Generate a Zoho Mail App Password in 11 easy steps. Required when Two-Factor Authentication is on and your email app does not support it. Duration: 3 min.
Video Transcript
In this video we show you how to generate a Zoho Mail App Password in 11 easy steps. You only need to do this if Two-Factor Authentication is turned on for your Zoho account and you are using an email app that does not support it.
Zoho Mail is a popular email service used by businesses and professionals. When Two-Factor Authentication is enabled, third-party email clients like Outlook, Thunderbird and iPhone Mail cannot complete the second verification step on their own. An app password solves this by giving the email client a separate password that bypasses the two-factor process.
To start, open your browser and go to accounts.zoho.com. Sign in with your Zoho email address and password.
Once signed in, click on Security in the left navigation menu. This is where Zoho keeps all your sign-in and security settings.
Under Sign-in options, look for Two-Factor Authentication and confirm it is turned on. App passwords are only available when Two-Factor Authentication is active. If it is not on, enable it first before continuing.
Scroll down on the Security page to find Application-Specific Passwords. Click on it.
Click Generate New Password. Enter a name for the app you are creating the password for, such as Outlook, Thunderbird or iPhone Mail. Then click Generate.
Zoho shows the app password on screen. Copy it immediately. This is a one-time password and you will not be able to view it again after closing the screen. Click Done.
Open your email client and when it asks for your Zoho password, enter the app password instead of your regular Zoho password. Your email app will now connect to Zoho Mail successfully.
What is a Zoho Mail App Password?
A Zoho Mail App Password is a one-time password generated through your Zoho Account Security settings. It lets third-party email apps like Outlook, Thunderbird and iPhone Mail sign in to your Zoho account without using your regular Zoho password. You need one when Two-Factor Authentication is enabled on your account because most email clients cannot complete the second verification step on their own. You can generate app passwords at accounts.zoho.com under Security. Your main Zoho password stays unchanged.
11 Steps to Generate Zoho Mail App Password
- Open your browser and go to accounts.zoho.com. Sign in with your Zoho email address and password.
- Click on Security in the left navigation menu.
- Under Sign-in options, confirm that Two-Factor Authentication is turned on. App passwords only work when it is active.
- Scroll down and click on Application-Specific Passwords.
- Click Generate New Password.
- Enter a name for the app, such as Outlook, Thunderbird or iPhone Mail.
- Click Generate.
- Zoho shows the app password on screen. Copy it immediately. You will not see it again after closing.
- Click Done to close the screen.
- Open your email app or client and go to the account sign-in screen.
- When asked for your Zoho password, enter the app password instead of your regular password. Your account is now connected.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Copy the app password the moment Zoho shows it. Once you close the screen, the password disappears permanently. If you lose it, delete the old one from Application-Specific Passwords and generate a new one.
- Two-Factor Authentication must be enabled before the Application-Specific Passwords option appears. If you cannot find it, go to Security in Zoho Account and enable Two-Factor Authentication first.
- Generate a separate app password for each email app or device. If one device is compromised or lost, 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 regularly under Account Security and remove entries for apps or devices you no longer use.
- If your Zoho Mail stops working in an email client after some time, your app password may have been revoked. Go to Application-Specific Passwords in Account Security, delete the old one and generate a new password.
Tips for Managing Zoho App Passwords
- Label each app password clearly with the app name and device, for example "Outlook on Work Laptop". This makes it easy to identify and revoke the right one later.
- Zoho app passwords are case-sensitive. Paste them directly into your email client instead of typing manually to avoid errors.
- If you are a Zoho Workplace or Zoho One user, your administrator may need to enable app password generation in the Admin Console before the option appears for you.
- When setting up Zoho Mail in Outlook or Thunderbird using IMAP, use the IMAP settings: imap.zoho.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS for incoming mail and smtp.zoho.com on port 465 with SSL/TLS for outgoing mail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Zoho Mail App Password?
A Zoho Mail App Password is a one-time password generated through your Zoho Account Security settings. It lets email apps and clients that do not support Two-Factor Authentication sign in to your Zoho account securely without using your regular Zoho password.
Why do I need an app password for Zoho Mail?
If you have Two-Factor Authentication enabled on your Zoho 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-factor process. Your regular Zoho password stays unchanged.
How do I generate a Zoho Mail App Password?
Sign in to accounts.zoho.com, go to Security, scroll to Application-Specific Passwords, click Generate New Password, enter a name for the app, click Generate, copy the password shown and click Done. Use this password in your email client instead of your regular Zoho password.
Do Zoho app passwords expire?
Zoho app passwords remain active until you delete them manually from the Application-Specific Passwords section in Account Security. They do not expire on their own. If you turn off Two-Factor Authentication, all existing app passwords will stop working. Regularly delete app passwords for apps or devices you no longer use.
Can I use one Zoho 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. Zoho lets you create as many app passwords as you need.