MS Outlook will not connect to my att.net email account

Question

I can not connect my att.net account to outlook - PERIOD

I have followed most everything I can find on line - I am running win 11, have created a secure mail key. used the setting of imap.mail.att.net etc - nothing works. I cannot edit my either net setting using win 11 - I can see them but cant select the setting i find on line. Im about to give up. Can anyone direct me to additional help?

Answer 1

Hello Dennis, thanks for posting in the community.

AT&T requires all third‑party apps like Outlook to use a Secure Mail Key instead of the regular AT&T password, and the connection will fail unless the correct IMAP and SMTP settings are entered exactly as documented. AT&T specifies using imap.mail.att.net on port 993 with SSL for incoming mail and either smtp.mail.att.net or smtp.att.yahoo.com on port 465 or 587 with SSL/TLS for outgoing mail. Outlook desktop cannot use AT&T’s OAuth login, so the normal password will always fail until you replace it with the secure mail key. If you already created the key, remove the AT&T account from Outlook, restart the app, then add it again using manual IMAP setup and enter the secure mail key when asked for your password. If the connection still does not work, visit currently.com to confirm your att.net mailbox is active and accessible. https://www.att.com/support/article/email-support/KM1240462

Kind regards,

John Oli

Answer 2

Use classic Outlook’s manual setup and verify every AT&T IMAP detail, including the secure mail key and ports.

1. Confirm the AT&T IMAP/SMTP settings Use the AT&T/Yahoo IMAP profile (similar to other ISPs in the manual configuration list):
   • Incoming server (IMAP): imap.mail.att.net
   • Outgoing server (SMTP): smtp.att.yahoo.com (AT&T uses the Yahoo platform)
   • Incoming port (IMAP): 993 with SSL/TLS
   • Outgoing port (SMTP): 465 with SSL, or 587 with TLS (depending on AT&T’s current guidance)
   • Authentication: required for SMTP (same username/password as IMAP)
   • SPA (Secure Password Authentication): OFF
   • Password: AT&T secure mail key (not the normal AT&T account password)
2. Recreate the account in classic Outlook via Control Panel This bypasses the simplified add-account flow and lets the correct ports and encryption be set.
   1. Open Control Panel in Windows 11 (search for “Control Panel”).
   2. Search for and open Mail.
   3. In Mail Setup – Outlook, select Email Accounts.
   4. On the Email tab, select the failing att.net account and click Remove (if present).
   5. Click New.
   6. Choose manual/advanced setup if offered, then select IMAP.
   7. Enter:
      • Name
      • Email address: ******@att.net
      • Incoming mail server: imap.mail.att.net
      • Outgoing mail server: smtp.att.yahoo.com
      • Logon information: full att.net address and the secure mail key as the password.
   8. Click More Settings.
   9. On Outgoing Server tab:
      • Check My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication.
      • Use Same settings as my incoming mail server.
   10. On Advanced tab:
       • Incoming server (IMAP): 993, encryption: SSL/TLS.
       • Outgoing server (SMTP): 465 with SSL or 587 with TLS, as per AT&T’s documented setting.
   11. Click OK, then Test Account Settings.
       • If red markers appear, recheck server names, ports, encryption, and that SPA is unchecked.
       • If green check marks appear, click Next and Finish.
3. If Outlook never prompts for password or won’t accept it Classic Outlook can fail to prompt for IMAP passwords if SPA is enabled or the account was added incorrectly.
   • Ensure Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA) is unchecked on the IMAP details page.
   • If still failing, remove the account and re-add it from Control Panel → Mail → Email Accounts → New, entering the secure mail key when prompted.
4. If connection errors mention the server being interrupted For IMAP/POP errors like “connection to the server was interrupted” or error 0x800CCC0F:
   • Regenerate a new AT&T secure mail key on the AT&T site and replace it in Outlook (File → Account Settings → Server Settings → Password).
   • On Windows 10, TLS 1.3 can cause IMAP/POP issues; if using Windows 10 and seeing these errors, disable TLS 1.3 as described in the Outlook IMAP/POP workaround. On Windows 11 this should not be required.
5. If still stuck
   • Verify the att.net mailbox works via webmail (AT&T/Yahoo web interface). If webmail fails, the issue is on the provider side.
   • If webmail works but Outlook still cannot connect after the above steps, contact AT&T support to confirm the current IMAP/SMTP hostnames, ports, and encryption requirements, then re-verify them in Control Panel → Mail → Email Accounts → Change → More Settings → Advanced.

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References:

• Change or update email account settings in Outlook for Windows
• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook
• Troubleshoot Outlook email setup
• How to set up an Internet email account in Outlook 2013 or 2016
• Outlook IMAP or POP server unexpectedly terminated the connection, and the server was interrupted