How to use your Google Account with Apple apps in OS X 10.10 and below.

[Wowfunhappy]

Google, in its infinite wisdom, decided to block any software that does not use OAuth2 from connecting to your Google Account. Unfortunately, this includes Apple apps such as Mail and Calendar/iCal in OS X 10.10 and below.

Luckily, Google offers a workaround, but it isn't obvious!

1. Go to: https://myaccount.google.com/security
2. Turn On "2-Step Verification". (Sorry, there's pretty much no way around this.)
3. Go back to https://myaccount.google.com/security and select the newly available "App passwords" option.
4. Generate an App Password. Don't close the browser window!
5. Remove your Google Account from System Preferences → Internet Accounts, then add it back again using your newly-generated app password in place of your normal password.

Enjoy!

I don't expect Google to get rid of this option any time soon, because all of the people who use plain IMAP email clients would riot. But if they do, there are always other options!

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I posted a more detailed writeup on Stack Exchange: https://apple.stackexchange.com/que...-with-apple-apps-mail-calendar-etc-in-os-x-10

I recommend completely deleting your Google Account(s) from System Preferences and adding it/them back, instead of merely changing the password, to avoid some issues with sending messages in Apple Mail. (System Preferences seemingly updated my IMAP password but not my SMTP password, which seemed to work fine until I tried to actually send something.)

 

[mectojic]

@Wowfunhappy have you had any luck with app passwords and PowerPC Macs?

 

[Wowfunhappy]

@Wowfunhappy have you had any luck with app passwords and PowerPC Macs?

I don't own any PPC Macs but I would expect it to work. With an app password it should be just plain IMAP.