How to send mail from localhost xampp using gmail

To send mail from a localhost XAMPP setup using Gmail, you'll need to configure your PHP script to use Gmail's SMTP server. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you achieve this:

Prerequisites:

XAMPP installed on your local machine.
PHP version 5.3 or higher.
A Gmail account with 2-Step Verification disabled (or set up an app password if you have 2-Step Verification enabled).

Step 1: Enable Less Secure Apps in Gmail

To allow your localhost to send emails using Gmail, you need to enable "Less Secure Apps" in your Google Account settings. Follow these steps:

Sign in to your Gmail account.
Click on your profile picture or initial in the top right corner, then select "My Account."
Scroll down to the "Signing in to Google" section.
Click on "Apps with account access."
Look for "Less secure app access" and toggle the switch to "On."

Step 2: Configure PHP to use Gmail's SMTP server

Create a new file named php.ini in your XAMPP's php directory (usually C:\xampp\php on Windows or /opt/lampp/etc/php.ini on Linux/Mac). Add the following lines at the end of the file:

[mail function]
smtp_port = 587
smtp_host = "smtp.gmail.com"
smtp_user = "your-gmail-username"
smtp_pass = "your-gmail-password"

Replace your-gmail-username and your-gmail-password with your actual Gmail credentials.

Step 3: Test your PHP mail function

Create a new PHP file (e.g., test-mail.php) and add the following code:

<?php
ini_set('SMTP', 'smtp.gmail.com');
ini_set('smtp_port', 587);
ini_set('auth_username', 'your-gmail-username');
ini_set('auth_password', 'your-gmail-password');

$to = '[email protected]';
$subject = 'Test email from localhost';
$message = 'This is a test email sent from localhost using Gmail.';

mail($to, $subject, $message);

echo 'Email sent successfully!';
?>

Replace [email protected] with the email address you want to send the email to.

Step 4: Run the PHP script

Open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost/test-mail.php (or the URL of your PHP file). If everything is set up correctly, you should see the message "Email sent successfully!".

Troubleshooting tips:

Make sure you've enabled "Less Secure Apps" in your Google Account settings.
Check your PHP error logs for any errors related to the mail function.
Verify that your Gmail account is not set up to require 2-Step Verification (or use an app password if you have 2-Step Verification enabled).
If you're still having issues, try using a different SMTP server or a third-party mail service.

By following these steps, you should be able to send emails from your localhost XAMPP setup using Gmail.

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How to send mail from localhost xampp using gmail