Generate an AOL Mail App Password in 11 easy steps. Required when 2-Step Verification is on and your email app does not support it. Duration: 3 min.
Video Transcript
In this video we show you how to generate an AOL Mail App Password in 11 easy steps. You only need to do this if 2-Step Verification is turned on for your AOL account and you are using an email app that does not support it.
An AOL Mail App Password is a 16-character code that lets a third-party email app sign in to your AOL account without using your regular AOL password. This is required because AOL's 2-Step Verification blocks direct sign-ins from apps that do not support this extra security step.
To start, open your browser and go to login.aol.com. Sign in with your AOL email address and regular password.
Once signed in, click on your profile icon or account name at the top right corner of the screen. From the dropdown, select Account Info.
On the Account Info page, click on Account Security in the left sidebar. This is where AOL stores all your sign-in and security settings.
Scroll down on the Account Security page to the section called Other ways to sign in. Click on Generate and manage app passwords.
Click the Get started button. AOL will ask you to select the app you want to create the password for. Choose your app from the dropdown, or select Other app and type a name such as Outlook, Thunderbird or iPhone Mail.
Click the Generate button. AOL immediately shows you a 16-character app password on screen. Copy this code right away. This password is shown only once and you will not see it again after closing this screen.
Click Done to close the screen. Now open your email app, add your AOL email address, and when asked for a password, enter this 16-character app password instead of your regular AOL password. Your email app will now connect to AOL Mail successfully.
What is an AOL Mail App Password?
An AOL Mail App Password is a 16-character code generated through your AOL Account Security settings. It lets third-party email apps like Outlook, Thunderbird and iPhone Mail sign in to your AOL account without using your regular AOL password. You need one when 2-Step Verification is enabled on your account because most email clients cannot complete the second verification step on their own. You can create app passwords at login.aol.com/account/security. Your main AOL password stays unchanged.
11 Steps to Generate AOL Mail App Password
- Open your browser and go to login.aol.com. Sign in with your AOL email address and password.
- Click your profile icon or account name at the top right and select Account Info.
- Click on Account Security in the left sidebar.
- Scroll down to Other ways to sign in and click Generate and manage app passwords.
- Click the Get started button.
- Select your app from the dropdown or choose Other app to enter a custom name.
- Type a name for the app, such as Outlook, Thunderbird or iPhone Mail.
- Click the Generate button.
- AOL shows a 16-character app password. Copy it immediately. You will not see it again after closing this screen.
- Click Done to close the screen.
- Open your email app and enter your AOL email address and the app password instead of your regular AOL password. Your account is now connected.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Copy the app password the moment AOL shows it. Once you close or navigate away from the screen, the password is gone permanently. If you lose it, delete the old one and generate a new one from Account Security.
- AOL recommends generating app passwords from a browser you have used to sign into AOL Mail for several days in a row. Avoid using Incognito or private browsing mode when generating app passwords.
- Generate a separate app password for each app or device. If one device is lost or compromised, you can revoke only that password without affecting your other connected apps.
- App passwords remain active until you delete them manually. Review your active app passwords at login.aol.com/account/security regularly and remove entries for apps or devices you no longer use.
- If your AOL app password stops working, go to Account Security, delete the old password and generate a new one. Then update the password in your email client settings.
Tips for Managing AOL App Passwords
- Label each app password by device and app when you create it, for example "Outlook on Home PC". This makes it easy to identify and revoke the right one later.
- If you get a new phone or reinstall an email app, generate a new app password. Using the same app password on a new device works but giving each device its own password is safer and easier to manage.
- AOL app passwords are case-sensitive. Paste them directly instead of typing to avoid errors.
- If you cannot find the Generate app passwords option, you may need to turn on 2-Step Verification first. Go to Account Security and enable it, then the app password option will appear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an AOL Mail App Password?
An AOL Mail App Password is a 16-character one-time password generated through your AOL Account Security settings. It lets email apps and clients that do not support 2-Step Verification sign in to your AOL account securely without using your regular AOL password.
Why do I need an app password for AOL Mail?
If you have 2-Step Verification enabled on your AOL account, most third-party email apps like Outlook, Thunderbird and iPhone Mail cannot complete the second verification step. An app password lets these apps sign in without the two-step process. Your regular AOL password stays unchanged.
How do I generate an AOL Mail App Password?
Sign in to login.aol.com, click your profile icon, select Account Info, go to Account Security, scroll to Other ways to sign in, click Generate and manage app passwords, click Get started, choose or name the app, click Generate and copy the 16-character password shown. Use this in your email client instead of your regular AOL password.
Do AOL app passwords expire?
AOL app passwords remain active until you manually delete them from Account Security or until you sign out of the connected app. They do not expire automatically. However, if you change your main AOL password, existing app passwords may be invalidated. It is good practice to review and delete unused app passwords regularly.
Can I use the same AOL app password for multiple apps?
It is not recommended. Generate a separate app password for each email app or device. This way, if one device is compromised, you can revoke only that app password without affecting the others. AOL lets you create as many app passwords as you need from the Account Security page.