[Fix] Mail Apps and Devices Show Incorrect Password Error After Enabling 2-Step Verification in Microsoft or Gmail Account
“2-step verification” is an important security feature which protects your online account whether its your email account or a social networking account. It asks for an extra security code each time you try to sign in to your account. This security code is sent to your registered mobile phone or alternative email ID.
Recently Microsoft enabled this 2-step verification feature for Microsoft accounts which are used for emails, Windows 8, XBox, etc. On the other hand Google is already providing two-step verification in its Gmail service since long time.
If you enabled 2-step verification feature in your Microsoft or Gmail account, you might be facing a weird issue. If you try to access your email account using an email client such as Windows Live Mail, Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, etc, it’ll now allow you to sign in using your current password. It’ll show you an incorrect password error message even if your password is absolutely correct. The same problem will also occur if you try to sign in using your Microsoft account in devices such as Xbox 360 or Android smartphones.
Advertisement
Now the question comes why does this problem occur? Why do these mail apps and devices not accept your correct password? The answer is very simple. These mail apps and devices were not designed to ask you for the extra security code which is required for 2-step verification. Since these apps and devices don’t ask for security code, the 2-step verification procedure is not completed successfully, hence you can’t sign in using your credentials in those apps and devices.
So what’s the solution? The solution is very simple. Every company which provides 2-step verification feature, also allows you to create special passwords for these mail apps and devices. You can create separate passwords for each app and device and then you can use that special password to sign in to those apps or devices. Now those apps and devices will accept the new password and will allow you to access your account without any problem.
So if you have enabled 2-step verification feature in Microsoft or Gmail account and if you are facing login password problems in mail apps or devices, you just need to create above mentioned special passwords or codes to sign in without any problem.
Just follow these simple steps to create app passwords for your Microsoft or Gmail account:
A. Create App Password in Microsoft Account
1. Open your Microsoft account security settings page by clicking on following link:
Open Microsoft Account Security Settings Page
2. You’ll see “App passwords” section at the bottom of the page which shows following information:
Advertisement
Some apps and devices don’t support security codes. In these cases, you need to create an app password to sign in.
3. Click on “Create a new app password” link and it’ll immediately provide you a new password generated randomly.
Now you can use this new password to sign in to a 3rd party mail app or device.
B. Create Application Specific Password in Gmail Account
1. Open your Google account settings page by clicking on following link:
Open Google Account Settings Page
2. Now click on “Connected apps & sites” link present under “Sign-in & security” section.
3. Click on “Manage Apps” link and it’ll open a new page showing following information:
Some applications that work outside a browser aren’t yet compatible with 2-step verification and cannot ask for verification codes, for example: email programs including Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird, older Android smartphones. To use these applications, you need to generate an application-specific password.
4. Type any desired name in given text box and click on “Generate password” button.
That’s it. It’ll immediately provide you a new password which can be used in any mail app or device to sign in.
PS: If you want to remove or disallow any mail app or device to access your account, you can remove existing app password or revoke access from devices using the same account security settings pages as mentioned in above instructions.
Also Check:
[Fix] Windows Live Mail 2012 Shows “Please Enter Your PIN to Sign in” in Windows 10
Sir, i’m having some problem with my chrome and adobe reader. Whenever i try to open chrome, it says “server execution failed” or it doesn’t start with any notification.
Please Help.
Nice as usually VG 🙂
But, can you make a batch for instant enable and disable windows defender in windows 8. Because my computer bit slow so i can turn off temporary. But accesing windows defender and settings to turn off make a bit time
To @Lord Patrick:
It’s not about Microsoft. The problem is present is Gmail too. Two step verification method is designed basically for web application which have modern authentication protocol (such as Time Based Authentication) and some desktop/mobile application and legacy web application doesn’t support two-step authentication. So bets way is to use application password as VG mentioned.
About your criticism about Microsoft, firstly you have right to vote +1 and -1, it’s democracy, nothing wrong with it but half educated persons should know basic things before saying anything. Secondly, it seems world is now worshipping ‘Lords’ with White Matters instead of ‘Lords’ with Grey Matters.
To @leomate:
It doesn’t cost any huge memory or processing power in running Windows Defender. You need to tune your system (like registry cleaning, startup cleaning, system restore cleaning etc.), CCleaner will do the job.
@Aryaman Roy
I had many software collections and with windows defender active, my computer was lag. If I disable Windows Defender for temporary, I can access download collection smoothly. Because my computer is old, not with my new (but broken) computer that no problem with that. I had use old computer for some reason…
So can somebody make small utilities for doing that? :-/
When I open the MS security page to create an app password, the app passwords selection isn’t present. I’m trying to fix the 2-level verification problem in both Firefox (Aurora) and eMClient
@RLantz
Got same symptome, and this is what i’ve found :
“App passwords will not be available unless you have two-step verification turned on.”
