Gmail to end support for "Send as" for third-party addresses, such as @yahoo.com

We need to summarize the 3 most prevalent themes of opinions expressed in this Hacker News discussion. Provide concise themes, include direct quotations with attribution. Use markdown. Must quote directly from users with double quotes. Fix HTML entities. Keep overall summary short and focused on these 3 themes.

We need to read discussion and identify main themes.

Let's parse comments:

• ChrisArchitect: weird that they are actively discouraging external mail inside gmail, wants data inside system.
• ceejayoz: adoption of DMARC, SPF, DKIM killed feature.
• throoooo: first thought; wild that GMail supported sending as yahoo.com etc; but okay.
• zootboy: not wild; behaves like other MUA, need SMTP credentials.
• throoooo: if sending via provider's SMTP then makes sense; still few people use.
• jayturley: small web dev company, about 20% of clients used because Gmail was their email client; they didn't want device-based client; happy to not support.
• avsteele: uses it; useful for personal domain send/receive without migrating off Google; registrar gives email addresses with SMTP; use Gmail send-as to stay in Gmail.
• treis: still allowed in app; maybe way to cut spam and push people to app.
• Calinterman: will grenade plans for many small businesses.
• Fergusonb: intend to drive Workspace subscriptions; wonder if users sign up for Office.
• HugoTea: doesn't apply to Google Workspace addresses most small businesses will use.
• Shank: many small businesses have free address for legacy; send as even for paid won't support third-party.
• ericpauley: plan doesn't apply to workspace aliases, but does apply to workspace users using Send-As via SMTP. This is last straw, migrating to Apple Mail and cancelling workspace.
• ericpauley: clarifies about Apple Mail is client agnostic.
• throoooo: With workspace you can add your own custom domains anyway... This seems unrelated.
• cptskippy: This change does not affect Google Workspace aliases or other Gmail addresses you own.
• Calinterman: consider open transparent email platform like Proton, Fastmail, Runbox, Tuta.
• kstrauser: Apple Mail is dirt cheap; can bring up to 5 self-owned domains on iCloud+ $1/mo; etc.
• evolve2k: Proton is enshitifying; dark patterns; deprecate.
• armadyl: examples? general1465: Tuta useless without IMAP/SMTP.
• lrvick: burned by centralized proprietary mail service moving user-hostile changes; move to another? suggests services that run standard open source mail daemons never restrict, like Migadu.
• tekla: Poster didn't get burned.
• tclancy: Not everyone interested in how sausage made; most buy drill to make holes.
• iamnothere: ignoring sausage leads to repeat mistakes; need to acknowledge hostile environment.
• cj: reading HN comments saves from going through.
• tclancy: you hosting own phone service? everybody limit.
• iamnothere: Who said self-hosting.
• carlosjobim: Apple Mail is a client, not host.
• occz: domain and contact email address used exclusively through Gmail; need different path forward.
• dietr1ch: Good thing reminding you to get out of Gmail for real.
• LetMeLogin: Not easy task; had account since gmail beta; moved to Fastmail; happy to see gmail receives less.
• Evidlo: Do email forwarding and progressively update accounts.
• dietr1ch: Takes long time to get confidence.
• goobatrooba: Switched to migadu not painful; email provider happy; lacks calendar; ask fastmail better? wildcard emails.
• carlosjobim: Very easy task: move stuff, set gmail forward to new provider; keep gmail as haunted house.
• dietr1ch: Took over a year to be confident.
• fhdkweig: Since planned ahead, simple as new provider and updating MX record; suggest Fastmail $50/year.
• cptskippy: Further clarification link.
• solfox: Will reverse decision by December after they realize many gmail customers losing.
• netllama: Unless insider knowledge, unlikely; most gmail users don't understand functionality; they did cost vs revenue math; losing 0.3% likely in interests.
• wnevets: quoting "we occasionally have the difficult choice to discontinue features that require disproportionate maintenance resources." Questioning if billions can't sustain.
• anotherhue: Anyone still using Google for anything other than ads and YouTube post Reader has only themselves to blame.
• dude250711: Not possible to use Google for anything but ads, else you are product.
• crossroadsguy: Keeping good/bad/evil aside, possible reason company makes billions is because they ruthlessly drop things they don't want/need, irrespective of profitability.
• staz: Sodas no longer free; Google don't feel need to market to hackers early adopters anymore.
• ericpauley: flip side: Send-As feature seen virtually no maintenance; buggy; most people put up with inertia.
• YesThatTom2: Most complaining don't even know feature exists; currently you can forge email from any address you verify ownership; most end up in spam; doesn't affect addresses Google controls DMARC.
• tclancy: "forge" confusing.
• john_strinlai: how can you forge if you verify ownership? Not forging; maybe fails DMARC.
• paxys: ownership can change; can still use Gmail to send email from old university address you lost access to; should not be possible.
• john_strinlai: if mail delivered, that's uni's fault; if not, spf/dkim failing, just how email works.
