Microsoft announces a change in the login methods for Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Live.com email accounts, transitioning from the traditional Basic Auth system that only required a username and password to the new Modern Authentication system, which enforces stronger identity verification. This includes the need for 2FA confirmation, access request systems, and added brute force protection.
Users accessing these email accounts directly through the web or via Microsoft’s email app (Outlook on various platforms) will not experience any impact. However, those using these email accounts with other clients like Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or older versions of Outlook prior to Outlook 2021 will not be able to log in using the old method after September 16, 2024, and must update their email clients to the latest version that supports Modern Authentication.
Thunderbird and Apple Mail already support Modern Authentication, but users will need to switch to OAuth2 for identity verification instead of using the traditional password method. Refer to Microsoft’s documentation for instructions on how to make this transition.
TLDR: Microsoft is changing the login method for Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Live.com emails to Modern Authentication, requiring stronger identity verification, such as 2FA, access request systems, and protection against brute force attacks. Users must update their email clients to support Modern Authentication by September 16, 2024.
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