If your Mac is connected to the Internet but suddenly starts asking for your password, you should generally try again later, and if necessary work with your email provider to resolve. If you're using Apple's iCloud Mail, learn how to resolve issues with iCloud Mail.
Why is Mail asking for your password?
Set up IMAP and change your SMTP settings to read Gmail messages in other mail clients, like Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail. When you use IMAP, you can read your Gmail messages on multiple devices, and messages are synced in real time. You can also read Gmail messages using POP. Clean your inbox with Cleanfox. Get to inbox zero. No more newsletter and spam. If you use the Hotmail account as your Apple ID then it is in other settings on your Mac, not just your email Hotmail used to be available on Mac Mail as a POP account but now it’s IMAP. As a non tech person this confused the heck out of me and I have spent days reading articles on how to change various settings but in the end, this is what.
Mail asks for your password when it is connecting to your email provider, but can't connect to your email account because your email provider isn't accepting your email password.
Hotmail Settings For Mac
Your email provider may reject your password for several reasons, including:
- You're not using your current email password. If you updated the password on another device, make sure that you're using the same password on your Mac.
- Your email provider needs you to update or reset your password for security reasons. For example, if you're using Google’s two-step verification, your Gmail account in Mail requires the appropriate app-specific password.
- Your email provider deactivated or suspended your account. Contact your email provider for help.
Check your password in Internet Accounts preferences
Depending on the type of email account you're using, you might be able to correct the password as follows:
Mac Mail Settings Pop
- Quit Mail. If it doesn't quit, you can force it to quit.
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Internet Accounts.
- Select your mail account in the sidebar.
- If you see a password field for your account, delete the password and type the correct password.
- Close System Preferences, then open Mail and try using your account again.
If Mail still asks for your password, the password is probably incorrect. Your email provider can help you verify your email settings and make sure that you're using the correct password.
Mac Settings For Hotmail Settings
Test using webmail
Many email providers offer webmail, which is a way to use email with a web browser such as Safari, instead of with an email app such as Mail. For example, if you're using an iCloud Mail account, you can use iCloud.com to send and receive email.
Because the password that you use with Mail is usually the same password that you use with webmail, try signing in to webmail with that password. If it doesn't work there either, your password is probably incorrect. Your email provider can help you verify your email settings and make sure that you're using the correct password for the Mail app.
Remove your account, then add it back
If no other solutions work, try setting up your email account again. To do that, first remove your email account, then add the account back.
Learn more
- If you're using Apple's iCloud Mail, learn how to resolve issues with iCloud Mail. The password that you use with iCloud Mail is your Apple ID password. Learn what to do if you forgot your Apple ID password or want to change your Apple ID password.
- If you forgot or want to change the email password for a different email service, contact the email provider or request a password reset from their website.