• paxys: try explaining terms to avg sysadmin; email security hopelessly broken; best limit exposure; removing Gmail as attack vector.
• john_strinlai: if managing mail system and doesn't know SPF should be fired; not convinced will remove exposure; attack vector in protocol not service.
• icedchai: Yep, SMTP itself doesn't have security; open SMTP relays of 90s.
• picofarad: could use AOL SMTP to send as clinton@whitehouse.gov.
• PokeyCat: using SMTP through whatever mail server connected to Gmail; likely stop using Gmail as mail aggregator; used feature for nearly a decade to send/receive from 6 addresses; Gmail recognizes to address and auto sets from.
• advisedwang: No, Gmail directly sends email from their own SMTP servers (you have to set up SPF to allow them etc).
• healsdata: odd choice of inflammatory language; feature uses standard headers; doesn't forge anything; says sent from Gmail on behalf of other address.
• petesergeant: Moving to Fastmail almost painless; may end up with 1-2 spam a day.
• tomasphan: Fastmail seems great.
• branon: This is against site rules: insinuations about astroturfing etc.
• nosioptar: searching for email provider not purelymail; fastmail seems best reputable.
• advisedwang: referral link?
• anticorporate: moved all custom domains to Fastmail five/six years ago; couldn't be happier; Gmail only for legacy messages and Google service notifications; looking forward to migrate out.
• baggachipz: moment they turn off automatic forwarding (they will), gmail address dies; trying to migrate accounts.
• matheusmoreira: Moving mail to own domain is one of best things; just do it; start receiving mail via own domain as soon as possible; then switching easy updating MX.
• lisp2240: Apple good choice if don't know which company; many Apple customers have iCloud+ but don't realize email hosting on own domain included; if already paying use it.
• iamatworknow: unaware; haven't ready to pull trigger on FastMail/Proton; have domains; worth shot.
• CharlesW: Apple solid; imapsync made migration easy.
• TazeTSchnitzel: keep on top of domain renewals; automatic renewal; backup email not on domain.
• dylan604: only use gmail for providing to services; have fastmail for stuff I want; treat gmail as PO Box; fastmail as private mailbox; rarely need read gmail except when services only offer 2FA via email.
• zatkin: moved from hosting own email server to having it all served in Fastmail; couldn't be happier.
• petesergeant: How's delivery? ran mail server as kid; not sure patience.
• zatkin: couldn't go back to running email server; battle convincing major providers IP legit.
• astrolx: Same, years; moving soon to EU provider; if anyone recommendation.
• alturp: mailbox.org and posteo.de; use mailbox.org with custom domain two years works.
• justsomehnguy: moving everything from Fastmail now but 10 years were good; recent updates strange UI but identities better.
• netllama: dealing with Fastmail low storage limits? paying for more?
• bpye: pay for individual 60GB, hasn't been issue.
• ChrisArchitect: Related from Oct 2025: Gmail will no longer support checking emails from third-party accounts via POP.
• j45: Brutal. How other platforms solving without disproportionate resources?
• BuckRogers: This doesn't affect me but influences me; holding off leaving Gmail for years; they try to force you into Gmail app on iOS; only way to get push emails; switch from Apple Mail to Gmail; wrote long email; dark mode issue; Google pathetic; long time; Gmail beta account; time to finally do work and get off Gmail; email accounts at most providers; Microsoft, Proton, Apple etc; no one else has these issues.
• bognition: Honestly love to migrate off google, but family heavy user of google calendar; either migrate them off or keep google calendar account; tried fastmail but not as easy to use as gmail; anyone pulled off migration? how?
• toast0: Family uses google calendar but never used gmail for day-to-day; problem if send calendar invites; can't close account and still use calendar.
• conradfr: You can have a google account using a not-gmail email.
• pgt: This is suicide for Gmail.
• mbreese: Doubtful; will reduce some user count; most won't care; they probably spend more supporting feature than gain from Gmail users that actually use feature.
• john_strinlai: pretty hyperbolic; guess large percent (80%? 90%) of gmail users never thought about feature; lose some tech folk, hardly suicide.
• netllama: Their percentage of users who care about this feature is almost certainly fractions of a percentage.
• happyopossum: Current headline on HN is incorrect - it's not custom domains, it's third-party email addresses, such as @yahoo.com or @outlook.com. Domains and other gmail addresses you own can still be used....
• chrisss395: I don't think folks read source link; most responses plug for Fastmail.
• striking: Where does it say that domains you own can be used? Looking around nothing clearly states; implies need to set up Google Workspace for domain before it'll work.
• lenova: support article gives more details; still clear as mud dropping support for custom domains unless domain hosted via Google Workspaces; even more confusing, you will be able to still send to custom domain via Gmail mobile app? anti-spam move? big breakage.
• sandeepkd: Headline not wrong; intentionally worded to mellow message; for people who use own custom domains to send emails via google without paying for workspace by verifying domain ownership (extra cost google bears for free); @yahoo.com or @outlook.com just to give a face to what other custom domains look like; whole point: if you have custom domains then pay for google workspace if you still want to use it; recollect used to be $6 or $8 per email address.
