Gmail stops sending as your domain in 2027. Here is the easy way out.
If you read your business mail in a free Gmail account and reply as you@yourcompany.com, that stops working in January 2027. You need a real mailbox on your domain. This page explains the change in plain words and shows how to move, old mail included, without touching a line of code.
What is changing, in one paragraph
Many people receive mail for their own domain in a free Gmail account (through Cloudflare
Email Routing or another forwarder) and answer it with Gmail's "Send mail as"
setting, so replies look like they come from you@yourcompany.com. Google is
removing "Send mail as" for outside addresses in personal Gmail accounts,
starting January 2027
(Google's notice).
Your mail will still arrive. Your replies will go out as yourname@gmail.com.
Am I affected?
| Your setup | Affected? |
|---|---|
| Free Gmail account that replies as an address on your own domain | Yes |
| Paid Google Workspace | No |
| Gmail used only with @gmail.com addresses | No |
| Mail read in Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird with your provider's own login | No |
Your options
A forwarder only receives. It borrowed Gmail to send, and Google is taking that back. Every fix is the same thing: a real mailbox on your domain. The difference is how you pay.
| Option | Price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace | €6.80 per person, per month | Gmail on your domain plus Docs, Drive and Meet. Every extra address that is a separate inbox, like billing@, is another paid seat. |
| FounderMail | Free, or from $4 a month for the whole account | Unlimited addresses on your domain, a Gmail-like inbox, an importer for your old mail, and it works with any mail app on your phone or computer. |
| Do nothing | $0 | You keep receiving, but you reply from a Gmail address. Fine for a hobby, not for customers. |
Why FounderMail instead of paying Google
- You pay for the account, not per person.
hello@,support@,billing@and one for each person on your team cost the same as one address: nothing on Free. - It feels like Gmail. A clean web inbox with search, stars, snooze and threads, plus one thing Gmail cannot do: every message from the same customer, whichever address they wrote to, in one place.
- Your old mail comes with you. The importer copies your Gmail history into the new mailbox for you. No software to install.
- Use the apps you already have. Add the mailbox to the Gmail app, Apple Mail, Outlook or Thunderbird like any other email account.
- Setting up the domain is guided. The dashboard tells you which records to add, checks them for you, and on Cloudflare can add them in one click.
Google Workspace is still the better choice if your team lives in Google Docs, Drive and Meet. We only do email.
Moving to FounderMail in three steps
- Add your domain and create your addresses. Sign up, type your domain, and
follow the setup screen: it shows the records to add where your domain is managed and ticks
each one green when it sees it. Then create the addresses you were forwarding, like
hello@oryou@. Your forwarder keeps working while you do this. - Import your old mail. Open the new mailbox, choose Import mail from another provider, pick Gmail and sign in with a Gmail app password (the screen shows you how to make one). The importer copies your mail, archive included, with its dates and read status in the background, and emails you when it is done. Skip this if your history can stay in Gmail.
- Switch over. When the setup screen says your domain is ready, turn off the forwarder (for Cloudflare, disable Email Routing) and new mail starts arriving at FounderMail. Turn off "Send mail as" in Gmail and reply from the dashboard or your usual mail app.
Most people are done in under half an hour. Changes to your domain usually take a few minutes to be seen, and the setup screen keeps checking until they are.
Questions people ask
Will I lose any mail while I switch?
No. Mail keeps arriving through your forwarder until the moment you switch, and at FounderMail from then on. If anything arrived in Gmail during the switch, run the import again: it only copies what is new.
Can I keep reading my mail in the Gmail app?
Yes. Add your FounderMail address to the Gmail app as an "Other" account. That keeps working after January 2027; only "Send mail as" is going away.
Is it really free?
Yes, with no card. The Free plan has unlimited addresses, 1 GB of storage, 500 received and 3,000 sent messages a month and a year of history. Plus is $4 a month for the whole account when you want more. See pricing.
Can I send to people who have never written to me?
You can reply to anyone who writes to you from day one. To write first to new people, such as a first invoice or an onboarding email, you ask for it once from your domain page. It is there to keep spammers off the service, and it is the same on every plan.
What if I change my mind?
Turn the forwarder back on and you are where you started. Your mail in FounderMail stays readable in any mail app, and you can copy it anywhere else.
Start free: no card, unlimited addresses, and your old mail comes with you.
Sources
- Google: changes to third-party account features in Gmail, re-read 5 September 2026.
- Google Workspace Business Starter list price from workspace.google.com/pricing, read 5 September 2026. Prices change; check before deciding.
- The longer comparison: FounderMail vs Google Workspace. Every step in detail: the moving-in guide.