By Alimat Aliyeva

Since September 30, Google has introduced new rules for Gmail, aimed at improving account protection. Millions of users will face the fact that access to Gmail data from applications that are considered less secure, as well as from devices that do not support modern security protocols, that is, using only a username and password to log in, will no longer be supported, Azernews reports.

This decision is part of Google's large-scale campaign to improve the security of its services, which was announced a year ago, giving users and application developers time to adapt. Over the past month, the company has been actively implementing new security technology, including access keys for the Chrome browser on all popular platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android).

The new security system implies the transition to the OAuth authorization protocol, which provides more reliable data protection. Now access to Gmail via the network protocols CalDAV, CardDAV, IMAP, POP and Google Sync using only a username and password will not be possible.

It is important to note that the changes will only affect users of the Google Workspace service. Owners of personal Gmail accounts do not have to worry about accessing their mail, however, they should keep in mind that IMAP access using the mail client will now be carried out exclusively through the OAuth (Open Authorization) protocol, which allows a third-party application to gain limited access to user data on another service without transferring a username and password.

Google recommends following a number of steps to avoid problems accessing Gmail after the new rules come into force. In particular, users of the Outlook 2016 and earlier mail client need to upgrade to Microsoft 365 or the latest versions of Outlook for Windows and Mac.

Also, users of Thunderbird and other email clients will need to re-add their Google account and configure it to work with IMAP via OAuth. Finally, users of the Mail app on iOS and macOS will need to use the Google Account login option to activate OAuth, which will require deleting and re-adding the account.