Gmail is ending "Send as" — your options
Google has announced that in January 2027 it will remove Gmail's "Send mail as"
for third-party addresses like your custom domain. If you send from an ImprovMX
alias inside Gmail — like [email protected] — that's the feature
going away. Gmail may even start blocking new setups during 2026, so it's worth
switching early.
Note: your ImprovMX forwarding isn't affected — every email still lands in your inbox as before. You just need a new place to hit "send."
Your options
Three ways to go:
- Desktop and Android — use Thunderbird. Free, as many aliases as you like, and Gmail still hosts your inbox. No iPhone app, though. You can also send from any address on any domain[1].
- Mac or iPhone — use Apple Mail. Free, already installed, and Gmail still hosts your inbox. You can send from any address, but only on one domain[2].
- A full web and mobile replacement for Gmail — use a full inbox: Fastmail or Zoho Mail.
Whichever you pick, your alias still sends through ImprovMX SMTP servers. What differs is the inbox: the first two use an app to sync Gmail via IMAP, while a full inbox completely replaces Gmail itself.
Note: every option here sends through ImprovMX SMTP, which requires a paid plan.
Compare your options
| Thunderbird | Apple Mail | A full inbox — Gmail replacement | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Mail | Fastmail | |||
| Price | Free | Free | Free | From $6/mo[3] |
| Aliases | Unlimited[1] | Unlimited[2] | Up to 30 | Up to 600 |
| Desktop app | Required[4] | Preinstalled on Mac | Optional | Optional |
| Phone app | Android | iOS | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Keep Gmail | Yes[5] | Yes[5] | No — can import | No — can import |
| Setup | Setup | macOS · iOS | Setup | Setup |
- On desktop, each Thunderbird identity can use its own outgoing server, so you can send from as many aliases as you like — across as many domains as you like, and your Gmail address too.
-
Apple Mail allows one outgoing server per account, so give it an any alias credential — that one set of credentials then covers every address on your domain. Want a second domain too? Its credentials
would replace the first domain's, so it's one domain at a time. To send from
your Gmail address, switch to Gmail's own outgoing server —
smtp.gmail.com. See our macOS and iOS guides. - Custom domains need Fastmail's Individual plan — $60 per user a year, or $6 a month.
- Thunderbird is a program you install on your computer — there's no web version like Gmail's. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Thunderbird and Apple Mail connect to your Gmail over IMAP, so Gmail still hosts your inbox — see how to add Gmail to Thunderbird or add Gmail to Apple Mail.
Not sure which to pick? We'll point you the right way — reach out at .