Gmail Features Now on Non- Gmail Accounts with Gmailify

For the past year or so, Google has allowed users to check their other email accounts, like Yahoo, Hotmail or Outlook, from the Gmail app. Google is taking things a step further and has introduced a new feature today called Gmailify. This new feature will allow anyone to take advantage of every great feature available for Gmail users.

Gmailify Features

In other words, users will be able to check and manage their @yahoo.com, @hotmail.com, @msn.com or @Outlook.com mail accounts using the Gmail app. The added advantage here is the management of these email accounts using the Gmail interface and exclusive features. This makes a lot of sense for people who have multiple accounts on different email providers, but prefer to use and manage emails via the intuitive Gmail interface that they’ve grown to love.

This will allow anyone to take advantage of features such as Gmail’s spam protection, inbox organization, Google Now integration and more, just like those email accounts reside on Google servers. In addition to these, your non-Gmail emails will be organized like Gmail, i.e. in Social, Updates, Promotions and Primary categories. Double all of that with being able to search your other emails via advanced search operators, better notifications on smartphones and automatic Google Now integrations for all reservations and meetings. It’s almost a Gmail-like user experience.

How to Get Gmailify Working?

If you are already accessing your non-Gmail accounts using the Gmail app, you will still be required to opt for the Gmailify feature. Users will have to open the Gmail app, sign-in to external accounts and then enable Gmailify.

To link your non-Gmail accounts to Gmail, go to app’s Settings, tap on non-Gmail account and choose “Link Account”. This linkage enables the advanced Gmail features. After the accounts are linked, they will work on the Gmail apps and on the web (at mail.google.com). Users can unlink their accounts anytime they want as well.

Google is not alone in offering non-account holders to make use of their features. Other top email providers are also working on similar features for those who want to try different features without changing their current email address. A couple of months ago, Yahoo started allowing users to manage their Gmail and Hotmail accounts. Both Yahoo’s mobile apps and web merge with other accounts to offer features like Smart Contacts, Smart categories and password free sign-in. Microsoft even offers an import tool to transition from Gmail to its service easier.

At launch, Gmailify only works with Yahoo and Microsoft accounts, but Google promises that more providers will be added in the future.