Updated August 16th, 2021.

This article helps you solve bug involving AOL mail on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. There are 2 main scenarios:

  1. You've received an electronic mail from AOL nearly updated security measures. It would look something like this:
Letter from AOL telling you your account needs attention
Letter from AOL telling y'all your account needs attending

Or perchance, all all of a sudden, y'all can't become your AOL mail on your Mac or iPhone, and they keep asking for the password, and you keep typing information technology in, and it never works, even though yous are positive you know what the password is.

If that sounds like you lot, click here to jump to the department of this commodity that solves this "updated security measures" problem.

UPDATE : if y'all have an email address from Verizon (ending in verizon.net) these instructions tin help yous too.

two. You have some other problem involving AOL post on a Mac or an iPhone.

Notation: this article tells you everything you need to know nigh creating an app-specific password and using it to sign into AOL on an older Mac or iPhone. It'due south all hither. Just, if you lot'd rather have me exercise the piece of work for you, use this link to schedule a remote Zoom appointment with me. The fee for this service is $39 per device, per business relationship, payable by credit carte du jour or PayPal, and only if your AOL mail comes in. No mail, no fee.


Solving the Updated Security Measures problem

AOL's sent emails to everyone with an aol.com electronic mail address, telling usa that in order to continue to go our aol.com email we are probably going to have to sign into our accounts again, using an updated secure sign-in method.

You may accept noticed that AOL'due south alphabetic character says that they're requiring "updated secure sign-in when accessing your account from unofficial or non-Yahoo apps." What's this take to do with Yahoo, yous may be wondering.

It turns out that in 2015, Verizon bought AOL and 2 years later Verizon decided not to handle its own email accounts, moving them all to the AOL system. Soon later that, they bought Yahoo, and lumped it and AOL into something called "Oath." Yahoo handles a lot of electronic mail, and considering Yahoo mail has a ameliorate security system than AOL mail does, they are upgrading the security on AOL mail to match. UPDATE : Verizon is selling Oath. Hopefully this will not impact anyone's electronic mail.

Permit's wait at what this means, and what you have to exercise.

For AOL webmail users

Kickoff, if you go your email on a Mac (or a PC) by going to a web browser, typing in "aol.com," and and then reading and composing postal service there, y'all don't accept to do anything. Your AOL mail service feel volition remain exactly the aforementioned.

For Mac Mail service app users

UPDATE 2-19-2021: as far as I can tell, at that place's no style to make AOL mail work with Apple tree'southward Mac Mail service app on macOS 10.9.5 (Mavericks). It doesn't affair how yous try, it's not going to work. If you desire to get your AOL postal service on your Mac without resorting to doing information technology in a browser (yuck), I recommend the Thunderbird mail app. It looks a lot like Apple's Post app and it works with AOL just fine. And information technology'southward free! It comes from the same people who started the Firefox browser.

Thunderbird

AOL thinks the Mac Mail app is not secure if it's from macOS 10.xiii or older, and they won't let Postal service connect to their servers– unless you create a special, "app-specific password" while signed into aol.com and use that– and not your "real" AOL password– in the Mail app..

Even though you know the password for your AOL account– one manner to be certain: go to aol.com in a browser and sign in there to prove that you know it– Mail on a Mac volition non work with that password if your Mac is on 10.13 or earlier. The solution: a custom, special "app password," generated by AOL, but for the Post program.

(Recall that the app-specific countersign does non replace your AOL password. If you were to go to world wide web.aol.com in a browser, and enter your AOL username, it's your "real" AOL password that you'd enter there equally well. The app-specific password is just for the Mail app.)

Creating an app-specific password is easy, and AOL provides directions. The nuts:

  1. Go to www.aol.com in a browser and sign in
  2. Click on your name at upper correct so you lot can meet your Business relationship settings
  3. Click on "Account Security" in the left-hand pane
  4. Click on "Generate and manage app passwords" (look around, the link is pocket-sized)
  5. Enter a proper noun for your password. Something similar "Mail app for Mac" is good. Then click "Generate" to create the countersign.
  6. Re-create the password (or otherwise write it down) and use it when signing into AOL for whichever device y'all're trying to fix.

If you make a mistake yous tin can kickoff over. Goose egg to worry about. Note: you lot won't be able to expect upward an app-specific password at AOL afterwards the fact, FYI. You tin make a new 1 just you can't expect up the old ones.


NOTE: the app specific password volition expect something similar this:

jqxr wxpq mnix zwrt

Very of import: the spaces aren't spaces! They don't count! They aren't at that place at all. Prove it to yourself when you make the app-specific password: highlight the password, copy it, and paste it somewhere (into Notes, or an e-mail, or in TextEdit– anywhere you tin paste). You'll see the spaces just aren't there. So, you're amend off copying and pasting the app-specific password than writing it downwards and and so entering information technology by hand into the Internet Accounts preference pane.


