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How to set up Yahoo! services (including AOL, ATT and other services that use Yahoo servers) in Thunderbird.

=NEW! Update to secure PKCE authentication settings, March 2026= {warning}Starting with version 148.0 on February 22, 2026, Thunderbird is switching to a more secure authorization protocol known as [https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7636 PKCE] for Yahoo, ATT (formerly AT&T), AOL accounts and other mail services hosted by Yahoo. You may have noticed an in-app notification with the title '''Upcoming Account Change''' informing you about this change. A major benefit is Thunderbird can now access Yahoo, AOL, ATT, etc. calendars and address books, which wasn’t possible before due to API restrictions. If you need more information, see OAuth2 Authorization below.{/warning} ==Only one account:== No change is required. You just have to login ("authenticate") again by providing your email account and account password ('''Application passwords''' will not work with OAuth), and then confirm that Thunderbird may access data on the provider's servers (AOL, ATT, Yahoo, etc). This is a normal and safe process. If you have difficulty, please see '''Detailed Troubleshooting Steps''' below. __TOC__ =More than 1 account such as 1 AOL account and 1 Yahoo account:= [[UI:details_start]] ==Configure a Thunderbird hidden preference to make multiple accounts work:== More details about hidden preferences at: [[Config Editor]] * Click {menu ≡} > {menu Settings} > {button General}. * Scroll down to the bottom and click {button Config Editor...}. * Click {button Accept the risk and continue} if that appears. * Type '''mailnews.oauth.usePrivateBrowser''' into the search box. * Click on the ''Toggle'' {button [[Image:Config Editor Toggle]]} button to change the value to '''true'''. * Quit Thunderbird ({key control Q} on Linux and Windows, {key command Q} on macOS) and then restart it. * Retry logging into your Yahoo, ATT, AOL, etc accounts. [[UI:details_end]] =Detailed Troubleshooting Steps= {note}Please note that the following are unlikely to help resolve your problems: deleting accounts and adding them back, clearing cache, creating a new profile, restoring your profile from backup.{/note} ==Please check the following before asking for support== #With the password that failed when logging in to Thunderbird, can you log into your mail provider’s web interface (webmail)? If you are unable to login to webmail, then the password is either not an account password or no longer works. The easiest way to solve this problem is to reset your password using your provider’s website. #Cookies must be enabled in Thunderbird: {menu ≡} > {menu Settings} > {menu Privacy & Security} > '''Accept cookies from sites''' must be checked. #Can you see the entire OAuth dialog panel (no action buttons are missing) and no authentication dialogs are hidden behind what you currently see? #Are you in the country in which you normally use the account, and you are not using a VPN? #Is the authentication method in {menu ≡} > {menu Account Settings} > {menu Server Settings} set to '''OAuth2''' for all of your AOL, ATT, Yahoo, etc accounts? [[UI:details_start]] ===How to ask for support=== If you are still having trouble, please post a support request at: https://support.mozilla.org/questions/new/thunderbird with: * Thunderbird version number for example 148.0, 149beta1 * List of all your mail providers. For example: ATT, AOL, Yahoo, etc. * Detail all the steps you tried to resolve the issue and please confirm you have checked everything in '''Please check the following before asking for support''' section above. * Screen shots showing the failed attempts or the exact error message from your mail provider. [[UI:details_end]] =OAuth2 Authorization= OAuth2 is the default for accessing Yahoo provided services (and partner providers like AOL and ATT). The partner provider (not Thunderbird) presents you first with their OAuth2 dialog to confirm your account name and password, followed by their dialog to authorize which data types Thunderbird will be permitted to use. [[UI:details_start]] ==OAuth2 dialog details== # First, you will be asked for your Username which is your email address and your Account Password (don't use any "App Passwords" that you might have). # Then, you will choose a method to confirm "Is it really you?" by sending a code to your phone or backup email address and then you will enter the code sent into a followup