I cannot log into my Outlook

Question

I am trying to log into my outlook, i have entered my username and pasword.

When i press continue the following mesange appears: ''Something went wrong. Try again. You may need an apppassword.''

I do not know how to get a app password.

Answer 1

Hi Arild Sundet

Thanks for reaching out. From your description, you’re able to enter your username and password, but when signing in to New Outlook for Windows, you receive a message saying "Something went wrong… You may need an app password", and I understand how confusing this is.

To let me guide you better, could you please confirm:

• Is the email account you’re trying to add an Outlook.com/ Hotmail/ Live / Microsoft account, or
• An account from another provider (such as Gmail, Yahoo, or an ISP)?

Meanwhile, please also confirm whether you can sign in successfully at Outlook on the web using a browser: sign in via https://outlook.live.com using the same account.

For further details, you can see these official support links:

• Add an email account to Outlook for Windows - Microsoft Support
• How to get and use app passwords - Microsoft Support

Looking forward to your reply so I can assist you further! Thank you so much for your understanding.

Answer 2

The message indicates that the email provider requires an app password (instead of the normal account password) when signing in to Outlook. This usually happens when two-step verification is turned on for the account.

Follow these steps depending on the type of account:

1. If this is a Microsoft account (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, etc.)
   • Go to the Microsoft account Security Basics page and sign in to the account in a web browser.
   • Select more security options at the bottom of the page.
   • Under App passwords, select Create a new app password.
   • Copy the app password that is shown.
   • In Outlook for Windows, when prompted for the password, paste this app password instead of the normal account password.
2. If this is a non-Microsoft provider (for example, iCloud, Gmail, or another service)
   • Sign in to the email provider’s website.
   • Go to the security or account settings page and look for an option to create an “app password” or “app-specific password” for email apps.
   • Generate the app password there, copy it, and then paste it into Outlook when prompted for the account password.

If Outlook keeps rejecting the normal password and specifically mentions an app password, using the generated app password in place of the regular password is required for the sign-in to succeed.

---

References:

• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook
• Outlook 2016 or Outlook 2013 repeatedly prompts for credentials when adding Outlook.com accounts
• How to get and use app passwords