Q: Annoying imap.gmail.com is not responding.

my problem started when i set up 2 step verification for gmail.

therefore the solution that finally worked is to set up ASP, application specific passwords.

easy to do through google settings, 2 step verification page, link to "problem with iphone, etc..."

walks you through, including video.

FINALLY!

Hello, i had exactly the same problem. I had set my gmail for 2 step verification before, it doesnt respond because of the security verification. You can set your mail -without- removing security setting, you should go to here https://accounts.google.com/IssuedAuthSubTokens?hide_authsub=1 and write something(ex: iphone set) in the bar, and when the yellow window appears with nearly 16 letters, you should set them as it is without space or capital, for your Gmail password when you are on imap setting on iPhone. Thats it, your gmail password should be the one in yellow window, and its one use only. If you have hardship, dont hesitate to reply me.

People, this is what you are looking for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0UaTMxGCY

i had the same prob, apple couldnt help me and i couldnt find out how to contact google....so after much research i fixed the problem, hope this helps...it had my gmail acct set on a 2 step verification well the ipad mail app doesnt support that so you have to set up application specific passwords for the app...its a weird 16 or 20 digit combo of letters that you enter in the password field when setting up the mail app on your ipad..just go in to your acct settings in gmail and the app specific passwords set up should be there. i would think this would work on a iphone as well

Gmail has a two step verification process or at least my account does.  I had to create a device specific password in gmail and then go to settings and allow smtp access under the "forwarding and POP" section.

Apart from this thread I think that there are about 50 others on discussions.apple.com on the same topic.

I have had an iPad about 6 months and it has happened to me 3x [latest yesterday] and always when I am away from home. There is never any problem with the Gmail app, or with AppleMail and IMAP when I get home to my Mac.

Like evryone else here I have tried all the solutions listed and the only one that works is deleting and re-creating the account. As I use my account for research there are 10s of 1,000s of email, some with attachments, that have to be uploaded. This is incredibly time-consuming as it seems it has to be done folder by folder, and it will only load a limited number of emails at a time and even then if you need to find something when you are off line you find the attachments are not there.

Surely there must be a fix, though I have no idea if the problem is Apple's or Google's.

Cheers, Colin

Google security is triggered, when you connecting from different IP addresses, that is how accounts get hacked. My Yahoo account was hacked two months ago from Dominican Republic, Yahoo sent me notification, but whoever did it used all my credentials including password. If you will find a way for Google to discontinue security protection on their servers, you will find "surely existing" fix. By the way account was hacked by using IOS mail app, later accessed from web interface (total three accesses, I received access to log files)

I don't think this is my problem. Gmail is not like Yahoo! which is stupidly insecure [I get no end of messages puporting to come from friends whose Yahoo! address books have been hacked].

One of the suggestions in discussions.apple.com tells you to follow a link and fill out a captcha, but I just get an page saying my device has been enabled, which is not true.

I understood it was new devices, not new IP addresses that were challenged and that I should get a text message if a new device tries to log in as I have enabeld 2-step verification, but I have not had a text message.

Cheers, Colin

Colin Cohen wrote:

 

I don't think this is my problem. Gmail is not like Yahoo! which is stupidly insecure ...

 

Cheers, Colin

You obviously know what you talking about. Good luck.

I wish I did! There has to be a better solution than killing the account and then re-creating it. …

Deleting the Gmail account and re-adding it worked for me too.

It's what I've had to do twice, but wonder if you had to re-download everything one folder at a time?

As I say, there must be a better way to deal with it, or better still to stop it happening!

If you are confident it is not security, one more thing you can try. When you change you location with the same device, you also change your ISP DNS. Next time it happens, try to change DNS to Google. (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4).

After you do, restart and try again.

Sorry for the delay, Gmail decided that this reply was spam, but it sounds ingenious.

Not being at all expert in DNSs [I've only ever used my ISP's] does this affect traffic other than Gmail, ie do I effectivley loose my connection if I byepass my ISP?

Cheers, Colin

It does and it is way better then any local ISP DNS. You do not bypass ISP, you bypass their name resolution server. So when you device is trying to ask directions for imap.gmail.com it asks those directions from Google and who would know them better I wonder? As well as all other directions to be honest.