Which free email provider

Topic

New Reply

I hope this is the right forum to post this question. I am looking for a free email account as a back-up in case my main account (via my domain provider) is dead for any reason. I am using Outlook 2010 as my client, so I discover I cannot use Gmail any longer without advanced authorisation, which Outlook 2010 does not support.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Many thanks

Chris
Win 10 Pro x64 Group A

Reply | Quote

Replies

Outlook.com

1 user thanked author for this post.

Chris B

Reply | Quote

I’m surely not as well versed in this arena as I used to be, but doesn’t outlook.com now require OAuth2 authentication?

If I’m understanding Chris B, he’s been using Outlook 2010 to access his gmail acct but no longer can because gmail now requires OAuth2. As I read it, Chris is looking to stay with Outlook 2010 but replace his gmail acct with something else. If so, I’m not sure outlook.com will be the solution.

That aside, is it necessary to access gmail via Outlook 2010? If it’s just a backup acct (i.e., presumably accessed infrequently), why not just use Outlook for the main email acct and access gmail via a web browser if/when needed?

 

Reply | Quote

dg1261 wrote:

I’m surely not as well versed in this arena as I used to be, but doesn’t outlook.com now require OAuth2 authentication?

Correct:

The following versions of Outlook Desktop do not support Modern Authentication for Outlook.com: Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, Outlook 2016 MSI, Outlook 2019 LTSC.

Modern Authentication Methods now needed to continue syncing Outlook Email

The free Outlook (New) would work, but deliver occasional ad emails without 365 sub.

Reply | Quote

Actually, I forgot that gmail (as well as outlook.com, I believe) still support “app passwords“. I just checked and I still have a laptop with an old version of Thunderbird — with no OAuth2 support — that still accesses my gmail via an app password.

That might be something Chris B might want to explore. I think it should work if you create an app password and use that with Outlook 2010.

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

Chris B

Reply | Quote

dg1261 wrote:

still support “app passwords“.

In order to use ‘app passwords’ you must have 2-Step-Verification enabled

https://itsupport.umd.edu/itsupport?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0015112

1 user thanked author for this post.

Chris B

Reply | Quote

Thank you b, dg1261 and Alex5723 for your helpful comments.

dg1261 wrote:

If I’m understanding Chris B, he’s been using Outlook 2010 to access his gmail acct but no longer can because gmail now requires OAuth2. As I read it, Chris is looking to stay with Outlook 2010 but replace his gmail acct with something else. If so, I’m not sure outlook.com will be the solution.

This was indeed my my objective and, while the fallback of using Gmail online was an alternative, it would not have been as convenient as picking everything up in Outlook.

I tried:

dg1261 wrote:

Actually, I forgot that gmail (as well as outlook.com, I believe) still support “app passwords“. I just checked and I still have a laptop with an old version of Thunderbird — with no OAuth2 support — that still accesses my gmail via an app password.

with the addition of Alex5723’s tip of implementing 2-step-verification and I now have Gmail set up in Outlook as I want it.

Many thanks for all  your help.

Chris
Win 10 Pro x64 Group A

Reply | Quote

Chris B wrote:

I am using Outlook 2010 as my client, so I discover I cannot use Gmail any longer without advanced authorisation, which Outlook 2010 does not support. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Gmail doesn’t recommend Outlook older than 2016, but here is how it can be done.  This is recent information as of 2/8/2025.

How to Access Gmail in Outlook 2010 (And What to Do If You Can’t)

 

 

 

HTH, Dana:))

Reply | Quote