I cannot stay logged into outlook with my comcast email

Question

My email and password work (I can log on through the Xfinity platform and I am logged in on my phone onto outlook).

My settings on Xfinity are all correct (Can log into outlook on my phone)

I have uninstalled and reinstalled outlook

I have flushed my credentials.

I have cleared my cache and cookies.

I am at a loss for what to do - the "help" signing into your account pages are completely useless.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Answer 1

Hi JS1990, 

Thank you for posting your question to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

I'm sorry to hear you're running into this frustrating login issue with the new Outlook app and your Xfinity (Comcast) email account. It sounds like you've already covered a lot of the standard troubleshooting steps, which is great—it helps narrow things down.

Since you can access your email via the Xfinity web platform and on your phone's Outlook app, the problem is likely specific to how the desktop Outlook is authenticating with Xfinity's servers. 

Based on common reports with Xfinity emails in Outlook, the culprit is often a security setting on the Xfinity side that blocks third-party apps like Outlook from accessing your account, even if your password is correct. Let's try these steps to get you sorted: 

1. Enable Third-Party Access in Xfinity Settings: Xfinity has a security feature that must be turned on for apps like Outlook to connect.  

• Sign in to your Xfinity email at connect.xfinity.com. 
• Note: Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. These sites are not controlled by Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks before using any suggestions from the above link.
• Click the gear icon in the top right and select Settings. 
• Go to Security. 
• Check the box for Third Party Access Security to allow access (it might be unchecked by default or after a reset).  
• Save the changes, then try signing in to Outlook again. 

2. Verify Your Account Settings in Outlook: 

1. In the new Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Manage Profiles (or search for "Mail" in Windows search to open the classic Mail setup if needed). 
2. Remove the existing Xfinity account if it's still listed. 
3. Add it back: Use IMAP setup with these settings: 
   1. Incoming server: imap.comcast.net | Port: 993 | Encryption: SSL/TLS 
   2. Outgoing server: smtp.comcast.net | Port: 587 (or try 465 if 587 fails) | Encryption: STARTTLS (or SSL/TLS) 
   3. Username: Your full @comcast.net email address 
   4. Password: Your Xfinity password (not a separate app password—Xfinity doesn't require one for Outlook) 
   5. Uncheck "Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)" if the option appears (it's usually in advanced settings). 
4. Test the account settings before finishing. 

3. Clear Windows Credentials Again (Just in Case):

1. Search for "Credential Manager" in Windows. 
2. Under Windows Credentials, remove any entries related to Outlook, Office, or comcast.net. 
3. Restart Outlook and try logging in. 

4. Check for Modern Authentication Issues: The new Outlook uses modern auth where possible, but for IMAP accounts like Xfinity, it falls back to basic auth. If you're on a work or school account, ensure there are no proxy/VPN interferences. Also, temporarily disable any antivirus/firewall to test. 

If these don't resolve it, could you share more details like the exact error message you're seeing (e.g., "Couldn't log on to incoming server" or password prompt looping)? That'll help pinpoint if it's an IMAP-specific issue or something else. 

Warm regards,

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Answer 2

If you're having trouble staying logged into Outlook with your Comcast email, here are a few suggestions that might help:

1. Check Authentication Settings: Ensure that your Outlook is set up correctly for your Comcast email account. Sometimes, incorrect server settings can cause login issues.
2. Enable Modern Authentication: If your organization supports it, enabling Modern Authentication can help resolve some login issues.
3. Clear Cached Credentials Again: Although you've already flushed your credentials, try going to the Control Panel > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials and ensure that there are no leftover entries related to Outlook or your Comcast email. Remove any that you find and restart Outlook.
4. Check for Updates: Make sure that your Outlook application is up to date. Sometimes, bugs in older versions can cause issues with logging in.
5. Try a Different Network: If possible, try connecting to a different network to rule out any network-related issues that may be affecting your connection to Outlook.
6. Contact Comcast Support: Since you can log in through the Xfinity platform, it may be worth reaching out to Comcast support to see if there are any known issues or settings that need to be adjusted for Outlook access.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider looking for more specific troubleshooting steps related to your Outlook version or contacting Microsoft Support for further assistance.

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References:

• Do you know how to fix the issue where Outlook keeps prompting for a password even though credentials are saved - Microsoft Q&A
• Unable to change password in my Outlook - Microsoft Q&A