Why is my phone asking suddenly for an IMAP password for outlook emails?

Question

Why is my phone asking suddenly for an IMAP password for outlook emails?

Kelly Baltissen 0

I can use my email account on my laptop however when I try to access emails on my phone, suddenly it is asking for my IMAP password. My password is not recognised. I have tried to refresh several times and followed the instructions given in the Q&A to no avail.

thanks for your help.

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2 answers

Answer 1

Alice-N 13,390 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi

I understand that your phone suddenly started asking for an IMAP password for your Outlook email, and the password that still works on your laptop is not being accepted on the phone. I’m happy to help.

Could you confirm:

Which app is showing the IMAP password prompt?
- Outlook app, or
- iPhone Mail (Settings > Mail) ?
Is the address an Outlook.com / Hotmail / Live / MSN account, or a third-party email provider using IMAP?

I would love to hear from you soon. Have a lovely day!

Kelly Baltissen 0 Reputation points

2026-05-29T04:43:59.9866667+00:00

Hello,

Thanks so much for responding. It's the outlook app on my phone. It has always worked but suddenly asking for an IMAP password.

the address is [PII: Removed]@wingsforgrace.com

I always assumed it was an outlook account set up with Microsoft when I set up my computer?? I tried to log into outlook last night for the first time on my ipad to see if I could assess my emails. Even though i entered my email and password, It did not link with my emails.

The email was set up years ago by an external party when I was setting up my business and its always been a bit difficult to navigate. I can still send/receive on my laptop (like now) but rely heavily on my phone app day to day. It would be great to be able to access again on my phone.

thanks [PII: Removed]
Alice-N 13,390 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-30T04:55:44.4566667+00:00

Thanks Kelly Baltissen. Because this is happening in the Outlook app with a custom address, it may be set up there as a non-Microsoft IMAP account rather than a standard Outlook.com mailbox. If an IMAP account is not detected automatically, the correct incoming/outgoing mail server details need to come from the email provider or IT admin, and if the mail still works on the computer, the issue may be with the mobile app setup. Please remove and add the account again in Outlook using the full email address; if it still asks for the IMAP password, the provider or the person who originally set up the mailbox will need to confirm the correct IMAP/SMTP settings and password.

I hope this helps. Thank you for your understanding and time. Have a lovely day !
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Answer 2

On mobile, Outlook is asking for an IMAP password because the app can no longer sign in with the credentials or server settings currently stored for that account. This typically happens when:

The email account password was changed recently and the app still has the old password.
The IMAP server settings (server name, security, or port) are wrong or have changed.
Auto-discover of the mail server is failing, so Outlook falls back to asking for full IMAP details.

Since the account still works on the laptop, the mailbox itself is fine; the issue is with the configuration on the phone.

To fix it on the phone (Outlook for iOS/Android):

Update the stored password
- When prompted for the IMAP password, enter the current password used on the laptop.
- If Outlook continues to reject it, remove and re-add the account in the Outlook app so it picks up fresh settings.
Re-add the account using IMAP with advanced settings
- In Outlook for Android: go to Settings > Add Account > Add Email Account.
- In Outlook for iOS: go to Settings > Accounts > Add Account > Email Account.
- Enter the email address and continue.
- When asked to choose a provider, select IMAP.
- Turn on Advanced settings / Use Advanced Settings.
- Enter the current account password and the IMAP/SMTP server settings exactly as provided by the email provider or mail administrator.
- Save/sign in.
If server details are unknown
- Check the provider’s documentation or admin instructions for the correct IMAP/SMTP server names, ports, and security options.
- If this is a work/school or Exchange-based account and auto-discover fails, the admin may need to provide the server host, username (which may differ from the email address), and possibly a domain value.

If the app still repeatedly prompts for a password after these steps, remove the account from the Outlook app on the phone and add it again from scratch using the correct IMAP settings and current password.

References: