Use Shortwave with other email providers

You can use Shortwave with Yahoo, iCloud, Fastmail, Zoho, and other providers by forwarding your mail to a Gmail account.

Supported providers

• ✅ Yahoo — full support with app password
• ✅ iCloud — full support with app password
• ✅ Fastmail — full support with app password
• ✅ Zoho — full support with app password
• ✅ Any other providers that support auto-forwarding and SMTP
• ⚠️ Outlook.com / Hotmail / Live — forwarding only, cannot send from address
• ⚠️ ProtonMail — forwarding only, cannot send from address
• ❌ Microsoft 365 / Exchange — not supported at this time

How linking works

To access your email in Shortwave, forward your mail to a Gmail address and use that Gmail account with Shortwave.

If you do not have a Gmail address — You can create a free Gmail account to act as your bridge to Shortwave. This new account is just an intermediate step, so the address you choose is inconsequential — your existing address will be shown as the sender of emails if you set up "Send mail as."

If you already have a Gmail address — You can forward to your existing Gmail or Google Workspace address. This will combine emails from both accounts in a unified inbox.

How to link your account

Step 1: Enable forwarding in your email provider

Set up auto-forwarding from your non-Gmail account to your Gmail address. Check your provider's help docs for instructions.

• Outlook: Turn on automatic forwarding in Outlook
• iCloud: Automatically forward email in Mail on iCloud.com
• Yahoo: Enable automatic email forwarding in Yahoo Mail
• Fastmail: Set up mail forwarding
• Zoho: Email forwarding
• Proton Mail: Automatically forward emails from Proton Mail to any other account

Step 2: Set up "Send mail as" in Gmail

To send emails from your non-Gmail address:

1. Open your Gmail Accounts settings
2. Under "Send mail as," click Add another email address
3. Enter your name and non-Gmail email address → Next
4. Enter your provider's SMTP server (port 587 for all):
   • Yahoo: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
   • iCloud: smtp.mail.me.com
   • Fastmail: smtp.fastmail.com
   • Zoho: smtp.zoho.com
5. Enter your email and app password (not your regular password)
6. Click the confirmation link sent to your non-Gmail address
7. Optionally, click "make default" to send from this address by default

Step 3: Sign in to Shortwave

1. Sign in to Shortwave using your linked Gmail account
2. Click Refresh Gmail data to sync your alias settings

Sync and troubleshooting

Shortwave automatically keeps things in sync with Gmail, and Gmail receives emails via auto-forwarding from your other accounts (Outlook, etc).

• Authentication errors: Use an app password, not your regular password
• "Basic authentication disabled" error: Your provider requires OAuth2 — "Send mail as" won't work
• Missing historical emails: Import old emails to Gmail

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Shortwave without Gmail at all?

No. Shortwave requires a Gmail or Google Workspace account to sign in. If you use a different email provider, you can forward your mail to a Gmail account and use Shortwave from there. See the setup instructions above.

Will my contacts see my Gmail address?

No, as long as you complete Step 2 ("Send mail as") above. When you reply from Shortwave, recipients will see your original email address, not your Gmail address.

What about Microsoft 365 / Exchange?

Microsoft 365 and Exchange accounts are not supported at this time. Shortwave only works with Gmail and Google Workspace. We do not have a timeline for Microsoft support, but it's something we're aware of.