Manage Yahoo! Mail App Passwords for IMAP, POP Access

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Updated November 22, 2019

As an added measure of security, two-step authentication on your Yahoo Mail account will prevent an email program (such as Outlook) from logging on with just the password, as it should. However, you can take quick steps to allow access, so that you can manage your email in the program you choose.

2-Step Authentication and Simple, Random Passwords

You can have Yahoo Mail create random (read: really hard to guess) passwords instead, one for each program that you want to use with your email account. When you stop using a program or perhaps no longer trust a given service, you can revoke that password and stop it from working.

Create Application Passwords with Yahoo Mail 2-Step Verification

To create a new password that your email program can use to log in to Yahoo Mail:

Position the cursor over your name in the Yahoo Mail navigation bar.
Select Account Info from the drop-down menu that appears.
Open the Account Security category.

Enter your account login info if prompted.
From here, you can choose one of two ways to enable access:
- Select Generate app password and continue to the step below, or
- Toggle the Allow apps that use less secure sign in button to the On position and return to your email app, through which you should be able to receive your Yahoo email now.
The first option is more secure.
Continuing with the first option above, click Generate app password.
Select your email app from the drop-down list, or type it in if it's not listed.
Copy the password generated for you.

Be sure to copy the password to your clipboard; you won't be able to see it again and will have to generate a new one if you lose it.
Click Done and return to your email app to enter the password where prompted.

Delete and Revoke an Application Password with Yahoo! Mail 2-Step Verification

To make sure an application password is no longer working to log in to your Yahoo! Mail account (after you have stopped using an application, for example):