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Can not create account for Icloud mail with 2-factor authentication enabled

  • 9 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 7 views
  • Last reply by Mac1989

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Using Thunderbird 38.6.0 running under OS X (10.11.3) on a Mac. I have an email account at Icloud. I recently enabled 2-factor authentication on my ICloud account. Apple's email client (Mail) works fine. Thunderbird does not.

I used the server settings described at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202304 and "probe was recognized.

After pressing "Done" I get a message saying username and/or password invalid. I went to Icloud and logged in with that username and password. (Copy and paste to avoid errors).

Does 2-factor authentication "break" Thunderbird's ability to retrieve Icloud email? Am I missing something else?

Using Thunderbird 38.6.0 running under OS X (10.11.3) on a Mac. I have an email account at Icloud. I recently enabled 2-factor authentication on my ICloud account. Apple's email client (Mail) works fine. Thunderbird does not. I used the server settings described at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202304 and "probe was recognized. After pressing "Done" I get a message saying username and/or password invalid. I went to Icloud and logged in with that username and password. (Copy and paste to avoid errors). Does 2-factor authentication "break" Thunderbird's ability to retrieve Icloud email? Am I missing something else?

Chosen solution

Those settings are for IMAP and pop without two factor authentication. How do you think Thunderbird is going to get the SMS every 5 or 10 minutes when the last one expires?

The normal approach is to create application passwords.see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397

Read this answer in context 👍 2

All Replies (9)

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Chosen Solution

Those settings are for IMAP and pop without two factor authentication. How do you think Thunderbird is going to get the SMS every 5 or 10 minutes when the last one expires?

The normal approach is to create application passwords.see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397

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I just implemented the steps described in the materials at the hyperlink you sent. That appears to work.

I appreciate the guidance. Without it I had spent too much fruitless time looking in the wrong places.

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I am please you have it working

Castrol told us in the 1980s Oils aint Oils.

To borrow their logic Email aint Email https://youtu.be/qQGWsV7uUPw

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"Those settings are for IMAP and pop without two factor authentication. How do you think Thunderbird is going to get the SMS every 5 or 10 minutes when the last one expires?

The normal approach is to create application passwords.see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397"

Thank you, that works for me, though the tone needs a real moderator.

  • /Supervisor multiple support departments for many years....the truth of whether you will learn from this is if you delete this or take it to heart).

Modified by Mac1989

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The exception PW supplier by Apple doesn't hold over 24 hours/quitting Thunderbird.

Is there some setting deep inside Thunderbolt to get it to hold? (Perhaps one that if we RTFM we might see...?)

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Having a password not remembered does not sound like the question in the original post here.

Please post a new question with your issue if the information here does not solve your problem.

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Of course it sounds like the original question. I tried your solution of going to the Apple page you recommended

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397

And I created an application password and pasted it into Thunderbird.

I even went and watched "oils ain't oils" as you recommended.

Your solution worked for approx 24 hours. 24 hours later Thunderbird in Win 7 told me I had the wrong pw.

Modified by Mac1989

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and your point is?

It worked and stopped working. Why was that. I have no idea!

Did Apple decide you needed a new app password? Did your anti virus decide it needed to play in the space and turn things for rubbish. Did you use the same password on multiple hardware? (it is unlikely to ever work for long on say portable Thunderbird as the hardware keeps changing.)

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"Did Apple decide you needed a new app password? "

I have no idea what that means, and no way of knowing the answer. The error message of unable to connect to the mail server comes up in tbird win7, not in some message direct from Apple.

And I don't use the same apple generated password in any other application since it was generated only for the original application.

And I don't use portable thunderbird.

I doubt win7 anti viral is eating anything but will try turning it off and see if that changes anything.

The generated PW i entered is still showing as listed inside thunderbird settings. It simply either Isn't being recognized by iCloud mail server or tbird is mashing it.

If you don't know the answer then you don't know. No need to get all smarmy about it after you chastised OP for not understanding Mozilla's precious SW.

Modified by Mac1989