• ajross: Basically terminating the trick some people used where they host a domain elsewhere but want to use free personal Gmail address as mail client for it; Google sells own domain email product, they'd prefer you use that vs paying someone else; Gmail remains preferred email client for almost everyone for reliability and spam filtering; basically: people who don't like Google and don't use Google won't be affected and won't care; people who pay for Workspace hosting won't be affected, as those domains still work via Send-As; people complaining here are in category 1, handful in category 2 trying to help explain, unsurprisingly very very few in actually impacted category of "mail client for external domain" users.
• nottorp: Confused; have own domain not hosted on google; use Google's SMTP to send mail as that domain (specific email address enabled on my custom domain); authenticating to SMTP with google account, proved ownership couple billion years ago; Are they discontinuing that or something else? Q2: if this is what they're discontinuing, any other email solutions that would support something like this? i.e. incoming email to my server I control 100% but offering smtp relay?
• dataflow: Similarly confused/upset; sounds like discontinuing sending via SMTP; The “Send as” feature will no longer be available. This feature allows you to send email from a third-party address, such as @hotmail.com, @yahoo.com, and others, using your primary Gmail account.
• roesel: As someone who uses personal Gmail account to forward emails from custom domains to (via MXRoute and other email providers), losing ability to "Send as" from given addresses from Gmail means will have to find entirely new "home base" for email (and paradoxically start forwarding personal Gmail emails these instead?); similarly to losing Inbox many years ago, this really sucks.
• sixhobbits: Ha I totally forgot about inbox until now; but yes enshittification has hit gmail and workspace in huge way and seems accelerating; also looking for new home after being heavy user since 2005.
• evolve2k: multiple nudges turned into shove; will now actively enact plans to move on and be sure to support family and friends, even non tech savvy, to do same; when you think they can't fall further, they do.
• simon_weber: Can anybody tell if announcement affects personal gmail account's ability to send as a workspace-hosted custom domain email?
• sandeepkd: That should not be impacted; in fact that's the whole point; tldr; Google trying to monetize everything, if you have use case for using personal custom domains then move to google workspace.
• cdrnsf: So, when do they drop support for IMAP and SMTP altogether?
• josefresco: Regarding outrage: Am I missing something? DMARC/SPF/DKIM enforcement makes third-party relaying fragile and likely to cause deliverability failures. Discontinuing it seems like progress towards reducing abuse. Where am I wrong?
• boredhedgehog: IF headline contains (Google OR Musk OR Israel) GOTO outrage. That's all.
• advisedwang: I bet you there's a lot of people on HN that 1. want their email on their own domain (for professionalism and portability) 2. Want to use Gmail (it is actually a pretty nice service to use) 3. Don't want to use Google Workspace (either because of how cobbled google features are on workspace, because they don't want to migrate google accounts, or because of it's cost) Google just killed the ability to meet those three requirements. There's lots of people facing either a) showing the world a gmail.com address, b) switching to a different mail solution or c) paying for workspace and accepting it's flaws. It's totally fair for people to be mad about that. If the "new" infrastructure doesn't support a common and reasonable use case, then perhaps it needs more work.
• tobadzistsini: Not technical. What does this mean for one who migrated to Proton but has old Gmail account forward to a new Proton address? guessing unaffected and it's just outbound from Gmail as a third-party email domain?
• advisedwang: Yes, unaffected.
• loloquwowndueo: > third-party email addresses, such as @yahoo.com or @outlook.com. Unfortunate choice of examples as it doesn’t make it clear whether it applies just to other free web email providers or also to e.g. my own custom domains.
• netllama: Custom domains are still 3rd party.
• petilon: This only impacts Gmail web interface, according to [1]. You can use a desktop email client and continue to receive and send email from your custom domain. "Web access changes: As previously announced, you can no longer add or sync your third-party email account in Gmail on the web. Alternative access: To access your third-party email account, you can use a dedicated mail app, a desktop mail client, or the Gmail mobile app."
• advisedwang: That is basically just saying "the gmail app can be a smtp/imap client for a 3rd party mail provider". It's not really using gmail as when the gmail app is operating in this mode there's a tone of gmail features you don't get.
• petilon: I think mainly your mail won't go into the sent folder and be searchable. You can work around that by CCing your domain. What other features will you not get? The mail composer in Gmail is pretty sucky anyway. For example when you are replying on a long thread it is very hard to see the message you are replying to.
• Throudin: This is really frustrating along with them removing POP for external accounts. I have an old email account that I had configured to have my Gmail account pull in emails from, and I can reply from that email using this feature, and now their only suggestion is to set up forwarding on the old email account to Gmail but that is way less reliable, and even then I wouldn't be able to reply. It's confusing because like, I'd figure they'd want more data, not less.
• kimos: Whelp. I’ve been using Gmail since it was invite only. Sending as