Delete the gmail passwords and oauth:// entries, if any, in Options/Security, then set the authentication on the incoming and outgoing gmail servers to OAuth2 in Account Settings. Check that cookies are allowed in TB Tools/Options/Privacy, then restart TB. Enter the regular account password in the OAuth browser when prompted.

Thanks! ALL the settings are the same (as you've suggested) 1) You mean "remove" there is not an option for delete. 2) It;s already set to "OAuth2 " 3) cookies are enabled the only thing that should have changed was the password.

it was working with all the same setting for years. when changing a google account password does TB need to be reset every time?

Yes, when a password is changed with the mail provider, the old one has to be removed in TB, as TB has no capacity to change passwords - it only applies the ones set with the provider. Did you manage to authenticate? Google may change its authentication process, or it may require periodic resetting, or TB may issue changes that require resets, so it's worth keeping the reset process for future reference.

it took over four hours and now it's working. I already did as you suggested before posting the question because it would not work.

Is that a normal amount of time to wait?

I wouldn't think it's normal, but maybe there's a delay if Google detects a lot of activity in the account's password options, or it applies more scrutiny to logins from certain countries, or it detects a VPN, or ???

Or maybe they read your post on this forum and decided to release the account.

sadly that last part is probably true, haha! thanks

I think one of the issue is that Google basically instantiate a permanent authorization for your account to the instance of Thunderbird using oAuth. Changing the password in gmail does not invalidate that. I saw a bug for it the other day, not that I understand why folks sound be forcing password changes beyond what google require.

sadicus said

gmail account passwords are updated thunderbird passwords are also updated, now TB68.5 wont download email. "Authentication failure while connecting to imap.gmail(dot)com" steps 1) update google passwords 2) TB change current password to match google. 3) restart TB 4) error deleting the passwords from TB allows for a new google login and password entry, but does not fix the issue. Should this not be as easy as updating the password in google and TB?

mooreg I have followed the above to no avail. I deleted the gmail account, closed TB and reopened it. I then reinstalled the account but this time I used the revised gmail password. I got the same message. I am at my wits end as to where to go from here. to make matters worse I archieved all my inbox messages and I cant find them anywhere. can anybody help. mooreg.

In newer Thunderbird, click on the menu icon (the three horizontal bars) to get the first-level menu, click Options for a second-level menu, then on the third-level menu click Options again. This will show a dialog box with a Passwords tab. In that tab click Saved Passwords, select the "oauth://accounts.google.com (https://mail.google.com/)" row in the passwords list and "Remove" it. Exit out of Thunderbird and restart it. You should get a Google authorization request allowing you to enter your account password (perhaps also an authorization request on you cellphone or other device on which you have a Google account). Google will then send to Thunderbird (invisibly to you) a new "OAuth" password. If you go through the series or menus again you should see it in your Saved Passwords.

Thanks. Eureka! It worked. -- Joe.

jm said

In newer Thunderbird..............

Sorry to jump on someone elses post but I have been trying to sort this problem since yesterday and you have provided an answer that worked. I hope you are willing to help me.

I had incorrectly removed the (2) imap google accounts from the password list, not the one starting with oAth. I have now removed the correct oAth ones.

Before I go further, when I am asked to enter a password in the Thunderbird box (mail Server password) is that the same as "You should get a Google authorization request allowing you to enter your account password ", do I enter the email account passwords (2) I use in Google or do I set up a new password for each email account or does one password in TB work for both google accounts.

I hope I get this sorted soon as it's driving me bonkers. It is also slowing down TB so much that it's buffering and not responding. It was fine before the gmail authentication started.

I did nothing, opened up TB to one of my account and get the authentication failure while connecting server imap.Gmail.com. Now I can not get the messages on my main account. I did nothing to cause this.

Look at jm's solution above. It worked for me.

JM Thanks very much for the very concise and clear fix. Rare these days.

Stay safe and be well.

sanderling75