Two-Factor Authentication/App Passwords

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#1

My email service uses two-factor authentication (a.k.a. two step login). How can I use Mailspring with that account?

Adding an Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, or Live.com Account
iCloud Two-Factor Authentication
#2

Mailspring, like most email clients, does not support two-factor authentication. Instead, you use an app password. Some providers actually require that you use an app password when authenticating your email account through Mailspring.

What is an app password?

An app password is a password generated specifically for use with a third-party application. Using an app password is more secure than using your regular account password.

What are the security benefits of using app passwords?

If you use an app password, you don’t have to give your regular password to third-party applications. This reduces the risk of your regular password being stolen by malware. Additionally, app passwords are generated with many random characters, which makes it more difficult for malware programs to guess the password. In the unlikely case that an app password is successfully stolen by malware, you can easily revoke access by deleting the app password. Your other passwords will still be safe, so you don’t have to go through the trouble of changing your password everywhere.

Which providers require an app password?

Some providers always require an app password, while others only require an app password if you’ve enabled two-factor authentication (2FA). As we discover which providers have these requirements, we will list them here, but there may be others that are not currently listed.

Providers that require an app password with 2FA:

  • Office365
  • iCloud

Providers that always require an app password:

  • Fastmail

How do I generate an app password for my provider?

Office 365/Outlook.com/Live.com

  1. Visit https://account.microsoft.com/security and log in to your account if prompted.
  2. Select Advanced security options.
  3. Under App passwords, click Create a new app password
  4. Copy the provided app password.
  5. In Mailspring, connect an Office365 account and use this password instead of your regular password.

You can read more about this process from Microsoft here: Using app passwords with apps that don't support two-step verification

iCloud

  1. Go to https://appleid.apple.com/
  2. Click Security, then Edit. Create an app password. This is the password you should use with Mailspring.
  3. In Mailspring, connect an iCloud account and use this password instead of your regular password when prompted.

You can read more about this process from Apple here: Using app-specific passwords - Apple Support

Fastmail

  1. Open the Settings → Password & Security screen. Log in if prompted.
  2. Enter your password at the top in order to be able to edit the settings.
  3. Scroll down to the App Passwords section and click the New App Password button.
  4. In the Device drop-down, choose custom and enter “Mailspring”.
  5. Make sure the “Access” drop-down has Mail, Contacts & Calendars selected
  6. Click Generate Password and copy the shown password
  7. In Mailspring, connect a Fastmail account with IMAP and use this password instead of your regular password.

Other Services

How to Update Your Password

If you’ve already connected an account, go to Preferences > Accounts, and select the account you want to change the password for. Click Update Connection Settings... In the window that pops up, enter the new password in the Password field.

You may need to quit and restart Mailspring in some cases to see the change take effect.