Reviewed by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion. Shubham is an external reviewer and not a PCDOTS employee.
Table of Contents
Want your Gmail inside Opera Mail? There are two different jobs hiding in that one request, and knowing which you need saves a lot of frustration. One connects Gmail live so you can read it in Opera Mail. The other pulls a permanent local copy that survives even if the Gmail account vanishes. Here’s both, with the exact settings.
Summary
To add Gmail to Opera Mail, enable IMAP in Gmail settings, create a Google app password, then add the account in Opera Mail using imap.gmail.com on port 993 with SSL. This connects Gmail live. For a permanent offline copy that does not depend on the Gmail account, export the mail with a converter instead.
Two ways to get Gmail into Opera Mail
Before touching any settings, pick the right job. They look similar and behave completely differently.
| What you want | Method | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Read and manage Gmail inside Opera Mail | Connect over IMAP, free | Live mirror, changes sync both ways |
| Keep a permanent offline backup | Export with a converter | Local copy that survives account loss |
Most people start wanting the first and realize later they actually needed the second. We’ll do the free connect method first, since that’s what the majority are after, then cover the backup route.
Step 1: Enable IMAP in Gmail and get an app password
Gmail blocks plain password logins from desktop clients now, so this part has two pieces. Skip either and Opera Mail will reject the login.
- In Gmail, click the gear icon, open See all settings and go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. Select Enable IMAP and save.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google account if it isn’t already. App passwords need it.
- Go to your Google App passwords page, generate a 16 character app password and copy it. You’ll paste this into Opera Mail instead of your normal password.
This app password requirement is the single most common reason these setups fail. Your everyday Gmail password will not work in Opera Mail. Only the generated app password will.
The exact Gmail IMAP settings you need
Keep these handy while adding the account. These are Google’s official IMAP settings, the same for any desktop client.
| Setting | Incoming (IMAP) | Outgoing (SMTP) |
|---|---|---|
| Server | imap.gmail.com | smtp.gmail.com |
| Port | 993 | 465 or 587 |
| Security | SSL/TLS | SSL/TLS |
| Username | Full Gmail address | Full Gmail address |
| Password | App password | App password |
Step 2: Add the Gmail account to Opera Mail
With IMAP enabled and the app password copied, the Opera Mail side is quick.
- Open Opera Mail, click the menu and choose Mail and Chat Accounts.
- Click Add, choose Email and select Next.
- Enter your name, full Gmail address and the app password.
- Choose IMAP when asked for the account type, then confirm the server settings from the table above.
- Finish, and Opera Mail begins syncing your Gmail folders.
Once the sync finishes, your Gmail sits in Opera Mail and you can read and organize it there.
“People confuse connecting an account with backing it up. IMAP shows you the mail, but it is still living on Google’s server. Delete the Gmail account and the synced copy can empty out with it. If the goal is a true archive, you need the messages written to local files you control.”
Shubham Dixit · Independent Expert, Email Forensics and Data File Conversion
The catch with the connect method
Here’s what the connect method does not do, and it surprises people. IMAP is a live mirror, not a backup. The emails still live on Google’s servers. Opera Mail is just showing you a synced view.
So if the Gmail account is closed, suspended or hits a billing problem, the messages in Opera Mail can disappear too, because there was never a true local copy. For day to day reading that’s fine. For preserving years of mail against account loss, it isn’t enough. That’s where the export route comes in.
How to export a permanent copy instead?
If you want Gmail saved as files that survive no matter what happens to the account, the PCDOTS Email Converter connects to Gmail once and writes a permanent local copy you fully control. It also doubles as a clean way to back up Gmail emails in bulk.
Runs on Windows 11, 10, 8.1 and earlier. Free demo backs up 10 emails per folder.
The flow is short. Add your Gmail account with the same app password, let the software load your folders, preview and select what matters, then export. For a local archive you can read in Opera Mail later, MBOX is the format to choose, since Opera Mail reads MBOX style files. The same Export menu can also push straight to another IMAP account, which is the exact route we covered in the MDaemon to Zimbra migration guide.
Gmail folders loaded in the converter, ready to export as a local copy.
One tip worth the extra click. Run the Extract option first to pull a contact list out of your Gmail before exporting, the same way our Opera Mail address extraction guide describes. You end up with both your mail and your contacts in one pass.
People also ask
What are the Gmail IMAP settings for Opera Mail?
Use imap.gmail.com on port 993 with SSL for incoming mail and smtp.gmail.com on port 465 or 587 with SSL for outgoing. Your username is the full Gmail address and the password must be a generated Google app password, not your normal one.
Why won’t my Gmail password work in Opera Mail?
Google no longer accepts your regular password from desktop clients. You have to turn on 2-Step Verification, generate a 16 character app password in your Google account and use that in Opera Mail instead.
Does connecting Gmail over IMAP back it up?
No. IMAP is a live mirror, so the mail still lives on Google’s servers. If the Gmail account is lost or closed, the synced copy can disappear too. For a true backup, export the mail to local files with a converter.
How do I keep a permanent local copy of my Gmail?
Use a converter to connect to Gmail once and save the messages as local files such as MBOX, which Opera Mail can read. Those files stay on your computer regardless of what happens to the online account.
How many emails can I back up for free?
The free demo handles 10 emails per folder, enough to confirm the full Gmail to Opera Mail workflow on your real data before buying. The licensed edition removes the cap.
The short version
So getting Gmail into Opera Mail really comes down to which job you have. To read and manage Gmail live, the free IMAP connect method is all you need, just remember the app password and the 993 SSL setting. To protect years of mail against losing the account, connecting is not enough, and exporting to local files is the honest answer. Pick the job first and the method follows.
Are you trying to read your Gmail in Opera Mail, or save it forever?
