MacOS – How to access gmail via pop instead of imap in mail.app in mavericks

gmailmacosmail.apppop

I have a fresh install of mavericks. For reasons relating to my own workflow I would like to access my gmail via mail.app using pop instead of IMAP (I prefer to store only what I need on my mac but never delete anything from gmail).

However mail.app seems to have become too clever for this now, and automatically identifies my account as gmail and sets it up with IMAP even when I try to set it up a second time with pop.

How do I get mail to let me configure a pop account for gmail? Or has mail not been simplified to the point of removing this basic configurability?

Best Answer

The magic Option key again: when you are setting up an account, don't click on Create, but hold down the Option key and the button will change to Next - where you can continue to IMAP or POP, and it is recommended even with IMAP that you set up Google not as a Google account but through this, the last, unbranded choice in the Internet Accounts preference pane.

I have some hope this info will be used in the other zillion questions on the same subject.