Gmail Fix

Gmail App Password Not Working? Here's How to Fix It

If your mail app says the Gmail password is wrong, or an app password you made is refused, even though you can sign in to Gmail on the web, you are in the right place. This is almost always a sign-in method problem, not a problem with your account.

Get Curo free →

Why Gmail refuses your normal password

Google does not let outside mail apps sign in with your regular Google password. An outside app has to use either Google's own sign-in page or an app password, a 16 character code made just for that one app. If you typed your usual password into a mail app, Gmail rejects it every time, however correct the password is.

Why an app password stops working

App passwords only exist while 2-Step Verification is turned on for the Google account. If 2-Step Verification is switched off, or you change your Google password, the app passwords you made earlier can stop working and you need a new one. Google shows the code only once when you create it, so a code that was copied wrongly, or with a stray character, is refused as well.

Work and school Gmail accounts can be different

If your address is on a company or school domain that uses Google Workspace, your administrator controls whether app passwords are allowed. If the App Passwords page is missing for you, that is an admin setting, and a new code cannot fix it. Ask your administrator to allow app passwords, or to approve the app you are trying to use.

The fix: make a fresh Gmail app password

Questions

Why does Gmail say my password is wrong when it is right?
Because the mail app is using the wrong kind of password. Gmail wants an app password, or Google's own sign-in, for outside mail apps. Your normal Google password is refused there even though it works on the Gmail website.
Where do I find the App Passwords page?
It is in your Google Account under Security, in the 2-Step Verification section. If you cannot find it, 2-Step Verification is probably off, or your Google Workspace administrator has turned app passwords off.
Do I need to turn on IMAP in Gmail?
Current Gmail accounts normally have IMAP available already. If a work account has it turned off, only the administrator can switch it back on.
Can I use the same app password in two apps?
Google recommends one code per app. That way, if you stop using one app, you can delete only its code and nothing else breaks.
Is it safe to give a mail app an app password?
An app password lets that one app read and send your mail, and nothing else on your Google account. You can delete it at any time from the same page, which cuts the app off at once.
Related
All resources →Yahoo Mail Won't Connect in Your Mail App? Fix It With an App PasswordiCloud Mail Won't Connect? Fix the App-Specific Password ErrorProton Mail IMAP for Third-Party Clients: Why You Can't Find ItOutlook App Password Not Working? Here's Why (and the Fix)"IMAP Basic Authentication Is Disabled" on Outlook - What It MeansSaneBox alternativeBest email for sales teamsemail that sorts itself

Stop managing email. Let Curo handle it.

Connect your accounts in minutes. Free to start.

Create your free account →