Author Topic: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services  (Read 43130 times)

Kostya Vasilyev

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #15 on: March 03, 2013, 03:09:40 pm »
Thank you johnsof, I actually got access to a @me.com account today, will run some tests, and post the results.

But it seems Apple's mail system is lately messed up in more ways than one:

Randomly, silently, filtering out people's mail:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/02/icloud-e-mail-censorship-thanks-to-overzealous-spam-filtering/

A ten-hour outage on Feb 28:

http://macdailynews.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/130301_icloud_outage1.png

Is the failing authenticaitons a result of the outage? I can only make guesses, of course.
Creating debug logs for diagnostics: https://www.aqua-mail.com/troubleshooting/

The official FAQ: https://www.aqua-mail.com/faq/

Лог-файлы для диагностики: https://www.aqua-mail.com/ru/troubleshooting/

Вопросы и ответы: https://www.aqua-mail.com/ru/faq/

NJRonbo

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #16 on: March 03, 2013, 05:15:21 pm »
This very well could be an Apple situation, but curiously the problem started at the exact time Aqua Mail was updated.

So, it's very hard to put the blame on Apple, but I am not going to rule it out.

In fact....now that I think more about this....

I use the same settings on my Mac and there are no authentification errors coming from that end.  This makes me think it is an Aqua Mail issue.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2013, 05:22:28 pm by NJRonbo »

johnsof

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #17 on: March 03, 2013, 05:38:57 pm »
This very well could be an Apple situation, but curiously the problem started at the exact time Aqua Mail was updated.

So, it's very hard to put the blame on Apple, but I am not going to rule it out.

In fact....now that I think more about this....

I use the same settings on my Mac and there are no authentification errors coming from that end.  This makes me think it is an Aqua Mail issue.

I would blame Apple because the issue started on the 28th of Feb (I know because I got my nexus 4 on that date)  and set it up with the same setting from my nexus 7(via a back up and restore). Last update for Aqua Mail was on the 24th. Had no issues till the 28th.

Also other people with other email clients are having the same issue with the apple servers.

On your mac open the preferences on your Apple mail and under the icloud settings you should see that's it's only using the user name and not the at me.com part.  Well it does for me anyway.

The fix for me was to remove the at me .com part and it worked.

Also the failure was intermittent which kinda points away from any client.

NJRonbo

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #18 on: March 03, 2013, 06:01:41 pm »
Johnsof,

You are correct.

Removing the @mac.com or @me.com and just using the username solo solved the problem.

Thank You

yaps

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #19 on: March 03, 2013, 07:08:45 pm »
Hi all just joined the forum for this specific problem as I too have the same issue with accessing Macmail. Tried the last suggestion about removing from the login ID (under manual setup) the domain name, @mac.com. It seems to have worked so far.  :D

Kostya Vasilyev

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #20 on: March 03, 2013, 08:17:17 pm »
I got access to a @me.com account a few hours ago, and here is my analysis.

Apple's iCloud IMAP servers support two authentication methods (advertised via IMAP's CAPABILITY command): SASL PLAIN and the default IMAP method.

My app, when seeing this, chooses the more sophisticated SASL PLAIN. Since the iCloud outage on Feb 28 (maybe before, too?), this method no longer accepts full email as the login name.

Changing the login in my app's account setup from "user@me.com" to just "user" is one workaround (thank you again, @johnsof).

The stock Android Email app does not support SASL PLAIN, only the default IMAP authentication method, which continues to work either way: with and without the @me.com / @mac.com part.

As for the discrepancy between Mac Mail and Apple's own help page, "isn't it ironic, don't you think"?

@NJRonbo, @yaps - thank you for confirming that the "remove domain name" workaround is working for you, too.

I'll be adding a kludge in the app's authentication code for this, and releasing an update, since not everyone who's ran into the issue will see this discussion.

« Last Edit: March 03, 2013, 09:14:43 pm by Kostya Vasilyev, Aqua Mail »
Creating debug logs for diagnostics: https://www.aqua-mail.com/troubleshooting/

The official FAQ: https://www.aqua-mail.com/faq/

Лог-файлы для диагностики: https://www.aqua-mail.com/ru/troubleshooting/

Вопросы и ответы: https://www.aqua-mail.com/ru/faq/

Kostya Vasilyev

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #21 on: March 03, 2013, 09:41:32 pm »
Here is a version with workarounds for @me.com / @mac.com:

http://www.aqua-mail.com/download/AquaMail-market-1.2.2.18.apk

1 - For new accounts, the app's preset now uses just the "bare" user name, like Mac Mail does.

2 - For existing accounts, authenticating with full email as the login will not use SASL PLAIN.

This allows new and existing accounts to just work, without any "manual" adjustments.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2013, 09:53:18 pm by Kostya Vasilyev, Aqua Mail »
Creating debug logs for diagnostics: https://www.aqua-mail.com/troubleshooting/

The official FAQ: https://www.aqua-mail.com/faq/

Лог-файлы для диагностики: https://www.aqua-mail.com/ru/troubleshooting/

Вопросы и ответы: https://www.aqua-mail.com/ru/faq/

bkerley

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #22 on: March 03, 2013, 10:03:22 pm »
Thanks johnsof and Kostya for the prompt action, this workaround has solved the problem.

Kostya:  closet Alanis Morissette fan?   :)

Kostya Vasilyev

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #23 on: March 03, 2013, 10:41:50 pm »
Great, glad to hear it.

@bkerley -- I had her CD ummm.... twenty? years ago... Oh the things that get lodged in one's mind :)
Creating debug logs for diagnostics: https://www.aqua-mail.com/troubleshooting/

The official FAQ: https://www.aqua-mail.com/faq/

Лог-файлы для диагностики: https://www.aqua-mail.com/ru/troubleshooting/

Вопросы и ответы: https://www.aqua-mail.com/ru/faq/

winepoet

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Re: Authentication failed - mac.com, iCloud, Apple mail services
« Reply #24 on: March 04, 2013, 12:40:04 am »
Thank you Johnsof  and Kostya for the work-around.  It worked to resolve my problem too.  Funny coincidence with the Apple outage and the update...