Google Blocks Access to Less Secure Apps

Google added a sign-in security feature to its Gmail service in an effort to help users keep their accounts safe from suspicious apps and devices, the company says.

Google announced that users can opt to disable access for apps that use “insecure sign-in technology.”

Apps that don`t comply with the latest security standards may be blocked by default, in which case the user will receive a “Password incorrect” error when signing in using a third-party application or service. The user can either upgrade to a “more secure” app or tick the option “Allow less secure apps.”

The list of affected apps includes the mail app on iPhones and iPads with iOS 6 or below, the mail app on Windows phone prior to Windows Phone 8.1, some third-party mail apps on Android and desktop mail clients such as Outlook or Thunderbird.

Accounts with two-factor authentication enabled are not influenced by this change, but users may be asked to create app-specific passwords. Read this guide if you want to know how to set up two-factor authentication for Google.