Google started allowing non-Gmail email accounts in the Gmail app about a year ago, but you would lose all of the cool Googley features that come with Gmail. Now, you can get some of the Google magic in your email without migrating to a Gmail address. All you have to do is "Gmailify" it.

Gmailify currently works with Yahoo and Outlook/Hotmail addresses. Just activate Gmailify and you'll instantly get several features that were previously only available on Gmail addresses. Here's what to expect.

• Gmail's spam protection
• Automatically sorting email based on type (Social, Updates, Promotions)
• Faster search, with advanced search operators
• Travel and hotel reservations appearing automatically in Google Now
• All your mail in one place.
• Better mail notifications on mobile

The spam protection is a big one. Gmail's spam filter is usually much better than what you get from other email providers. The sorting features can also help to organize a busy inbox; I shudder to think what my inbox would be like without it.

You can disable Gmailify at any time if you don't like it, but it seems like a win-win—you get better support for your email on Android and keep your old address. Google plans to bring Gmailify to more providers soon. Gmailify will be available in the main Gmail settings under "Link account." I'm not seeing it yet, so it probably requires an app update. We'll keep an eye out for that.

Source: Gmail Blog