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Not getting AOL emails in iPhone and iPad

In late February I just stopped getting in my iPhone and iPad the emails from my AOL account.

When I click on the account I get an error message that says “Please go to Mail Account Settings an enter password.” However, nothing happens when I renter my password, which has been the same for years...


Any advice?

iPhone XS, iOS 14

Posted on Mar 14, 2021 12:04 PM

Reply
13 replies

Mar 20, 2021 5:21 AM in response to PRinDC

The mail app on your phone (at least iPhone) is accessed using the icon with an envelope on it - that’s the native mail app. You can add AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook etc mail to your native mail app. For AOL you will need, after you enter your regular password, the AOL mail password which is a string of letters that you can copy and paste.


I used the AOL link that Lotus Pilot provided above. I had to delete the AOL mail from my mail app first and then add it back to my mail app in order for it work. Here is a link to an Apple help article with screenshots. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201320




Mar 14, 2021 12:06 PM in response to PRinDC

In common with many other Mail providers, AOL now use App Specific Passwords to access IMAP or POP3 mailboxes.


The Mail App on each of your devices, such as your iPad, requires a unique password to be generated from within the AOL account. This App Specific password intentionally differs from your AOL account password - and can only be used to access your AOL mail.


More information about AOL’s App Specific Passwords can be found here:

https://help.aol.com/articles/allow-apps-that-use-less-secure-sign-in?guccounter=1


Mar 20, 2021 4:49 AM in response to PRinDC

Notwithstanding that TraceyLAR may have a different issue to yours, you should be able to access your AOL email using IMAP from the native Mail App; you will need to generate an App Specific Password from within your AOL account (using their web portal) - and configure this password for your email account in your iPad settings.


Whilst use of the AOL App is possible, you should not need to do so.

Mar 20, 2021 5:13 AM in response to PRinDC

IMAP and POP3 are the protocols (type of connection) that your iPad is using to communicate with the email server of your Internet/email Service Provider. IMAP is the more modern way to communicate with the server; POP3 is an older standard, but still used by some.


In this context, ”Native” indicates something that is part of the host system (your iPad) - in this case the Mail App that comes with the iOS/iPadOS Operating System. By contrast, “third-party” would be an App from somebody else - like, for example, AOL.


TraceyLAR is seemingly talking about the “third-party” AOL Mail App - and not the “native” Apple Mail App that is part of your iPad Operating System.


In case my very first reply needs further explanation, if you are using the “native” Apple Mail App (or any other non-AOL Mail App) to retrieve your email - following changes made by AOL, you must now generate a unique password for your Mail. This password will be different to the password with which you sign-in to your AOL account.


You must generate this unique (App Specific) password by signing-in to your AOL account - using your web-browser (Safari?). The instructions for generating the App Specific Password are included in my first reply.



Mar 21, 2021 1:57 PM in response to TracyLAR

I’m having the same issues re not getting AOL email on my iPhone and iPad. Prior to Friday, 5/20 it wasn’t an issue. I’ve tried deleting and adding the mail account back after I changed my password. It looked like it was going to go thru - I got to the screen where it asks what you want to select mail, notes, etc. Then all of a sudden it goes back to the add account screen. I tried adding the account manually as suggested in an aol support message. That did not work either.


I also thought my Mac was good but I just checked and that also has an issue. I did have one of the aol security passwords attached to that account so not sure what’s going on.


Any suggestions? It seems I’ve done everything noted above. In frustration I downloaded the app and absolutely hate it so I deleted it after about 10 min of trying to get it to show my entire Inbox vs just in folders of new or old.


Thanks

Not getting AOL emails in iPhone and iPad

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