dialog. # Finally, you will grant permission to '''Thunderbird Mail''' so it can access your accounts - it needs access to your email like it did previously, and also your calendar and contacts. [[UI:details_end]] An access token sent from your provider (a string of characters, not your password) is then stored in Thunderbird's password store to allow future access to the server. Tokens eventually expire, at which time you must again provide your account information with password. If you do not know your password, then you must use your provider's account pages in a web browser to create a new password, often called a "password reset". This authentication setting is automatically configured in Thunderbird '''Account Settings''' on first access for both sending and receiving email, and for accessing calendars and contacts in the respective settings of Thunderbird. OAuth2 also requires javascript and cookies, which are enabled by default in Thunderbird. <!-- @wsmwk, not sure what you had in mind here:For more information see ... information we are going to steal from https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/microsoft-oauth-authentication-and-thunderbird-202 --> =Mail Settings= ==POP== Refer to Yahoo's help page for [https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN3217.html POP access settings and instructions for Yahoo Mail]. ==IMAP== Refer to Yahoo's help page for [https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN4075.html IMAP server settings for Yahoo Mail]. ==My sign-in attempt was prevented== If you get the '''Username or password invalid''' warning and the '''Sign-in attempt prevented''' email when you try to connect your Yahoo Mail with Thunderbird, Yahoo has blocked Thunderbird from connecting because it's a "less secure" non-Yahoo app.<br> Update: please read section 'Important Changes to Authentication Method Notice' below. In Thunderbird version 68.5 and up, you can change the POP server to pop.mail.yahoo.com (port 995). ==Important Changes to Authentication Method Notice== If you currently have a POP or IMAP mail account in Thunderbird and receive an email from Yahoo that says: <br> ''"We’ve noticed that you’re using non-Yahoo applications (such as third-party email,calendar, or contact applications) that may use a less secure sign-in method. To protect you and your data, Yahoo will no longer support the current sign-in functionality in your application starting on 20 October 2020."'' '''Check Thunderbird has cookies enabled.''' <br> #Click Thunderbird app menu {menu ☰} > {menu Settings} > {menu Privacy & Security}. #Tick {button ✓ Accept cookies from sites}. '''Update the 'Authentication Method' for the POP3 or IMAP mail account.''' #Click Thunderbird app menu {menu ☰} > {menu Account Settings} #Click on the mail account name in the left sidebar for example ''nemo@thunderbird.net''. #Bottom right: click on {button Edit outgoing server...}. #Set '''Authentication Method''' to {menu OAuth2}. #Click {button OK}. #Click on {menu Server Settings} in the left sidebar for your mail account. #Set '''Authentication Method''' to {menu OAuth2}. #Click on {button OK}. Exit Thunderbird .<br> Wait a few moments for background process to complete. <br> Start Thunderbird. Then there will be a prompt from your Yahoo ISP partner to login. This is done with a OAuth 2.0 key exchange in Thunderbird which will authenticate the Thunderbird client in future logins. = Import Yahoo's Contact List to Thunderbird = # Open your Yahoo Mail account. # On the right side of the screen (left if you are using the "classic mail"), select the '''Contacts''' icon. Your contact list will open. # At the top of the list, click the '''Actions''' menu. # In the menu, select '''Export...'''. # Select '''Netscape/Thunderbird''' and click '''Export Now'''. # Save the {filepath yahoo_contacts.ldif} file to your desktop or some other place where you can find it later. # Open Thunderbird. # Under {menu Tools}, select {menu Import} and then {menu Address Books}. # Select '''Text file (LDIF, .tab, .csv, .txt)''', then click {button Next}. # Select the {filepath yahoo_contacts.ldif} file that you previously saved. # Your Yahoo! contacts will be imported as a separate '''yahoo_contacts''' address book. = Calendar = To configure the Thunderbird calendar (Lightning) with your Yahoo! Calendar, follow the instructions at the page [https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN4704.html Sync Yahoo Calendar with Mozilla Lightning] on the Yahoo! support site.