You may be tempted to enter this special app-specific password into the box that pops up saying "No password provided" or something similar that. Don't do that, it won't work. Instead, go to Organisation Preferences, and then Internet Accounts, then click your AOL account. Y'all'll probably see a message maxim "Can't connect to the business relationship…" and if you do, enter your app-specific countersign in that location, and you're all fix.

Internet Accounts preference pane, showing AOL can't connect
Internet Accounts preference pane, showing AOL tin can't connect

If the password box doesn't popular up correct away, or if you lot put the app-specific countersign into the box and information technology'due south rejected anyway, you have ane more chance. Abolish out of the box in a higher place, click on your AOL account, then click the Details… push at upper correct, and then enter (or paste) the app-specific countersign. This ought to work.

Entering the app-specific password after clicking the Details... button in Internet Accounts section of System Preferences
Entering the app-specific countersign later clicking the Details… button

That'south all in that location is to it, if y'all're using Mail on macOS High Sierra (10.13) or older. You lot tin open up up the Mail app and scout your mail come pouring in.

If you're using the Mac Mail app on a Mac with Mojave (10.14) or Catalina (10.15), you don't demand the app-specific password. Instead, you'll take to delete the account and then add it again. That'due south not difficult– see beneath.

NOTE: I should accept mentioned when I get-go wrote this article that you lot will Non lose your emails if yous delete the account. The emails are either on the server (exam information technology– go to aol.com and sign in and come across), or they are "On My Mac" (await for a folder on the left-hand side of the Postal service app and run into). Deleting the account from your Mac doesn't delete the mail from the server. Remember, you are simply "letting go" of the business relationship from your Mac– not deleting mail from the server. If you follow the direction below that's all you're doing. What you're Not doing is selecting all of the postal service in your inbox and deleting it. No no no. You're only "letting become" of the business relationship, in the Preferences. And then adding it again.

Step 1: Get to Organization Preferences, then Internet Accounts, then click on your AOL account, and then click the minus sign at the lesser left of that window. You'll get a message asking whether you want to plow it off, or delete it from all of your devices. You have to choose "Delete from all devices."

Before you delete it, make a note of what is turned on for your AOL account, and what isn't, as seen below. In my case, Mail only.

Internet account settings for AOL showing only Mail being checked
I'm only using the postal service from AOL– not contacts, not calendars, non reminders, not notes

Now nosotros demand to add the account again.

Pace 2: Still in Cyberspace Accounts (via System Preferences), click where it says "Aol" and enter your AOL username in the box that pops up. Yous don't have to include "@aol.com" if you don't want to. Check the box that says "Stay signed in." Click Next.

Adding an AOL account in Internet Accounts in System Preferences
Adding an AOL account in Internet Accounts in System Preferences
AOL sign-in box in macOS Catalina
Enter your username, and bank check the "Stay signed in" box

Step iii: Enter your AOL password. Click the eyeball to double-bank check that you haven't fabricated a typo. Then click Adjacent.

Entering the password for the AOL account
Enter your AOL password

Pace iv: You're going to become a message saying that AOL hasn't seen you sign in from this device earlier. It'southward not true– what they mean is, they haven't seen y'all sign in from this device since two seconds ago, when you lot re-added the account. They'll send you a code so yous can keep the sign-in procedure. AOL can send you lot a text message, or an email, so make your selection and await for the message to arrive.

Getting a code from AOL, as a text message or in an email
Getting a code from AOL, every bit a text bulletin or in an electronic mail

Scroll down and check the box that says "Don't ask me again on this device" unless you lot similar signing in and supplying codes over and over.

Checking the box for "Don't ask me again on this device" in the AOL sign-in screen.

Step 5: Enter the code that came in the message from AOL. (This is a onetime code so don't carp saving it– if you need a code another fourth dimension, AOL will ship a different one.) So click Verify. Don't dawdle, there'southward a time limit on this.

Entering the code that AOL sends when you try to sign in
Entering the lawmaking that AOL sent to my iPhone

Pace 6: Coil down the list of things you lot're agreeing to let macOS and iOS to access. This is your own stuff– your AOL Contacts, your AOL Calendar, your AOL post, etc. so just scroll to the bottom and click Concord.

You won't see the "Agree" button unless you scroll to the bottom of the window.

AOL agreement in Internet Accounts box
Scroll down and click the Agree push (non shown– I didn't curl downwards yet)

Step 7: Finally, uncheck the boxes adjacent to the services y'all're not using. By default, AOL checks everything, which in my case is not what I want (I merely desire Mail). Click Done.

