Level 1

15 points

Unable to add a Google account to my iphone

I've been troubleshooting not being able to add a Google account to my iphone 6s with iOS 12.2 installed. Right now, if I attempt to add the account through Passwords & Accounts -> Add Account -> Google, it asks for email address, password, I verify my identity on my other phone, and then the iphone switches to the email account page for my new Google account (with the green switches for mail, contacts, etc) and then, after a split second, that disappears and dumps me back to the "Add Account" screen (where you can select from iCloud, Exchange, Google, Yahoo, etc). Going back one screen to the Accounts page shows no Google account.

I've tried turning off 2-factor authentication on my Google account - no effect

I've tried restarting the phone many times - no effect

I've tried manually setting up the account - the account saves, but is empty (no emails, can't send/receive)

I've tried a factory reset, and then the first thing I did after finishing the new device setup was attempt to add the Google account - same results

I've tried using all 3 of my Google accounts - all 3 of them gave the same result.

I've consulted with a colleague, who also was unable to add his Google account to his iphone.

At this point I am inclined to think Apple has blocked adding Google accounts to their devices, but if this is true, why would they not remove the colorful Google icon from the list of email accounts you can add?

I was able to install Microsoft Outlook and add the account through there. The Gmail app also works very well. But neither option will add my Google contacts to the iphone...

iPhone 6s, iOS 12

Posted on Apr 9, 2019 9:46 AM

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snarton

Level 1

10 points

Posted on Sep 16, 2019 9:25 AM

I was having this issue and was able to fix it for my situation. I'm on a 6S Plus running 12.4.1. My Google account did not have Gmail enabled. After I logged into my Google account on a computer and enabled Gmail, I was able to add my Google account to the iPhone and it appeared in the list of accounts. I switched off the mail, contacts, and notes because I only wanted to add it for calendar syncing.

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44 replies

Oct 13, 2019 9:12 AM in response to Nelson06

Read the post 2 above yours in this thread.

dalewb2 Author

Level 1

15 points

Apr 9, 2019 12:46 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

I haven't had the time to open an inquiry there yet. I work on a help desk, so my time is limited to focus on any one issue. But I will do so, and will report back here when I do. Having said that, the conclusion I drew (thus why I mentioned it) is that this has been an issue in the past, therefore it is reasonable to assume it could happen again.

Apr 9, 2019 12:52 PM in response to dalewb2

There are a huge number of iPhone users who also use Gmail. It is quite likely that, at any given time, some of them are having trouble. What we don't know is if they are all having exactly the same issue. Even similar symptoms can have different causes.

dalewb2 Author

Level 1

15 points

Apr 10, 2019 6:16 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

That's nice. How do you sync them? I assume you create a Google account on your iOS device. When I perform a Google search on this topic, I notice many instances like this one over a period of years where that is not possible. It sounds like you've been fortunate in marrying two competing systems, neither of which has a vested interest in making sure their systems work well with their competitors'. As a help desk technician, my job is to make our employees' jobs easier. I have to help remote users, whose mobile device screen I can't see, and thus I have to keep things as simple as possible.

dalewb2 Author

Level 1

15 points

Apr 10, 2019 6:38 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

They provide a troubleshooter, much like the ones you see in Windows. Doesn't seem to help much.

The troubleshooter suggests I create an app password via Google account security, which I've done several times. The password is never accepted. They also suggest not using an app password and signing in normally. There are no other suggestions. I posted this same question on their forum, which you are welcome to view if you're interested.

Apr 10, 2019 7:35 AM in response to dalewb2

dalewb2 wrote:

That's nice. How do you sync them? I assume you create a Google account on your iOS device.

Settings>Passwords & Accouts>Add Account>Google and then enter my credentials.

Again, based on the huge number of iPhone uses and the huge number of Gmail users and what I suspect is a giant overlap between the two, if this really were a big problem, we'd hear more about it.

Apr 10, 2019 8:04 AM in response to dalewb2

dalewb2 wrote:

Right now it appears the "Google" button does not work. I've consulted with a colleague who by coincidence is also using an iphone 6S with iOS 12.2 installed and he gets the same result. It looks like the OS is using the older encryption standard SSL instead of the modern TLS, which is a pretty big security hole.

So, how do you explain the fact that Lawrence added a Google account to his phone yesterday? I'd bet money that he has iOS 12.2. on his phone.

dalewb2 Author

Level 1

15 points

Apr 10, 2019 8:53 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

I can't explain it, except to theorize he has a different model phone or that there are factors in play that none of us understand. It would probably require an Apple expert with both phones in front of him and some kind of analysis tool connected to each to figure out what exactly is going on - and who has that kind of time?

atiq_ca

Level 1

4 points

Jun 2, 2019 4:02 PM in response to dalewb2

Same situation here as Wells mentioned above. I can add the gmail account that has gmail in it but not the google account which was created with a non-gmail email. I can confirm it used to work in iOS 10 great. With iOS 12 that I am trying recently is not working well.

ing210

Level 1

4 points

Jul 2, 2019 8:09 AM in response to kirshanlal

I am also having this exact same problem. I'm using an iPhone 8 with 12.3.1. I try to add the Google account using the Google selection on the Add Account screen. I enter my Google account user name (which is not a Google email address - it's an old Verizon email address) and password. It momentarily moves to the screen noted above and then immediately flips back to the Add Account screen without having added the Google account. I had a Google account on my iPhone before, but when I changed my Google password yesterday my iPhone would not recognize the new password when i entered it, so I tried deleting the account and starting over, and that's when I encountered this issue everyone here is having.

waqar160

Level 1

17 points

Aug 5, 2019 4:07 AM in response to dalewb2

I am facing exactly the same issue. I was using iPhone7 with iOS 12.3 and it never did anything like that. I just upgraded my iPhone to X with iOS 12.4 and when I try to add the google account, it simply does nothing except been freezing for microseconds.

Can you please help me with this issue??

Aug 24, 2019 8:24 AM in response to dalewb2

What the!!!

I had lost my latest password so I had to change it and I couldn’t update it in settings (I was tapping but nothing) so I deleted the email account!

Long story short, it won’t let me tap ‘google’ and enter details. I’ve tried every tutorial I have found! Nothing works!

I will have to go and see the “Genius Bar” I think because there is no answer to this trouble 🤷🏻‍♀️

Awcat

Level 1

4 points

Aug 24, 2019 10:20 AM in response to dalewb2

I’m having the same problem with my iPhone 6 with iOS 12.4. Had to change my gmail password when I was logged onto a computer, and the iPhone mail app stopped recognizing the new password, so I tried deleting the account and adding a new account, and nothing happens when I push the Google button. I still have another Gmail account that is working fine. I wish I understood the response above that got it to work, but I have to admit I got lost in the complexity. Is there a help desk to contact to work through this?

Sep 29, 2019 8:30 AM in response to snarton

This worked for me too, iPhone 11 Pro on iOS 13, thanks this was driving me crazy, had set it up a long time ago and it was working great. Migrated to a new phone and when it prompted me for the password for my wife's calendar I mistakenly hit delete account and have not been able to add it back in until I followed this suggestion.

Apr 9, 2019 11:22 AM in response to dalewb2

Given how short that thread is and how many iPhone and Gmail users their are out there, it's hard to draw conclusions. What did Google tell you?

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Unable to add a Google account to my iphone