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cannot get pop mail from google sinds 3 days

  • 5 iimpendulo
  • 1 inayo le ngxaki
  • 34 views
  • Impendulo yokugqibela ngu Toad-Hall

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Until 3 days ago Thunderbird was picking up my mails from 4 different accounts from my mail account with POP3. Suddenly I got the message that my password or username was wrong. But they are OK: I can login with them directly in my Gmail-account. With all other accounts POP is still working. I created in Thunderbird a Imap account for Google: that is working very well. I tried to create in Thunderbird a new POP account for Gmail again: same message: username or password is incorrect. In Gmail POP AND Imap "sending through" are both switched on for all e-mails. What is going wrong suddenly in Thunderbird with POP for Gmail? How can I fix that POP is working again for Gmail in Thunderbird? I am working with the newest Thunderbird 52 7 0, 32 bits and the newest Window 10

Until 3 days ago Thunderbird was picking up my mails from 4 different accounts from my mail account with POP3. Suddenly I got the message that my password or username was wrong. But they are OK: I can login with them directly in my Gmail-account. With all other accounts POP is still working. I created in Thunderbird a Imap account for Google: that is working very well. I tried to create in Thunderbird a new POP account for Gmail again: same message: username or password is incorrect. In Gmail POP AND Imap "sending through" are both switched on for all e-mails. What is going wrong suddenly in Thunderbird with POP for Gmail? How can I fix that POP is working again for Gmail in Thunderbird? I am working with the newest Thunderbird 52 7 0, 32 bits and the newest Window 10

Isisombulu esikhethiweyo

Thank you very much mr. Toad Hall. Generating a application specific password was the solution. It sounds very difficult, but it was very easy.....

Funda le mpendulo kwimeko leyo 👍 0

All Replies (5)

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re: pop and gmail

Have you logged onto webmail and selected to use 'less secure apps'? In Thunderbird, is the gmail user name your full gmail email address? Right click on pop gmail account and select 'Settings'. select 'Server Settings' User Name = full email address

Also check the outgoing server used for the pop mail account. It also will need the User Name to be full email address.

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Thank you for your quick answer, mr. Toad- Hall!! I do use the comlete mailadres in the two locations. So that is not the problem.

Is "less secure apps" an option in my Google account? ( I cannot find it in Thunderbird, nor in Gmail) I am using in Google already for years : authentification in two steps. Is this option than available? (I am already 78 years old and I have to translate everything in Dutch.....)

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re :Is "less secure apps" an option in my Google account? ( I cannot find it in Thunderbird, nor in Gmail)

Gmail introduced OAuth2 which can be used for imap mail accounts. This is not available for pop mail accounts.

For pop mail accounts there are two options. 1. If you only access mail using the one computer and Thunderbird email client program then you need to select the option to use 'less secure apps'. This does not necessarilly mean it is less secure providing you use a good password and only use that password for gmail.

To use this you need to logon to your gmail webmail account using a browser and select the option to switch 'less secure apps' on. Then you can use the normal password in Thunderbird; the same password you use when you want to logon to see webmail using a browser. Some useful links to help:

If you still have a problem, gmail may have decided they want you to verify that you really are you and you need to use an unlock captcha method first, then make sure 'less secure apps' is selected. Try using this link to unlock gmail:


2. If you use a phone to access mail and also Thunderbird on a computer, gmail advise you use '2 step verification' method. To use this you need to logon to your gmail webmail account and select the '2 step verification' method. This will mean you need to generate an 'application specific password' for the phone and also for Thunderbird. Then you use that 'application specific password' instead of normal password in Thunderbird. https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833

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Isisombululo esiKhethiweyo

Thank you very much mr. Toad Hall. Generating a application specific password was the solution. It sounds very difficult, but it was very easy.....

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Good to hear all is now working again.

Ilungisiwe ngu Toad-Hall