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How do I set up gmail on the surface

Anonymous
2012-11-07T15:32:21+00:00

I set up my gmail account with the extra security so that when I log in from a new device I have to also enter in a string of numbers that is sent to me via text. That works quite well because it's a nice extra bit of security for an email account I use a lot of.

But it doesn't work so well when I try to set up my new Surface mail app to talk to gmail... since there is nowhere to actually enter that texted string.. How do I handle this?

Granted, this is only a very small bother since I can always just go to the web version of gmail using IE on the surface... But it's one little thing that I'd love to figure out is all.

Surface | Other

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Anonymous
2012-11-07T15:47:44+00:00

Hi,

i just checked Gmail's help and they stated that "Some applications that work outside a browser aren't yet compatible with 2-step verification and cannot ask for verification codes, for example: Google Sync via Exchange."

Unfortunately, this is a limitation between Google and Exchange, and not the Surface RT tablet. We'll have to wait for Google and Microsoft to work this one out at a larger scale before we'll be able to implement it on the Surface tablet.

However, there might be hope as Google does provide this video to try a possible workaround:  Watch the video on application-specific passwords

I hope this helps!

David

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-02-23T09:37:30+00:00

    I have been using 2-step verification some time and have quite a few application specific passwords but couldn't get it to work!?! It was only when I didn't check Include your Google-contacts and calendar (translated from Danish so the wording may be different) that it accepted the password!?! So why did Microsoft add this checkbox?

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-09T20:18:38+00:00

    If, as I do, you use an alias on your gmail (so it appears your mail comes from a non-gmail address), you should pick the "Other account" option when adding an acount to your Surface; NOT the "Google" option, and then set it up as an IMAP account.

    That way your alias will continue to work (provided you already have the appropriate settings in your gmail account settings to deal with aliases).

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-11-07T21:06:32+00:00

    Hi David,

    Just wanted to say thank you very much for posting that solution. I've been desperate to sync both by Surface RT and desktop Windows 8 with gmail and couldn't find the right advice on getting it to work.

    Much appreciated.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-11-07T15:53:56+00:00

    That could work pretty well! Thank you very much - I just got the Surface yesterday and have pretty much fallen in love with it and really just had that one (very very minor) problem.

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