Android Question SMTP logins to Gmail being blocked ... and quick solution

[Andris]

This posting is not a question but more of a timesaving TIP ...

I have a couple of Android apps on the market (developed with B4A) that utilize SMTP to send emails via Google's Gmail server. Recently I was playing with one of them and was dismayed to find out that emails could no longer be sent because Google was rejecting the logins. To make a long story short, the problem was caused by Google going to a more sophisticated authentication procedure in recent(?) months, making simplistic legacy clients like my own apps fail to connect.

Short of redesigning the B4A client to match Gmail's new requirements, a customer can adjust his/her Gmail settings to allow the old authentication procedure and thus allow apps like mine to continue working (though it does make the login less secure). Here are Google's instructions:

You can switch to an app made by Google such as Gmail to access your account (recommended) or change your settings at https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps so that your account is no longer protected by modern security standards.

To learn more, see https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6010255.

Having said that, does anyone have a solution in B4A code that will make an app compatible with Gmail's newer authentication procedures?

 

[Erel]

Are you using StartTLSMode?

 

[Andris]

Are you using StartTLSMode?

In fact, the Net library used in those apps was v1.31. UseSSL was the only mode option then. So I have a feeling that upgrading Net and using StartTLSMode might do the trick ...

Thanks Erel for this even more useful tip!

 

[Andris]

Are you using StartTLSMode?

As a follow-up, the problem is indeed solved by using StartTLSMode and Port 587 instead of UseSSL and Port 465.

 

[Mashiane]

I have the same problem, I use StartTLSMode = true, with port 587 and also have allowed the unsecure authentication as per your first post, but still Google rejects sending the emails in my case.

 

[Peter Simpson]

Are you using 2-Step verification @Mashiane?
If you're using Google's 2-Step verification then you need to setup an extra password for apps linking to your gmail account, just one extra password for gmail via apps and SMTP will start working again.

Well that's for if you're using 2-Step verification...

 

[merlin2049er]

Oh, I've been using StartTLSmode and port 587 with no problem.

 

[Beja]

I had the same issue with google and created a yahoo account.. now no problem.