Gmail

Gmail never accepts your Google Account password from a mail client like mcp4mail. You need an app password, and Google only lets you create one once 2-Step Verification is on.

1. Turn on 2-Step Verification

Open myaccount.google.com/signinoptions/twosv, sign in if Google asks, and follow the steps to switch 2-Step Verification on.

Skip this if it is already on.

2. Create an app password

1. Open myaccount.google.com/apppasswords.
2. Name it mcp4mail and choose Create.
3. Copy the 16-letter password it shows. Google shows it only once; the spaces do not matter.

Use these two links rather than the menus: Google renames its account pages often, and the "App passwords" entry is no longer listed on the Security page.

3. The settings to use

Setting	Value
IMAP server	imap.gmail.com
Port	993
Security	SSL/TLS
Username	your full Gmail address, e.g. jana@gmail.com
Password	the app password from step 2

If it still does not connect

• "Invalid credentials" — you are most likely using your Google Account password. Create an app password as in step 2.
• It worked and then stopped — changing your Google Account password revokes every app password. Create a new one.

"The setting you are looking for is not available for your account"

In Czech: "Nastavení, které hledáte, pro váš účet není k dispozici."

Google shows this on myaccount.google.com/apppasswords when your account cannot have app passwords yet.

1. Most often 2-Step Verification is off. Open myaccount.google.com/signinoptions/twosv, turn it on, then go back to the app passwords page.
2. If 2-Step Verification is already on, you probably sign in only with passkeys or security keys, or your account is in Google's Advanced Protection Program. Such an account cannot have app passwords until you add another second step, for example the Google Authenticator app, on the same 2-Step Verification page.

If the 2-Step Verification page itself says it is not allowed, read the next section.

"2-Step Verification is not allowed for this account"

In Czech: "Dvoufázové ověření pro tento účet není povoleno – Dokud administrátor nepovolí dvoufázové ověření, nebude možné ho zapnout."

Your account belongs to an organisation on Google Workspace, and its administrator has not allowed 2-Step Verification. You cannot turn it on yourself; send these steps to your administrator.

Is this a Workspace account? Yes, if your address is on your own domain (for example jana@yourcompany.com, not @gmail.com) and that mail is hosted by Google.

For the Google Workspace administrator

Allow 2-Step Verification:

1. Open admin.google.com/ac/security/2sv (Security → Authentication → 2-Step Verification).
2. Select the whole organisation, or just the user's organisational unit.
3. Tick Allow users to turn on 2-Step Verification. Enforcement can stay Off and Methods can stay Any.
4. Choose Save. The change can take a few minutes to reach the user, sometimes longer.

Allow IMAP access:

1. In admin.google.com open Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → End User Access.
2. Select the user's organisational unit.
3. Under POP and IMAP access, tick Enable IMAP access for all users and allow any IMAP client. Restricting it to OAuth mail clients shuts out mcp4mail, which signs in with an app password.
4. Save.

Then the user turns on 2-Step Verification, creates an app password and connects with the settings above.