For years, the free way to get Gmail on your own domain was a trick: forward your domain's mail to a free Gmail account, fetch it with "Check mail from other accounts", and reply with "Send mail as". Google is ending that. Here's what changed, and what still works.
What Google is changing
Google is removing Gmailify and POP fetching from Gmail on the web. New users can no longer add other accounts there, and Google ends it for everyone in January 2027, including sending as another address. Source: Google: changes to Gmailify and POP.
In practice, that means:
- Gmail on the web won't pull in mail from your domain's mailbox any more.
- Replies from Gmail on the web can't be sent as you@yourdomain.com any more.
- Plain forwarding into Gmail still delivers mail, but your answers come from your gmail.com address.
Option 1: Google Workspace (paid)
Google's own answer is Google Workspace, which hosts your domain's mail in Gmail. There's no free plan: after a 14-day trial, Business Starter costs $7 per user a month on a yearly plan, or $8.40 paying monthly, and you get Docs, Drive and Meet too. If your team needs those, it's a good choice. If you only need email, you pay for a lot you won't use. See PostPike vs Google Workspace.
Option 2: A free mailbox, in the Gmail app
The Gmail app on Android, iPhone and iPad can still add other email accounts over IMAP. So you can host your domain's mail somewhere that includes IMAP for free, and read and send it in the Gmail app you already use.
With PostPike:
- Sign up with the address you want, prove your domain and add the mail records. The step-by-step guide covers it.
- In the Gmail app, tap your profile picture, then Add another account.
- On Android, tap Other, enter your address, and choose Personal (IMAP). On iPhone or iPad, tap Other (IMAP).
- Enter your password and these settings:
| Server | Port | Security | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming (IMAP) | imap.postpike.net | 993 | SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing (SMTP) | smtp.postpike.net | 465 | SSL/TLS |
Your user name is your full email address. If the app warns that security isn't guaranteed, don't choose security type None; check the server names and ports instead. Your mail now arrives in the Gmail app, and replies go out as you@yourdomain.com.
PostPike's Free plan includes 5 mailboxes on one domain, with IMAP and SMTP. That last part matters: not every free plan has it. Zoho Mail's free plan, for example, doesn't include IMAP.
Option 3: Webmail on your computer
On a computer, Gmail on the web can't show your domain's mailbox any more. Use PostPike's webmail instead, or a desktop app such as Apple Mail, Outlook or Thunderbird, which handle several accounts side by side.
Which option should you choose?
| Google Workspace | PostPike in the Gmail app | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $7 per user a month or more | Free for 5 mailboxes |
| Gmail app on your phone | Yes | Yes, over IMAP |
| Gmail on the web | Yes | No, use PostPike webmail |
| Docs, Drive and Meet | Yes | No |
| Hosted by an EU company | No | Yes |
What about forwarding to Gmail?
You can still forward mail from your domain into a Gmail inbox, and on PostPike's paid plans, forwarding to outside addresses is included. But once "Send mail as" ends on the web, you can't reply as your domain from there. A mailbox on your domain that you open in the Gmail app avoids that problem.