Loading...
Mailbird Blog

Generate Office 365 App Password

Generate Office 365 App Password
Generate Office 365 App Password

A lot of modern email clients, like Mailbird, have a branded Outlook/Office 365 sign-in page where you only interact with the provider when adding an account. For the rest, you'll need to generate an Outlook/Office 365 app password to access your mailbox(es) through IMAP or POP.

In this post, you will find step-by-step instructions on how to generate this password from the Outlook/Office 365 app.

How to Generate an App Password in Outlook/Office 365 on the Web

Follow the steps below to create an email password for IMAP or POP in Outlook/Office 365's web application:

1. Log into your Outlook inbox.

Outlook email inbox interface
Outlook email inbox interface

2. Click on your account icon in the top right corner and select the My Microsoft account link.

Link that leads to Microsoft account settings
Link that leads to Microsoft account settings

3. You will be redirected to your Microsoft account page. Click on the Security tab in the top navigation bar. You may be prompted to re-enter your password.

Microsoft account security settings tab
Microsoft account security settings tab

4. From the Security tab, select Advanced security options.

Advanced security options for your Microsoft account
Advanced security options for your Microsoft account

5. Under Additional security, activate two-step verification first. The App passwords section will appear.

Link for creating a new app password in Microsoft account settings
Link for creating a new app password in Microsoft account settings

6. When you click on the Create a new app password link, you will need to prove your identity. Once you do, you will get the new password.

Example of an app password generated by Outlook
Example of an app password generated by Outlook

The next time you add your Outlook/Office 365 account to another email client or application, you should use this dedicated app password instead of your Outlook/Office 365 email default password.

How to Delete or Revoke Your Outlook/Office 365 App Password

Knowing how to generate an Outlook/Office 365 app password is handy. But what if you need to delete it? Follow the steps below:

1. Log into your Outlook inbox.

Outlook inbox interface
Outlook inbox interface

2. Click on your account icon in the top right corner and select the My Microsoft account link.

Link to your Microsoft account settings
Link to your Microsoft account settings

3. You will be redirected to your Microsoft account page. Click on the Security tab in the top navigation bar.

Microsoft account security tab
Microsoft account security tab

4. When the page has loaded, select Advanced security options.

Advanced security options tab for Outlook
Advanced security options tab for Outlook

5. Scroll down, click on Remove existing app passwords, and confirm that you want to delete the password.

Remove existing apps password link in Microsoft account settings
Remove existing apps password link in Microsoft account settings

You will be asked to prove your identity. Once you do, your app password is removed.

What's Next?

What if you have more than one Outlook/Office 365 email account? For instance, you may have an email address for business inquiries, one for private communication, and another for marketing newsletters and online shopping.

If you continue using the webmail interface, you'll have to switch between these accounts multiple times a day. Having a dedicated tab for each email address in a web browser is not convenient.

On the other hand, if you start using an email client to maintain all those accounts in one place, you'll have to generate an Outlook/Office 365 app password for each of the addresses.

A more effective way to manage multiple email accounts is to add them to Mailbird. It has a branded sign-in page for Outlook/Office 365, which is more secure than inputting your main credentials in a third-party app. And, unlike most email clients, you can access all your Outlook/Office 365 addresses from one unified inbox.

Mailbird is an award-winning desktop email client for Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11. There's also a macOS version in the making. It can offer you the following:

Our email client supports multiple-email account management with its powerful features, including

  • a unified inbox;
  • a unified calendar;
  • a drag-and-drop contact manager;
  • an attachment search function;
  • shortcut keys for email writing, replying, forwarding, etc.;
  • a snooze function for email productivity;
  • a customizable email signature; and
  • folders to organize emails.

To take email to the next level, Mailbird supports numerous integrations with apps for productivity, task management, collaboration, and communication, including

  • Google Calendar,
  • Contacts manager,
  • Slack,
  • Dropbox,
  • WhatsApp,
  • Trello,
  • Asana,
  • Todoist,
  • Facebook, and
  • Twitter.

Users that have opted for Mailbird say that it has streamlined their email communication and helped declutter their mailboxes.

Final Thoughts

Protecting your email from unauthorized access nowadays is more important than ever as the number and severity of cybersecurity crimes grows unprecedentedly. Email passwords provide the first line of defense against hackers looking to access your personal or business communication in an unlawful manner.

As a result, you should never neglect the simple rules of email security hygiene:

  • Create a strong password for each email client or app you use.
  • Change your password periodically.
  • Do not share your passwords with other people.
  • Keep your passwords encrypted with the help of a password manager.
  • Create a one-time password each time you log into an email client or other app using an email authorization method.

As an alternative to Outlook/Office 365 app password generation, you can also use a modern email client like Mailbird that offers a branded sign-in page.

Take Control of your inbox. Improve your email productivity with Mailbird
Get Mailbird Free