail account. Turn Sync on for Gmail and select Sync now.
4. If you use another mail app on your phone, remove your Gmail account there and add it with Sign in with Google.

Steps to save Gmail with software

1. Install Corbett Gmail Backup Tool on your Windows PC and run it as administrator. Select Open.
2. Select Email Account, then Add Account and choose Gmail.
3. Enter your Gmail address and paste your 16 character app password.
4. Preview labels and untick Spam and Trash if you do not need them.
5. Set date, sender or attachment filters if you need less mail.
6. Select Export, choose PST, MBOX, EML or PDF and set a save location.
7. Select Save, then open your files to check counts while Gmail settings stay out of date in your app.

Backing up first protects your mail while Gmail account settings are out of date. Lifetime licence starts at $99 with a 30-day money-back window. Gmail allows 15 mail clients at once, so sign out of old devices if your connection is refused. A work or school address on Google Workspace follows different rules, and an admin controls IMAP there. To sync Gmail into Outlook later, see how to export Gmail contacts too.

Which fix for Gmail account settings out of date is best?

Try Fix account first when Gmail account settings are out of date. Move to Sign in with Google if your app supports it. Use an app password when it only offers a password box.

Why do Gmail account settings stay out of date after a fix?

Three causes repeat. You changed your Google password, so every app password stopped working. Your app still holds an old password it saved. Your device clock is wrong. Create a new app password, remove your Gmail account in your app and add it again, then correct your date and time. If Gmail settings stay out of date, move to Sign in with Google.

What to do after you fix Gmail account settings out of date?

Compare counts in your mail app with Gmail on web, and check that Gmail settings out of date errors stay gone after you restart your app. Remove old app passwords you no longer use at myaccount.google.com, so Gmail account settings out of date errors cannot return from stale codes. Keep a local copy of mail, since syncing is not a backup.

Questions about Gmail account settings out of date