Apple has instructions for using their email. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915 Read the part about app specific password.

Airmail said

Apple has instructions for using their email. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915 Read the part about app specific password.

I have been going around in circles with this for a couple days... I don't know whether it is because my phone is old or what ... there IS NO opportunity to generate an app specific password

Not sure what you phone has to do with anything. If you cannot follow Apple's instructions contact Apple for help. This is NOTa Thunderbird problem.

Well I know the whole thing is apple's doing, but I have been around the circle several times, and I had hoped that someone here would be able to help me.

I guess I'll just have to stop using Thunderbird. I have been using it for many years. I hate to do that but, hey, I can't get the mail.

The age of the phone definitely has something to do with it. I am not sure what I'm talking about, and it aggravates me that I even have to attempt to know... this stuff should work better without a bunch of nonsense; but there are two types of "verification" ....two factor and two step. ( I think )

It has to do with trusted devices and codes and who the heck knows what all, ...that my "old" phone doesn't do.

So if anyone knows how to make an old man's extremely reliable iphone ( that hasn't hardly caught fire or anything ) work to receive icloud email on thunderbird, I would be extremely interested to know how... the "normal" links to information or "support" don't work. Actually the links work, the information does not.

Thank you

I not sure why you cannot get that this is Apple's doing. Since June 15 they require 2 factor authentication. That means if you use a 3rd party email client you need to go to YOUR APPLE MAIL EMAIL WEBPAGE, log into your email account, follow the instructions in the linked article above and generate an app specific password. Did I mention that you do this at Apple's email page? When you have the app specific password you go back to Thunderbird and use that password instead of your normal email password. Use any email client you want. Nobody cares. You still need that app specific password.

Thunderbird does not run on phones. You do not need Thunderbird to receive email on your phone. Your phone has nothing to do with Thunderbird working on your computer.

Now contact Apple for help implementing their mandatory security rules.

I understand completely that this is apple's doing and not thunderbird's. I do not have or want thunderbird on my phone... the only reason I have icloud email at all is because it was installed on my phone when I got it... I did like being being able to send and receive emails from all of my email servers in one place on my computer... thunderbird. I did that for years.

I was hoping someone on this end would know how to work around, or solve the problem.

Nothing I have done from apple's end has worked ( I have yet to buy a new phone ... I imagine that would do it ) .

I did everything you suggested multiple times... it appears that I must have a "trusted device" ie: iPhone, ipad that has a newer OS than mine in order to generate an app specific password because there is no option to generate an app specific password... it appears that it does, in fact, have everything to do with my phone"

I guess I'll just have to give up thunderbird.

I am sorry I bothered you... you are not required to answer posts, are you?

I am not required to answer questions you should be asking Apple. Apple is there to support their own services and devices. There is no work around no matter what email client you use. If you are too stubborn to contact Apple for help then that is your problem and no one can solve that.

I am not stubborn. I have explained this to you several times. You are apparently unable to comprehend.

I am going to have to quit using thunderbird. Please don't "help" me any more.

I might join in here... but I have no idea what an apple iphone has to do with anything.

Looking over this mess, it looks to me like you have an iphone that does not have ios 9 on it. Would that be correct? (it was released by apple in September 2015.

If that is the case, these folks offer information on how to upgrade your ios device. http://www.macworld.com/article/2984436/operating-systems/how-to-upgrade-to-ios-9-and-if-you-need-to-reinstall-ios-8.html

I appreciate your help, but I think I will just let it go.

it looks to me like you have an iphone that does not have ios 9 on it. Would that be correct? that is correct... mine is 7.1.2 I am not at all sure it would even upgrade to OS 9 and I don't think I want to go thru the hassle of finding out ...It seems a bit like upgrading to Windows XT or something.

This is what happens when you get a phone that pretty much works flawlessly, and you let your kids take your upgrades.

Thank you for your consideration, though.

Thank you too, airmail ... I apologize for being a jerk.

Firefox and Thunderbird have always been my favorites... I like plain things that work well ...maybe I can come back to TB when I get a new phone