Question About App-Specific Passwords

Question

Level 4

1,755 points

Question About App-Specific Passwords

I just received an e-mail from Apple saying ...

Thank you for using two-step verification to protect your Apple ID and the data you store with iCloud.

This is a reminder that starting tomorrow, app-specific passwords will be required to access your iCloud data using third party apps such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or other mail, contacts, and calendar apps.

If you are currently signed in to a third party app using your primary Apple ID password, you will be signed out automatically when this change takes effect. You will need to generate an app-specific password and sign in again.

To generate an app-specific password:

Sign in to My Apple ID (https://appleid.apple.com)
Go to Password & Security
Click Generate App-Specific Password

For complete instructions, read Using App-Specific Passwords. If you need additional help, visit Apple Support.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

I understand what they're saying ... the only problem is that I don't know what apps I have that require me to do that ... :-) ...

Anyone one know where one can look up information on particular apps that one possesses to find out if they require this. Or do I simply "find out" when I get FAILURE FAILURE messages ... LOL ...

iPad (4th gen) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iOS 8

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 7:16 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Star Traveler Author

Level 4

1,755 points

Oct 8, 2014 9:05 PM in response to Star Traveler

Okay ... this must be WAY TOO NEW of an issue for anybody to know ... :-) ...

Reply

Answer 2

sberman

Level 10

273,402 points

Oct 8, 2014 10:13 PM in response to Star Traveler

Here's an article:

Using app-specific passwords

The email mentions examples of specific apps you might be using. Another approach is to use your computer's browser to get to http://www.icloud.com and inspect your data files to learn what apps might be using them.

Reply

Answer 3

Star Traveler Author

Level 4

1,755 points

Oct 8, 2014 10:22 PM in response to sberman

Thanks for the link to the article. I did look at that article before I posted my question, but it didn't quite help me. Perhaps it might be of help to some other readers here.

As far as the apps mentioned in the e-mail ... they don't apply to me.

So far, on the iCloud website, it's only Apple apps that are represented, and I already assumed that they are tied in to,the iOS already, without me having to have that app-specific password. Besides that, I already checked the Apple apps and there is no place to enter it.

Oh well, I guess I'll find out soon enough, if something stops working.

Reply

Answer 4

sberman

Level 10

273,402 points

Oct 8, 2014 10:27 PM in response to Star Traveler

I'm in the same situation as you. I believe nothing will stop working, as I don't share iCloud data with any non-Apple apps. My guess is that's true for you as well ... and many others.

Like you, I'll see if something stops working ... but I don't believe anything will stop.

Reply

Answer 5

erribus

Level 1

10 points

Oct 11, 2014 9:09 AM in response to sberman

I found Apple Mail on my iPad and iPhone stopped working after the deadline. I believe this is because my mail accounts are not set up as iCloud accounts but as IMAP clients that happen to sign in to Apple's iCloud IMAP service. [The reason I do this is so I can use my ISP to send outgoing mail and hence have dozens of outgoing email addresses to choose from - which I cannot do if I send outgoing mail via my iCloud account.]

Generating app specific passwords has worked OK but I have found that I had to generate separate app specific passwords for Apple Mail on my iPad (iOS 8) and Apple Mail on my iPhone 3GS (iOS 6). They must count as different apps.

Does anyone know what determines whether apps are different. If I were running the same version of iOS on both devices, would they count as the same app? I have syncing of preferences enabled, and I am unsure whether different passwords on the different devices may cause a problem.

Any wisdom appreciated.

Reply