Use of third party email client and app-specific passwords

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Level 1

29 points

Use of third party email client and app-specific passwords

I have for a long time been using Thunderbird as an email client with three different providers - Apple, Gmail and TalkTalk. Until recently all these worked fine, picking up incoming emails from the different companies and sending emails via the same without hitches.

I changed my Apple ID password 3 months ago and I have not received a single email via my @me.com account depite all efforts to find what settings are wrong . This problem appears only on my iMac; my MacBook Pro and iPad all work ok.

What could be the problem? The iMac is old (mid-2011) and updated as far as it can go (High Sierra). Do I have to use a app-specific password for Thunderbird? Would changing to @Cloud.com fix it? And how do I do that?

iMac 27″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Jan 3, 2023 3:37 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

jdo_apple

Community Specialist

Jan 4, 2023 10:50 AM in response to DavJam

Hello DavJam,

Thanks for that info and for choosing the Apple Support Communities. If we understand correctly, you are unable to receive iCloud emails in the Thunderbird email client on your older iMac, but don't have this issue on your other Apple devices. Your @me and @iCloud emails route to the same address, so that would not affect receiving emails in Thunderbird: iCloud: About your @icloud.com, @me.com, and @mac.com email addresses

You also mention app-specific passwords, and we recommend doing this step as it will isolate this issue further. To do this, follow these steps from the Apple resource on app-specific passwords, Sign in to apps with your Apple ID using app-specific passwords:

"How to generate an app-specific password

1. Sign in to appleid.apple.com.

2. In the Sign-In and Security section, select App-Specific Passwords.

3. Select Generate an app-specific password or select the Add button , then follow the steps on your screen.

4. Enter or paste the app-specific password into the password field of the app."

Cheers!

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Answer 2

ShannonM1

Community Specialist

Jan 12, 2023 7:08 AM in response to DavJam

Understood DavJam,

Before removing accounts, we'd recommend reaching out to Thunderbird's support. They'll be in a better position to know how to set up the account properly with their service as well as review impacts of removing accounts. Here's the link to Thunderbird Help.

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities!

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Answer 3

DavJam Author

Level 1

29 points

Jan 12, 2023 6:02 AM in response to jdo_apple

Hi, jdo_apple,

I've done as suggested but no change.

I note that when I go into T'birds settings and open the passwords page the new app-specific password is there set against the @me.com for imap.me.com account - the format of this listing is for each email account there are two places for the password. One against the imap.me.com and one against the smtp.me.com. All the other email addresses have two entries. My @me.com account has only one entry - against the imap (incoming).

Would deleting the account and re-instating it fix this?

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Use of third party email client and app-specific passwords

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