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Changing my email password on Xfinity caused Apple email unable to work. HELP!

Hello! I think my email was being phished, so I went to change my password on the Xfinity site (where my email originates with an "...@comcast.net" address). I changed it easily there, and can check my email on the Xfinity site, but when I went to change/update the password on my iMac, iPhone, and MacBook Pro laptop, it won't work. The generic sounding "Mail" app (is it Outlook Express? If so, it doesn't say) says that either the "username or password are incorrect." I spent an hour on the phone with Xfinity support and they walked me through the "imap" info and port code numbers, and then 2.5 hours on the phone with Apple support and it is STILL an issue. The tech-support supervisor was completely stumped. Any suggestions?? Many thanks in advance :)


MacBook

Posted on Apr 5, 2021 2:46 PM

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Apr 8, 2021 8:54 AM in response to BDAqua

Thanks for replying, BDAqua. All of my software is up to date (OS), and I spent about 4 hours with an Xfinity tech (a "level 2" tech rep) and about 3 hours with an Apple tech supervisor (he told me there is no one higher than him in a tech-support position). Neither of them were able to solve the problem on my iPhone, MacBook Pro, or iMac. Both were completely baffled and basically threw their hands up in the air after walking me through the set up multiple times. The Apple tech couldn't screen-share with me (some problem on his end), but yeah, no resolution and in the end, they both just pointed their fingers at one another ("It's Xfinity's issue" and "It's an Apple Mail issue") as to what the problem was. Drat :(

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Apr 8, 2021 9:14 AM in response to JimDB2021

Open Keychain Access in Utilities, Enter the part after the @sign in the search bar, then either check those Passwords under those items, change them, or delete it and start over.


You may have multiple entries.


The Password rejection can confuse people since it's a catch all meaning...

 

This Password, Username, Authentication method... is not recognized on this Port to this Server.

 

If WebMail works in a browser, it's not Name or Password, but one of the other ones.


Or Keychain has more than 2 entries for that account one incoming, one outgoing.


But finding the PW in KA may prove futile these days, and if it's an IMAP account the deleting the account may be needed.


Many eMail providers now require a separate App Password…


Then you may need Ways to securely access AOL Mail…

https://help.aol.com/articles/allow-apps-that-use-less-secure-sign-in


Or it may just need an App Password...

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/185833?hl=en-GB


Yahoo has gone to this too...

https://help.yahoo.com/kb/access-yahoo-mail-third-party-apps-sln15241.html

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Apr 8, 2021 9:35 AM in response to BDAqua

Thanks, BDAqua. I fear that you're about 77 levels above me on Apple/tech knowledge (perhaps even 78 levels! ;), so you lost me a bit there. I opened the "Keychain Access" window but I'm uncertain what you meant here:


"Enter the part after the @sign in the search bar, then either check those Passwords under those items, change them, or delete it and start over"


I have deleted the email account numerous times when on the phone with tech support and attempted to sign in again, but I get "Unable to verify account name or password" as my error message. They even had me go back through the XFinity site to redo my password to make certain I wasn't entering it incorrectly or something, but alas... no luck. Honestly, I changed my password about 5 years ago and helped my wife change hers last year and it was NOT a problem whatsoever. I am (along with 2 evidently well trained tech support folks) completely at a loss. Perhaps you're onto something with the Keychain Access route, though again, I'm not clear on what you're suggesting I do. Apologies for me being daft and I do appreciate your attempts to help!


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Changing my email password on Xfinity caused Apple email unable to work. HELP!

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