"Mail can't connect to the account 'Gmail'"

So I couldn't access my main gmail account that I'd had forever after changing the password following what Google said was likely a breach. After changing the password, a number of my Mac devices quit working and wouldn't send e-mail through that account anymore. Drove me nuts. Entered and reentered password.

Then I realized I was getting an e-mail from google (on my contact e-mail account (a yahoo address) that is related to my main google email acct) each time I tried unsuccessfully to access my man in Google account, saying "We blocked an attempt to access your account" with a google link for more info. There I was able to downgrade a security setting - forgive me, can't tell you which one, but it was pretty apparent just following the e-mail link.

Anyway, I change that security setting at the Gmail site and Bravo! my other mac devices work fine.

I just spent an hour trying to figure this out.

My original iPad wouldn't grab my Gmail through the Apple Mail app once I did Google's "security review".
Couldn't find a way to enable it, until the sent me an email saying that an "unsecured app" was denied access, and a ink to "leaner more", THERE, final, was the button to allow my "unsecured app".
Sheesh.

Probably either an old version of SSL/TLS on the OS X or iOS device (10.9 and later are decent, 10.8 and prior not so much), or SSL/TLS was disabled on the connection?

To fix it, I deleted "gmail" account. Then created Google account using same user name and password. All email appeared as it was in gmail. It appears that Google is now the exchange server.

I've just recently come across this issue as well - I reset my password through gmail on a separate device because of a recent hack attempt, and haven't been able to log in through Apple Mail since. However, I went through my security settings on a separate device, and it appears that Google is deliberately blocking my Apple Mail computer. This may be the same issue many of you are also experiencing, and might be worth checking in to. I haven't yet discovered a way to unblock the IP address (yes, I've asked gmail to 'trust' that computer, but it didn't help), but I'm hoping it's a time-sensitive security measure to make sure my account isn't being hacked again.

TThis was my problem on my older MacBook. Enabled this less secure business for both my accounts and my wife's and things went ok.

when you access google there's two different passwords with 2 step verification I've noticed this when asked to log into my google account it's not the same password as my email account this is only because of places where google comes into play like YouTube Try entering the same password for google services like YouTube only after you've entered your email account password this fixed the issue for me I was up all might wondering what was going on!

IF it it doesn't work go and change your passwords for google not gmail 🙂

goodluck

sass76 - I had this exact problem with one of my clients and your suggestion fixed it. I could not figure out why Apple Mail would work perfectly with my Gmail account details but not theirs. Thank you very much!

I have tried everything above and still won't work. I called Apple and they couldn't help. Said to call Google. Well you can't call Google so I am stuck. 4hrs and counting and have done everything 3-4 times listed above.

we use a custom URL with gmail, and I don't have access to the two-step verification. I'm not allowed to enable it, it says. However if it's not enabled then I probably don't have to disable it--and although that's the case, and I have 10.9.2, Mail still shows gmail smtp server as offline and I can't send. Receiving is not a problem.

Any thoughts?

I am having the same problem but only on my Macbook, not on my iPad or iPhone.

For a start - I'm "technologically challenged." Can anyone tell me what and where"two-step verification" is? Many thanks.

Thank you, but can't seem to do it. One problem is that I never changed my password - it's still the same one.

I don't even log in or out (I know - probably a mistake). I just have a list of my different accounts set up, and I just click on which I want to use. Gmail is the only one giving me a problem. Funny thing is that I've been using gmail without a problem, but when I tried today, I got that message, and I had changed nothing. But I can get it on my other devices.

Many thanks for your reply and the time you took to write it. Unfortunately, it didn't

T work for me. Did exactly as you said, added the @gmail.com, etc., but no change.

I am away now, so I think I'll just wait until I get back to New York and go to the Genius Bar.

Fortunately, it works on my iPad. Thanks again.

Doesn't work for me. Tried full domain name. Tried deleting all accounts and setup again. Tried forcing SSL ports. Tried deleting SMTP server list and rebuild them. Tried deleting passwords and rebuilding them. Checked Google settings. Nothing worked. My problem is I can get mail and work the IMAP part, but I cannot send email. All 3 accounts failed the same way.

Funny thing is, I did not change anything on my computer or on Google. This just stopped working 2 days ago.