Outlook on Mac/iPad/iPhone stopped accessing AOL email

[anonymous-user]

Hi all,

One of my email accounts is an old AOL account that I have used for 25 years. (yes, yes, I know...)

This morning, Outlook on my Mac and iPad and iPhone have all said "Unable to login. Invalid username and password" with regards to my AOL account.

I have logged into AOL directly using an iPad AOL app and also onto the AOL web page, and changed my password to something else, and logged in again on web and app.

I have tried this new password in Outlook with no success. Still the same error.

Any suggestions?

I can only assume that Outlook or AOL has updated last night in some way and this is caused an issue

Thanks

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 1st July 10:05

[mmm-five]

I don't use AOL, but I read the tech pages now & then.

Wasn't there something announced last year about requiring a new security method to access your AOL account from 3rd party clients?

AOL email said:

Just in case you missed our prior emails, we’re letting you know that AOL Mail will no longer support third-party applications (such as third-party email, calendar, or contact applications that weren't developed by AOL) using outdated sign-in methods. We’ve noticed you might be using one, so we need you to make some changes before 20 October 2020.

Something about having to set up an app-specific password (rather than your AOL password) to use it in Outlook and Apple Mail, etc.

There was also an option in your account to enable 'low security' access which turned this extra restriction off.

Edited by mmm-five on Thursday 1st July 10:22

[anonymous-user]

mmm-five said:

Something about having to set up an app-specific password (rather than your AOL password) to use it in Outlook and Apple Mail, etc.

There was also an option in your account to enable 'low security' access which turned this extra restriction off.

Edited by mmm-five on Thursday 1st July 10:22

Thanks for that.

I actually went into the account security settings on AOL's web page and the 'low security' on/off button that I was expecting to find wasn't there for some reason.

But I will look into the app specific password thing.

Cheers.

[mmm-five]

Lord Marylebone said:

Thanks for that.

I actually went into the account security settings on AOL's web page and the 'low security' on/off button that I was expecting to find wasn't there for some reason.

But I will look into the app specific password thing.

Cheers.

Maybe that was an interim solution until everyone switched over to the new method. As I said, this was announced some time last year according to 'the google'.

[anonymous-user]

mmm-five said:

Maybe that was an interim solution until everyone switched over to the new method. As I said, this was announced some time last year according to 'the google'.

Well that just shows ho much attention I pay to tech news!

[anonymous-user]

mmm-five said:

Something about having to set up an app-specific password (rather than your AOL password) to use it in Outlook and Apple Mail, etc.

There was also an option in your account to enable 'low security' access which turned this extra restriction off.

Edited by mmm-five on Thursday 1st July 10:22

Just wanted to say thanks for this.

Your suggestion of an AOL generated app-specific password worked perfectly.

[mmm-five]

Lord Marylebone said:

Just wanted to say thanks for this.

Your suggestion of an AOL generated app-specific password worked perfectly.

That's good news. Shows my google-fu skills are still working!