Google smtp server fails after 2-step verification (Apple)

Google smtp server fails after 2-step verification

I have tried everything and Google’s SMTP server absolutely refuses to recognize anything after the two-step setup. I can read mail fine. I cannot send anything. Arrgh! Frustrating. I have tried deleting the mail, calendar, and contacts account and reentering everything, I have tried port 587, I have tried old passwords and some of the new ones from the two-step process. Nothing. I’m very close to just turning two-step off.

My Solution: If you incorrectly set up an application deemed to be “not secure,” like the email app on my Mac I use, a couple of things. You have to find where you choose to allow apps not deemed to be secure and allow them. The second thing you have to do is revoke the setting for that device on your apps page where that shows all of the devices that you have set up (assuming like me you set it up wrong). Then, the only way I could find to add a device  to the list was to start the entire process all over again to set up two-step verification. I then added the mail on my Mac that I had revoked, and this time I got the elusive application-specific password. I then went into the client email app and in my case I couldn’t find a place to update the password, so I closed the email app (Postbox, btw), reopened it, and I got a request for a password. I entered the app-specific pw that was generated, then I get a message on my iPhone with the two-step verification code. OK. So far so good. I can READ my mail again. So, I sent a test message. Bang! The SMTP server wants a password as well! Fortunately, I had written down the app-specific password. I typed that into the SMTP server. The mail went. Subsequent mails went. So, mail on the Mac seems to now be set up for Two Step.

Now to the iPhone. The iPhone mail, which is set up on Google mail as well, wanted a password. At first I thought this was the application-specific one, but it reminded me that it wanted the “normal” password. Once that was in I got the verification code and all was well. Same story on the iPad. Now on to other devices.

This really should not be this hard, guys!