This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

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

Authentication failure

  • 6 iimpendulo
  • 1 inayo le ngxaki
  • 1 view
  • Impendulo yokugqibela ngu Wayne Knight

more options

I am running TB 78.11.0 on Ubuntu 20.04 (brand new installation) I set up a new email account in Thunderbird but it cannot connect to gmail imap server using the same username and password set up with gmail webserver.

Error message reads: Authentication failure when connecting to IMAP server imap.gmail.com

Server settings are: IMAP Server name: imap.gmail.com Port: 993 Security: SSL/TLS Authorization: OAuth2

SMPT Server name: smpt.gmail.com Port: 465 Security: SSL/TLS Authorization: OAuth2

Less secure apps allowed in webserver

I have a similar setup with a different account on a different computer with no problems. What do I need to do to fix this?

I am running TB 78.11.0 on Ubuntu 20.04 (brand new installation) I set up a new email account in Thunderbird but it cannot connect to gmail imap server using the same username and password set up with gmail webserver. Error message reads: Authentication failure when connecting to IMAP server imap.gmail.com Server settings are: IMAP Server name: imap.gmail.com Port: 993 Security: SSL/TLS Authorization: OAuth2 SMPT Server name: smpt.gmail.com Port: 465 Security: SSL/TLS Authorization: OAuth2 Less secure apps allowed in webserver I have a similar setup with a different account on a different computer with no problems. What do I need to do to fix this?

Isisombulu esikhethiweyo

No OAuth window opened. Instead, a login to Google Accounts opened and wouldn't accept the password.

However, I went back to the webmail and looked more closely at it and found that the email address in the webmail account was off by one character from the address my brother-in-law told me. (It's his computer I'm trying to set up for him.) When I changed the email address to the one matching the webmail account, it logged right in.

Problem solved.

Funda le mpendulo kwimeko leyo 👍 0

All Replies (6)

more options

Are cookies accepted in Edit/Preferences/Privacy & Security? That's needed for OAuth authentication. Turn off a VPN if you have one. The outgoing server is smtp.gmail.com, not smpt.gmail.com.

more options

Unfortunately it didn't, Cookies are accepted and retained until they expire. SMTP typo was corrected but didn't make any difference. I have no VPN.

Problem is authenticating with IMAP server.

Ilungisiwe ngu Wayne Knight

more options

IMAP for gmail is usually enabled by default in gmail settings, so it's hard to explain why it's not working. Where does it fail? Does the OAuth window appear?

more options

The account is set up in TB and it fails when you launch TB (as it attempts to log in automatically). It also gives the same error message when you click on "Get Messages".

No OAuth window or message shows up.

Ilungisiwe ngu Wayne Knight

more options

If you remove all gmail entries from Saved Passwords in Preferences/Privacy & Security, then restart TB, you should at least be shown the OAuth window and be prompted to enter the account password.

more options

Isisombululo esiKhethiweyo

No OAuth window opened. Instead, a login to Google Accounts opened and wouldn't accept the password.

However, I went back to the webmail and looked more closely at it and found that the email address in the webmail account was off by one character from the address my brother-in-law told me. (It's his computer I'm trying to set up for him.) When I changed the email address to the one matching the webmail account, it logged right in.

Problem solved.