Source : eightforums.com/tutorials/24004-microsoft-account-app-passwords-create-remove.html
Cheers.
this doesnt work for me because i dont see app password,
i really need to get my gmail set up because i want to retrieve my contacts
Thanks for your advice they obviously help some people but on this occassion not me.
My issue/s are the same incorrect password message for outlook account hotmail on my iphone 4 even though the password is correct on my Microsoft account on my laptop.
When i sign in and go to the security settings page i do not have have the same screen as appeared in your answer. I do not have Security info under Passwords on the left hand side of the screen. I have Security & Passwords instead. Which means i also do not have Create a new app password option. When i click on Security & Passwords, its goes to another screen – Did you request a security info change? Which i recently did. It then asks me to confirm that i used my second email address to ask for a security change and will send me an email about this when the 30 days from my initial request has expired. So i have to put up with no hotmail connection on my device and the iphone message of incorrect password. I hope you followed what i was trying to say and can offer a solution. So frsutrated.
Thank you very much, really helped me with a tough issue.
Hello,
Stopped in to mention that there is another, much easier, method. I was also having the same error, “login is incorrect”, and i did have two-step enabled.
Quick solution:
1. Settings (Settings of your phone/tablet…NOT the app settings)
2. Under Accounts –> click ‘Add Account’
3. Select the carrier (hotmail, gmail, etc.)
4. Type in your credentials
5. Select sync options (I only sync mail with my secondary accounts)
You’re done!
This was done on an LG tablet (android device). Steps are similar to other devices.
Please let me know if this helped. 🙂
Awesome, just wanted to say thanks for this, worked perfectly for me, i can continue accessing hotmail from gmail.
I have two gmail accounts, one I use rarely but, I used it yesterday. Today I cannot access it, google gives me an incorrect password message but, I know I am using the correct one. I am signing in from same laptop I was on yesterday. Will turning off 2 step verification solve this????
I was having a problem with GMail and Thunderbird. It kept coming up with the error and I was able to add the account by going to the Gmail web interface..
1) click on the “Gear” wheel towards the top right…
2) Select Settings from the drop-down…
3) Accross the top is “General” “Labels” “Inbox” “Accounts and Import” ….etc… click on “Accounts and Import”…
4) In the “Change Account Settings area, there is a link for “Other GoogleAccount Settings” to click on…
5) In the page that opens, scroll down to the section labeled “Signing In” and if the setting “Access for less secure apps” shows “Blocked” click and change it to “Allowed”.
Done
Now input the information into Thunderbird and it will work fine.
this is the best way to add outlook account on native Android email app, thanks a lot..
Thanks for this – I was convinced I was going mental – I KNEW I was using the right login.
I am very sad because i am giving the right passward for gmail account but it cann’t be accepted pls do something for me to get my passward
i am going nuts !!! I can receive but not send mail from iphone . Never had problem before . tried app passwords and deleting and everything else mentioned and i keepgetting sames error message telling me password is incorre t!? When i create new app password it verifys with a tick then i cant send mail . please help !!!!!
Hey bro,
Just wanted to say thank you for breaking this down. Had to change my password today as someone had hacked my account, then I spent two frustrated hours trying to fix my email on my iPhone and Mac. I appreciate the help.
Keep doing what you do.
Regards,
ill Will
I need a new Microsoft account password please I forgot the other one
I am trying to add an app from the App Store. But when I hit install the email on the account is not mine.
What can I do.
OMG! Thank you. I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out why all of a sudden my live.com email couldnt be accessed from my iphone & ipad. Every time i tried a different approach to adding it never worked. It must be my lucky day that i came across your info. And It was so easy to fix too. 👍🏻
Thank you! This was the only clear step-by-step explanation I have found on the web, and it worked!
You said:
‘1. Open your Microsoft account security settings page by clicking on following link:
Open Microsoft Account Security Settings Page
2. You’ll see “App passwords” section at the bottom of the page which shows following information:’
There is no ‘app passwords’ section anywhere on the security settings page you link to.
^^ I can see the link to create App Passwords. Which web browser are you using?
Thanks very much. This worked perfectly, I was starting to get frustrated.
How will I go to > Open Google Account Settings Page
When I cannot login??????????????????????
Just a note for Windows Live Mail users… when you go into your properties on the specific account for gmail etc. and add the new 16 digit app password, sometimes it says that it “fails” on the first try, and then the box comes up and and says that something is wrong and asks to verify the password AGAIN… at that point reenter/repaste the password and then it works fine!
It was so frustrating because I thought it wasn’t working until I reentered it during this step!
I hope that might help someone else
Under “B.” in your article there is no “Manage access” button where you direct the reader to go.
^^ Thanks for the heads-up. When the instructions were posted, the Google page was different. Now Google has updated the page, so we have also updated the instructions.
I was trying to access Skype & it told me to change my live.com password. I did so, and now I can’t access my email.
I have changed the password twice or three times, and I get an error message saying the password is not correct.
Then, I logged into support, and they want $65 to help me?? Really??