Locked Out by Two-Factor? Here’s How I Fixed It With App-Specific Passwords
Summary
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A specific password for the Authentication Authentication with two factors and allows you to connect to your Google, Microsoft and other accounts of your applications.
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To create such a password on Google, go to Google my account, click Security> 2 -step verification and choose “Application passwords”.
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For Microsoft, go to the Microsoft account site, click Security> Manage the way I connect and choose “Create a new application password”.
I wanted to connect to my messaging account in a script, but thanks to two -factors authentication, connection attempts have failed. I then used a specific password for the application and it worked very well. Here’s how to generate such a password for Gmail and Microsoft.
What is a specific password for application?
A specific password for the application, as its name suggests, is a password you create so that your online accounts are used with a specific application. For example, if you use an application that only supports passwords and no other form of authentication, and you have enabled two -factor authentication for your account, you will need to generate and use a specific password in your application to connect to your account.
Related
Warning: your “Passwords specific to the application” are not specific to the application
Passwords specific to application are more dangerous than they seem.
As you can see, when you use a specific application password, you bypass the two -factor authentication process. Your username and the specific password for the application you generate are sufficient to connect to your account.
This sometimes poses a security risk, as if someone discovers your specific application password, it can connect to your account. In this case, you can delete all or specific passwords specific to the application from your accounts.
How to generate a specific password for the application on Google
I wrote a script to send emails using Gmail SMTP, but as the script did not take care of other authentication forms, I created a specific password for the application for my Google account to use in the script. Here’s how to create one for your account.
Launch the Google My Account site and connect to your Google account. For this connection, you will need to use your password as well as two factors authentication. After logging in, in the left sidebar of the site, select “Security”. In the right pane, in the section how you connect to Google, click on “2 -step verification”.
If you are invited, enter the password of your account to continue.
On the 2 -step check screen, below, click on the right arrow icon next to the application passwords.
On the application password page, click on the “application name” field and enter the application name for which you want to create a password. This name is only for your reference; You can type any name you want. Then click on “Create”.
A generated application password window will open. You will see the specific password for the application that Google has generated for you. Copy the password and stick it directly to your application or temporarily record it in a safe place. Then close the window by clicking on “finished”.
You are back on the application password page and you will see your newly created application password entry. In the future, if you want to delete this password, you can click on the garbage icon next to the password.
Note that all applications using this password will no longer be able to connect to your Google account.
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How to secure your Gmail and Google account
Of all your online accounts, there is a good chance that Google has most of your information.
How to generate a specific password for the application on Microsoft
I sometimes also use Microsoft Outlook to send emails from my script, and the creation of a specific password with the application with Microsoft is also easy. To start, launch the Microsoft account site and connect to your account. You will need to use two -factor authentication.
In the left sidebar, select “Security” (the shield icon). In the right pane, click on “Manage the way I connect”.
On the open page, scroll to the application word section of the application. Here, click on “Create a new application password”.
On the next page, you will see a specific password for the application that Microsoft has generated for you. Copy the password and save it in a safe place, or immediately use the password in your script or application. Then click on the “finished” button.
Unlike Google, Microsoft does not allow you to individually delete passwords specific to the application. It erases all your passwords specific to the application at the same time. If you want to do so, click on “Delete passwords from the existing application”. In the invite that opens, choose “Delete”.
If you want to use certain applications with your Microsoft account in the future, you will have to renovate the specific passwords for the application for all these applications in your Microsoft account. It’s quite heavy, but it’s the only option you currently have with Microsoft.
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Microsoft Authenticator loses an automatic password – here is what to use instead
Don’t be surprised when everything stops working.
And this is how I generate and use passwords specific to the application for my Google and Microsoft accounts. While you are there, remember to learn some tips to secure your online accounts.
