When adding your Gmail account to any third-party software (= software that is not provided by Google), you have two options to log in to your Gmail account: Using oAuth (also known as “Sign in with Google”) or by creating an app password. Since many applications (including MailJerry) require to use an app password, we’ll show you how you can create one with just a few clicks.
✅ This tutorial also works if you don’t see the “app passwords” option in your Gmail account!
On this Page:
- Create a Gmail App Password on the web / desktop
- Create a Gmail App Password on your mobile / tablet
- How do delete the Gmail App Password
Furthermore, have a look at these frequent questions!
Desktop:
Create Gmail App Password on the Web
To create a Gmail app password on the web, open your favourite browser (e.g. Chrome, Edge, Safari…) and follow these instructions:
Step 01: Enable 2-Step Verification
1. Go to https://accounts.google.com and sign in to your account.
2. In the left sidebar, click on “Security”.
3. Scroll down to “How you Sign in to Google”.
4. Enable 2-Step Verification by clicking on “2-Step Verification is off”.
➡️ Proceed with step 2 if 2-Step verification is already enabled.
5. Click on the button “Turn on 2-Step Verification”.
6. After 2-step verification was successfully enabled, click on “Done”.
When you’re going back to the security settings, you’ll now see a green checkmark in the section “2-Step Verification”.
Step 02: Create your Gmail App Password
1. Now go to https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords to create your Gmail app password.
2. Enter the name of the app you’re creating the app password for (e.g. “MailJerry”) and click on “Create”.
3. You’ll now see your app password. Copy the app password immediately!
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Don’t click on the “Done” button until you’ve copied your app password. As soon as the window is closed, you won’t be able to see the app password again. In case you’ve accidentally closed the window too early, you have to go back to step 1 and create another Gmail app password.
Mobile:
Create Gmail App Password on your Mobile
To create a Gmail app password on your mobile device using the Gmail app, follow these steps:
Step 01: Enable 2-Step-Verification in the Gmail App
1. Open the Gmail app on your smartphone / tablet and click on your user icon (top right corner).
2. Now select “Manage your Google Account”.
3. In the account settings, scroll right in the tab bar and select “Security”
4. In the security settings, scroll down to “How you sign in to Google” and tap on “2-Step Verification”.
5. Enable 2-Step-Verification by tapping on the button “Turn on 2-Step Verification”.
Close the window by tapping on “Done” as soon as 2-Step Verification is enabled.
Step 02: Generate a Gmail App Password on Your Mobile
1. Open https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords on your mobile device using your favourite web browser.
If you’re not already logged in to your Google account, you might be asked to log in first.
2. In the app password settings, enter the app name in the respective field. You can use any name that helps you to remember why you created the password.
3. Tap on “Create”.
4. Google now shows your app password. Copy the password and tap on “Done” as soon as you’re done.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Don’t tap on “Done” until you’ve securely copied your app password. When the window showing your password is closed, you won’t be able to open it again!
How to
Delete a Gmail App Password
If you don’t need your Gmail app password anymore, it’s a good idea to delete it. Here’s how to do so:
1. Go to https://accounts.google.com and sign in to your account.
2. In the left sidebar, click on “Security” and scroll down to “How you Sign in to Google”.
3. In the section “2-Step Verification”, click on “On since …” (or the arrow on the right).
💡 You can also simply open this link: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
4. Scroll down to the section “App passwords” and click on “1 App password” (or whatever counter you have). You can also click on the arrow on the right side.
5. You’ll now see your list of app passwords. To delete one, simply click on the trash icon next to the password.
✅ That’s it, your app password is no deleted!
Summary: Create a Gmail App Password
To create a Gmail app password, you first have to enable 2-Step verification:
Log in to your Google account, click on your user icon and select “Manage your Google Account”. Click on “Security”, scroll down to “How you sign in to Google” and enable 2-Step-Verification.
Now, open https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords, enter an app name and click on create. Copy the app password and you’re done!
Create a Gmail App Password:
Frequent Questions
What is an app password?
An app password is a 16-digit code that is specially created for your Google account. The app password allows third-party software to connect with your account.
Why is the app passwords option not shown?
Google doesn’t show the app passwords option in the following cases:
- 2-Step Verification is set up only for security keys
- Google’s “Advanced Protection” is enabled for your account
- you Gmail account is associated with a work, school or organisational account
I don’t see the option “App passwords”. What can I do?
If you haven’t already created an app password, Google hides the app passwords for some accounts. To create an app password, simply open this link: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
Are app passwords available for all Google / Gmail accounts?
App passwords are available for most Gmail accounts, with one exception: For work, school or other organisation accounts, it’s possible that app passwords are not available. If this is the case, please contact the administrator of your account and ask them to create an app password for your account.
Do I need to enable IMAP after generating the Gmail app password?
No. Since January 2025, IMAP is enabled by default for all Google accounts. So if you plan to use your app password in combination with IMAP (e.g. to receive emails in an email client or to migrate emails using MailJerry), there’s not need to enable IMAP.
