IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol, which is a protocol that allows email clients to communicate with an email service, such as Gmail. Personal IMAP in Gmail refers to the use of IMAP to sync Gmail messages with a third-party email client, such as Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, or Mozilla Thunderbird. When using IMAP, email messages and attachments stay on the mail server even after you open them on your device, allowing you to access them from any of your devices at any time.

To set up personal IMAP in Gmail, you need to enable IMAP for your Gmail account. To do this, you can follow the steps provided by Google, Microsoft, or other email clients. Once you have enabled IMAP, you can use the IMAP settings to configure your email client to access your Gmail account.

In summary, personal IMAP in Gmail refers to the use of IMAP to sync Gmail messages with a third-party email client, allowing you to access your messages from multiple devices. To set up personal IMAP in Gmail, you need to enable IMAP for your Gmail account and configure your email client using the IMAP settings.