Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Thunderbird unable to connect to imap.gmail.com

  • 5 replies
  • 0 have this problem
  • Last reply by jh.mk01

more options

Hello, I have spent considerable time scouring help forums, but still unable to resolve. I am running Windows 10 that is fully patched, and most recent version of Thunderbird.

In my recent attempt to setup gmail; - I used Chrome as default browser with default security settings - I turned off 2fa in Google - I turned off VPN - I left gmail password blank during account setup in TB - authentication initially fails during setup, so I then select manual config and normal password. This allows TB to supposedly complete gmail account setup successfully. - browser opens up requesting TB access to gmail, (Allowed Apps in Google include TB) - I change gmail server settings to Oauth2 and restart TB - The saved passwords in TB only list an Oauth2 pwd for calendar, but no entry for email.

How do I get TB to request and store credential for imap.gmail.com?

Thank you for your help, Jeff

Hello, I have spent considerable time scouring help forums, but still unable to resolve. I am running Windows 10 that is fully patched, and most recent version of Thunderbird. In my recent attempt to setup gmail; - I used Chrome as default browser with default security settings - I turned off 2fa in Google - I turned off VPN - I left gmail password blank during account setup in TB - authentication initially fails during setup, so I then select manual config and normal password. This allows TB to supposedly complete gmail account setup successfully. - browser opens up requesting TB access to gmail, (Allowed Apps in Google include TB) - I change gmail server settings to Oauth2 and restart TB - The saved passwords in TB only list an Oauth2 pwd for calendar, but no entry for email. How do I get TB to request and store credential for imap.gmail.com? Thank you for your help, Jeff
Attached screenshots

Chosen solution

Thank you to everyone for submitting helpful tips. I ended up leveraging my Protonmail account to resolve. PM has an ‘easy switch’ feature. Basically a very easy to use import feature for all gmail, then I used the PM Bridge to sync the gmail import into TB. Going forward, I set a forwarding rule in gmail to PM that syncs to TB. Seems like a lot, but setup was easy across the board, and far more effective than struggling with the gmail setup in TB. Protonmail is an excellent, safe and secure system. If you haven’t already done so, try a free account. TB is a great application that works in tandem with PM. The two go great together by providing an offline repository for your PM email. Thanks again everyone. Jeff

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (5)

more options

Why did you leave the password blank during set-up? If you'd entered that everything else would have been done automatically. I'd delete the account and set it up again filling in the password this time.

If you want to try and salvage it here are the details you need:—

Server Settings:—

 Server Name: imap.gmail.com
 Port: 993
 User Name: <your e-mail address>
 Connection security:  SSL/TLS
 Authentication method: OAuth2

  Outgoing Server (SMTP):—

 Server Name: smtp.gmail.com
 Port: 465
 Connection security: STARTTLS
 Authentication method:  OAuth2
 User Name: <your e-mail address>

   

Modified by ThePillenwerfer

Helpful?

more options

Numerous posts on help forums indicate leaving the password blank will cause the browser to open and prompt for password. This happened once, but I can't get it to do it again. If I enter the password during initial setup, I get an error message stating authentication failed , so I leave it blank to keep things supposedly moving.

I changed the smtp server settings as above, even though default port is 587. But my connection problem is with imap - incoming mail.

Thank, Jeff

Helpful?

more options

When I set mine up I just went to Add Account, entered username and password and the rest looked after itself. On first checking for new messages a box popped up for me to give Google permission to let Thunderbird access my account. The settings I gave you above are copied from my account and certainly work.

The only other thing I can suggest is going to Settings > Privacy & Security and clicking Show Cookies and then deleting any to do with Google. Hopefully that'll make it do the authentication again.

The snag with finding information on-line is that sound advice goes out-of-date so quickly. What works now may well not in even a few months time.

Helpful?

more options

Helpful?

more options

Chosen Solution

Thank you to everyone for submitting helpful tips. I ended up leveraging my Protonmail account to resolve. PM has an ‘easy switch’ feature. Basically a very easy to use import feature for all gmail, then I used the PM Bridge to sync the gmail import into TB. Going forward, I set a forwarding rule in gmail to PM that syncs to TB. Seems like a lot, but setup was easy across the board, and far more effective than struggling with the gmail setup in TB. Protonmail is an excellent, safe and secure system. If you haven’t already done so, try a free account. TB is a great application that works in tandem with PM. The two go great together by providing an offline repository for your PM email. Thanks again everyone. Jeff

Helpful?

Ask a question

You must log in to your account to reply to posts. Please start a new question, if you do not have an account yet.