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I have setup Two Step Verification for my Google account and all is well getting into email from a browser, or from the Safari browser on my phone.

However, I cannot get Mail.app to work. It just tells me the password is wrong. I am using an application specific password generated from the account access page in Google, tried two, still no go.

How can I get the Mail.app to actually work with this?

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shouldn't this question have been migrated to webapps or something? But I'm glad Kevin got his answer anyway. – Cawas Apr 30 '11 at 15:46
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migrated from superuser.com Apr 27 '11 at 14:04

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3 Answers

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Have you setup and install the iPhone App "Google Authenticator" ??

http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=1056283&topic=1056285

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From this Google support page : google.com/support/accounts/bin/… "Google Authenticator cannot generate application-specific passwords. Google Authenticator only generates verification codes, which are used to sign in to Google through a web browser." I don't think this will help with mail.app – RobZolkos Apr 27 '11 at 14:44
It only authenticates the devices, not the program. – Kevin Apr 27 '11 at 14:45
@RobZolkos If you read what is written in the link you'll need to go to "2-step verification settings page", where you then after step #3 will read this: "Afterwards, you'll need to create application-specific passwords. Learn more" – Rene Larsen Apr 27 '11 at 15:39
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up vote 2 down vote

Open up the keychain application and locate the password that it has stored for your gmail account. Now delete it.

Then retry the process you have, ensure you put in your application specific password, and then ensure you press the checkbox that says to save password to keychain.

Further instructions and Mail.app specific screenshots here.

I believe that mail.app is using an older stored email and this is preventing access. I am assuming of course that mail.app was working perfectly for you before you started using two step authentication.

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Yes, it was working fine until I implemented two step. Where is the keychain app on my iPhone? – Kevin Apr 27 '11 at 14:22
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Sorry, misread, thought you were on a mail.app on a mac. My bad. OK, try this, get a new application specific password on your iphone in safari, quickly copy and paste it into the password field in mail.app. I believe the password is only valid for an extremely short amount of time. Let me know if that works. – RobZolkos Apr 27 '11 at 14:29
Still didn't work. – Kevin Apr 27 '11 at 14:55
@RobZolkos: The passwords are valid until they are manually revoked. – grawity Apr 27 '11 at 15:07
@gawity - my understanding is that until they are actually being used they remain valid for a short amount of time. Once actively being used, you are right, they remain valid until revoked. – RobZolkos Apr 27 '11 at 15:10
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up vote 1 down vote

Got it working by providing an application specific password instead of the usual gmail password. It would be a 16 char password and not the six char authentication verification code.

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