Google discontinued “Allow less secure apps” in May 2022, which caused the Winstep Email Checker module to stop working with Gmail accounts using the old username + password method.

However, you can still access a Gmail account using the Email Checker module with a username and password**, but **only if** certain settings are configured correctly. Here's what you need to know as of 2025:


POP3:

Requirements for POP3 Access

1. Enable POP in Gmail Settings

* Go to **Gmail > Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP**
* Under **POP Download**, select:

* “Enable POP for all mail” or
* “Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on”
* Save changes.

2. Enable 2-Step Verification

* You **must** have 2-Step Verification enabled on your Google account to use App Passwords:

* Go to: https://myaccount.google.com/security
* Turn on **2-Step Verification** if it's not already enabled.

3. Create an App Password

* Visit https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
* Select "Email Checker" as the app and your device (or “Other”).
* Google will generate a 16-character password.

4. Use This App Password in the Email Checker module

* Username: your full Gmail address (e.g., `you@gmail.com`)
* Password: the **App Password**, *not* your Google account password!!!

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POP3 Server Settings

Use these settings in the Email Checker:

POP Server: pop.gmail.com
Port: 995
Requires SSL: Yes
Username: Your full Gmail address
Password: **16 character App Password** (not your normal password)

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IMAP:

Requirements for IMAP Access

1. Enable IMAP in Gmail

* Go to **Gmail > Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP**
* Under **IMAP Access**, select “Enable IMAP”
* Save changes.

2. Enable 2-Step Verification

* Visit: https://myaccount.google.com/security
* Turn on **2-Step Verification**

3. Generate an App Password

* Go to: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
* Choose "Email Checker" as the app, and “Other” for the device if needed
* Use the generated 16-character password as your login credential

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IMAP Server Settings

Use these settings in the Email Checker:

IMAP Server:imap.gmail.com
Port:993
Requires SSL: Yes
Username: Your full Gmail address (e.g. `you@gmail.com`)
Password: **16 character App Password** (not your normal password)


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What No Longer Works

* You **cannot** use your regular Gmail password for POP3/IMAP/SMTP access if:

* 2-Step Verification is not enabled
* Less secure app access is disabled (which it is by default since mid-2022)

* Google discontinued “Allow less secure apps” in May 2022.

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Yes it is painful setting it up in Gmail.

As the Winstep creator, is there a moderately secure email that it sets up with a minimum of fuss? Or, are they all pretty much the same these days - e.g. Protonmail so on and so forth...?

If I knew the answer I would not ask. I figured as the creator you'd know the one that works immediately, if it exists.
Thank you

I don't.

As you can imagine the process is different for each email provider.

There is no such thing as a moderately secure email service - they are all totally insecure. Sole exception is Proton Mail (available free and also enhanced paid version) which is End-to-End encrypted with zero access (i.e., only you can access your mail box and mail, not the provider or anyone else). It's available as a web app (even works with TOR browser), and as a desktop app for all platforms inc. mobile. And there's no logging of any kind. Proton wants to know as little as possible about you. And it's all on Proton's own hardware, securely running Linux.

I would have thought that email checkers are totally obsolete in this day and age. I get notifications - i.e., the number of new mails, on my Proton web mail's task button - what more could I want?

Now, without wanting to anticipate Jorge's reply, I would have thought that if there was another email service that could be easily - or at all? - set up with the Email Checker module we would have heard about it already.

Thanks Jorge, I thought as much, but always best to be sure.

@Nexter - Rather than bulk replies, yes, checkers are almost obsolete. Most people carry it in a phone app etc...My only reason for wishing it is to check what displays on the screen in real-time for realignment in the module if necessary. There is mail.com but I am a little sus of that one.

Thanks both of ya...

It's not only Mail.com you need to be sus about - you ought to be totally sus, nay, paranoid even, about all email providers with the sole exception of Proton. Everybody else harvests all your data mercilessly, usually including the content of both all your incoming and outgoing mail, sells on your data, bombards you with ads and trackers, and is likely to be hacked and lose your data and email. None of this can happen with Proton. If you want security and privacy, it's your only choice, alas. The rest aare as dodgy as a 9-bob note! (And you would not accept one of those, surely!)

I setup gmail with imap according to the instructions and even set up an "app password" in gmail. Now it says "Too many arguments provided".

Any ideas?

Assuming you are not a spam bot, you must have done something wrong while following the instructions.

My own Gmail account keeps working properly with the Winstep Email Checker (I am using the POP3 protocol in the Email Checker, by the way).

This said, I read somewhere that Google is going to discontinue POP3 access and stick to IMAP only.

Jorge, I am pretty sure I'm not a bot and I'm getting the same message. In the Email Checker Settings I have

Account Name: [my email address] (firstname.lastname@gmail.com)
Server Type: IMAP Port: 993
IMAP Server: imap.gmail.com
Login Name: [same as account name]
Password: [the 16-digit app password I generated and named "Email Checker" on Google]
Requires SSL is checked
Include this account when checking is checked

Last response was BAD Too many arguments provided 41be03b00d2f7-b6cdac3baadmb217059414a12

I find it incredibly hard to understand why otherwise fairly intelligent or even intelligent people (like yourself, @vectornut) still stick with Gmail and Google and give away their privacy for nothing. Not even for 30 pieces of silver!

There are perfectly good, privacy-respecting alternatives available, most notably Proton Mail - available in a pretty good free version, too! - which is End-to-End encrypted and not even Proton can access your emails.

Try using POP3 instead, e.g.

Server Type: POP3 Port:995
POP3 Server: pop.gmail.com

That's what I use and I am not getting an error.

Will that work when I have gmail set up for IMAP to use with my EM Client?

Give it a try to at least see if you get the same error.

My guess is that this is a Gmail issue, not a Winstep problem.

Switching to POP worked. And I know it's not a Winstep issue. It's definitely a gmail issue. I wouldn't blame Winstep for struggling to overcome a third party app's settings. I know some people would, but that's because they're dumb. The good news is I guess gmail has changed and you can access it with pop or imap and don't have to choose one or the other any more.

The main reason I posted was to let you know that your instructions for getting the email checker to work with gmail no longer work for IMAP on gmail because clearly gmail changed something again.