Setting Up Email App Passwords

1. Gmail App Passwords

Prerequisites:

• 2-Step Verification enabled on your Google Account
• A personal Gmail account or Google Workspace account with app passwords allowed

Steps to create:

1. Go to your Google Account Security settings
2. Under "Signing in to Google," select "2-Step Verification"
3. At the bottom of the page, select "App passwords"
4. Enter a name for the app password (e.g., "DevOpser Email")
5. Click "Create"
6. Copy the generated 16-character password

2. Google Workspace App Passwords

For Workspace Administrators:

1. Sign in to the Google Admin console
2. Go to Security > Basic settings
3. Under "Less secure apps," select "Allow users to manage their access to less secure apps"
4. Click "Save"

For Workspace Users:

Follow the same steps as Gmail users above once your administrator has enabled app passwords.

3. Outlook/Microsoft 365 App Passwords

Prerequisites:

• Two-step verification must be enabled on your Microsoft account
• Your organization must allow app passwords (for Microsoft 365 accounts)

Steps to create:

1. Go to your Microsoft Account Security settings
2. Select "More security options"
3. Under "Additional security options," choose "Create a new app password"
4. Enter a name for the app password
5. Click "Next"
6. Copy the generated app password

4. Using Your App Password

After generating your app password:

1. Use it in place of your regular password when configuring email in your application
2. Store it securely in your environment variables or secrets management system
3. Never share or reuse app passwords across different applications

5. Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

• App password not working:
  • Verify 2-step verification is enabled
  • Ensure you're using the entire 16-character password
  • Check if app passwords are allowed by your organization
• Can't generate app password:
  • Enable 2-step verification first
  • Contact your IT administrator if using a work account
• Lost app password:
  • Generate a new app password
  • Update the password in your application
  • Revoke the old app password if possible