AOL account, re-added, and with only Mail checked (just like before)
AOL account, re-added, and with only Mail service checked (just like before)

That should practise it.

For iPhone and iPad users

Information technology could be every bit piece of cake equally signing in over again. If you're using a newish iPhone or iPad, endeavor this:

Step 1: On your iPhone (or iPad), get to Settings, and so Passwords & Accounts.

UPDATE FOR iOS 14: go to Settings, then Mail, and so Accounts.

Passwords & Accounts in Settings
Tap Passwords & Accounts…

Step 2: Tap your AOL account

AOL account in the Passwords & Account section of Settings app
Tap your AOL account…

Step 3: You lot'll see a screen with a big Aol at the summit, and "Sign in." If your email address is already at that place, peachy. If non, put it in. Then (important!) tap Next (because the password box is non on this screen, it's on the adjacent screen).

Note: If you don't encounter the sign-in screen, tap "Delete Account," then add information technology again by tapping "Add Account." In the list of account types (iCloud, Microsoft Substitution, Google, yahoo!, Aol., and Outlook.com) be sure to cull "Aol." Then proceed with these directions.

Enter your email address on this screen, then tap Next.
Enter your email address, then tap Side by side…

Step 4: Enter your password, then tap "Sign in." If your "existent" AOL password doesn't work, make an app-specific password following these directions and use it to sign into AOL on your iPhone.

Signing in on the AOL sign-in screen.
Enter your countersign, then tap "Sign in."

Step 5: Finally, here are the terms! Agree to everything. All yous have to do is tap "Hold" at bottom correct.

Agree to let iOS (and weirdly, macOS) access your AOL account.
You Hold! You do! Tap the Concur button and you're dorsum in concern.

At that place might be a Save button at top right. If yous see it, tap information technology.

The Save button-- if you see it, tap it.
If yous see the Save button, tap it.

Solving other AOL Post problems

The offset thing to practice is figure out where the problem originates. Perhaps your settings used to work, but at present they don't. That could exist because you accept a Verizon.net email address, handled by AOL, and what used to work settings-wise don't anymore.

Observe out what your electronic mail settings should be by visiting Apple tree'due south Mail service Settings Lookup page. Yous don't even have to put in your real email address, in instance you're worried about giving that out. Just become the back end of it correct. For example, if your email address is "hot_tamale@verizon.internet" you could look up the settings for "anybody@verizon.cyberspace" and go the info y'all need, as shown beneath:

Mail settings lookup results from Apple
Mail settings lookup results for an email catastrophe with "@verizon.net"

Notice the incoming mail server is map.aol.com, but the approachable postal service server is smtp.verizon.internet. You might accept expected them both to be Verizon.net, or both AOL.com, but they aren't. And obviously (I think) you'd use your ain email accost as the username.

I know information technology'southward confusing, especially when the settings for a "existent" AOL address look similar this:

AOL mail settings lookup from Apple.
Mail settings for an e-mail that ends with "@aol.com"

(Remember that Mail Settings Lookup page. It's a great reference.)

Perhaps it'due south not your device that isn't working. Maybe the problem is at AOL'due south end. Find out by visiting Downdetector.com. Here's information from that site on September 9th, 2020:

DownDetector image for AOL 9-9-2020
DownDetector prototype from 7 PM Pacific Time ix-9-2020

If you were having troubles getting AOL mail that day, maybe it wasn't you lot! Looks like AOL was having some issues.

3 hours after the issues were over:

DownDetector for AOL at 10 PM Pacific Time 9-9-2020
DownDetector for AOL at 10 PM Pacific Fourth dimension 9-9-2020

Nearly of the bug had to exercise with e-mail, so if you lot were having problems that solar day, the issues could have magically gone away.

If DownDetector doesn't show issues with AOL, perchance your internet connexion isn't whatever good. Try going to speedtest.net and running a exam. If your net speed isn't good, perchance you lot have a problem with your internet service. DownDetector can aid y'all with that also– they may show your service provider having problems. As showtime steps, effort unplugging the modem and router from power (don't disconnect other cables, just unplug them from the wall), so replugging them, and finally endeavor making a call to your internet service provider to run across if they're having a problem. While you're calling, restart your Mac or iPhone and see what happens. Restarting fixes a lot of things.


That'due south it! At present become to your Habitation screen (if your iPhone has a Home push, click it; if information technology doesn't, just swipe up), find your Mail app, give it a tap and run into how it works. I'm betting that it works perfectly. You can let me know.

Notation: trying to add your AOL agenda to your iPhone or iPad? Hither'south my article telling you how to do it. Trying to add together your AOL contacts to your iPhone or iPad? I accept an article on that too.

Copyright 2008-2022 Christian Boyce. All rights reserved.


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Christian Boyce