How to Get a Gmail App Password: The Definitive Guide

So, you’re looking to generate a Gmail app password. No problem, you’ve come to the right place. An app password acts like a key just for a specific app, ensuring your main Google account password remains safe while letting the app access your Gmail data.

Here’s the direct, to-the-point method: app passwords are no longer available for standard Google accounts. Google deprecated this functionality to encourage more secure authentication methods like OAuth 2.0. This means you can’t generate a dedicated app password as you could in the past.

What Now?: Instead of relying on app passwords, you’ll need to use “Sign in with Google” or OAuth. These are more secure protocols. If the application in question requires an app password and isn’t updated, consider these alternatives:

1. Check for Updates: See if the app offers updates that support newer authentication methods like OAuth 2.0.
2. Enable Less Secure Apps (Not Recommended): If using Google Workspace (G Suite) accounts, you may have an administrator that allows turning on the setting to “Allow Less Secure Apps” access in your security settings. This is highly discouraged for personal Gmail accounts as it significantly weakens your account security. Google itself is phasing out this option.
3. Consider Alternatives: Evaluate whether there are alternative applications that are more modern and support safer authentication practices.
4. Contact the App Developer: Reach out to the app developer and encourage them to update their app to use OAuth 2.0.

The rest of this article will explain more about why app passwords are gone, how OAuth works, and what your options are in different scenarios.

Understanding Why App Passwords Are No Longer Supported

App passwords were introduced as a way to allow less secure applications (often older software or devices) to access your Gmail account without exposing your primary password. However, they came with inherent security risks. If an app password was compromised, the attacker would have access to your Gmail data through that specific app.

The Rise of OAuth 2.0: To address these security concerns, Google has been pushing developers to adopt OAuth 2.0, a more secure and standardized protocol. OAuth 2.0 allows applications to access your Gmail data without ever needing your actual password. Instead, the app asks for your permission to access specific data (e.g., read emails, send emails), and you grant that permission through Google’s secure authentication server.

Why This Is Better: With OAuth 2.0, you can revoke an app’s access to your Gmail account at any time. Also, the app never stores your password, making it much harder for attackers to compromise your account.

OAuth 2.0: The Modern Authentication Method

OAuth 2.0 is now the recommended standard for secure application access to Gmail and other Google services. It’s a complex protocol, but the user experience is generally seamless:

1. The application redirects you to Google’s authentication server.
2. You log in with your Google account (if you aren’t already).
3. Google shows you a screen explaining what data the application wants to access and asks for your consent.
4. If you grant consent, Google redirects you back to the application with a temporary authorization code.
5. The application exchanges the authorization code for an access token, which it can then use to access your Gmail data.

Benefits of OAuth 2.0:

• Enhanced Security: Your password is never shared with the application.
• Granular Control: You can control exactly what data the application can access.
• Revocable Access: You can revoke an application’s access at any time.
• Standardized Protocol: It is the industry-standard protocol that modern application developers prefer.

Alternatives for Apps Still Requiring App Passwords (Use With Caution!)

If you encounter an older application that still requires an app password, and you absolutely need to use it, you might have limited options, with significant security drawbacks:

• For Google Workspace (G Suite) accounts: If you’re using a Google Workspace account, your administrator might allow you to enable “Less Secure App access” in your account settings. This is strongly discouraged for regular Gmail accounts, and even in Workspace accounts, it exposes your account to significantly higher risks. If this is an option, the admin would enable it at the Workspace level, and you would then enable it at your user account level.
• Consider Alternative Apps: In many cases, the best solution is to find a more modern alternative to the application you’re using.

Important Warning: Enabling “Less Secure App access” significantly reduces the security of your Google account. If you do choose to enable it, be extra vigilant about monitoring your account for suspicious activity.

FAQs: Getting Your Gmail App Password (Or What To Do Now)

Here are some common questions users have about Gmail app passwords:

1. Why Can’t I Find the App Password Option in My Google Account?

Google has deprecated the app password feature for standard Google accounts. This means that you will no longer find the option in your security settings. You should switch to using OAuth 2.0 where available.

2. What if I absolutely NEED to use an app that requires an app password?

The best solution is to find a more modern alternative. Contact the app developer and encourage them to upgrade the app to use OAuth 2.0. For legacy Google Workspace accounts, your admin may allow for the enablement of “Less Secure Apps” access which will then grant you the access to App Passwords. But this is not available for standard Gmail accounts. This is generally a bad idea for all accounts and very STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.

3. How do I check which apps have access to my Google account?

You can review and manage apps with access to your Google account at myaccount.google.com. Go to Security, then look for “Third-party apps with account access”. Here, you can see which apps have access and revoke permissions as needed.

4. How does OAuth 2.0 work in simple terms?

Think of OAuth 2.0 like this: an app needs to borrow something from your house (Gmail data). Instead of giving the app a key to your house (your password), you take them to your house yourself (Google’s authentication server), show them what they need, and let them borrow it only with your permission.

5. What are the security risks of using “Less Secure App access”?

Enabling “Less Secure App access” allows apps that don’t support modern security standards (like OAuth 2.0) to access your account. These apps are more vulnerable to hacking, and if your credentials are compromised, attackers could gain access to your entire Google account.

6. My calendar/email client stopped syncing. Is this because of the app password change?

Yes, if you were using an app password, the change to OAuth 2.0 is likely the reason. You will need to update your app or switch to an alternative that supports OAuth 2.0.

7. What is the difference between an app password and my regular Google account password?

An app password was a unique, 16-digit password specifically for a single application. Your regular Google account password is the one you use to log into your Google account through a web browser. The app password was tied to the application alone and a different password than the regular account password.

8. How do I know if an app supports OAuth 2.0?

Most modern applications now support OAuth 2.0. When you try to connect the app to your Google account, it will typically redirect you to Google’s login page to grant permission.

9. Is OAuth 2.0 only for Gmail?

No, OAuth 2.0 is a standard protocol used by many websites and services, including Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon.

10. I’m a developer. How do I implement OAuth 2.0 in my application?

Google provides comprehensive documentation for developers on how to implement OAuth 2.0. You can find the documentation on the Google Developers website.

11. What if I have a Google Workspace account? Are app passwords still available there?

App passwords are not guaranteed to be available even with Google Workspace. Your admin may need to enable the “Less Secure Apps” to be able to utilize App Passwords. Contact your Google Workspace administrator to determine if that is an option.

12. Is there a way to create an app password for 2-Step Verification?

While app passwords were a way to bypass 2-Step Verification for specific apps in the past, OAuth 2.0 is now the preferred method. OAuth 2.0 automatically handles 2-Step Verification during the authentication process, making the app password redundant.