This article is for administrators. For actions users can take, go to Less secure apps & your Google Account.
Starting May 1, 2025, Google Workspace accounts no longer support less secure apps, third-party apps, or devices that ask you to sign in to your Google Account with your username and password. You must use OAuth to let these apps and devices access your account. Third-party email apps that are no longer supported include Microsoft Outlook and the mail app on iOS and MacOS. For detailed instructions and information, visit Transition from less secure apps to OAuth. For the latest dates, visit Google Workspace Updates.
You can block sign-in attempts from some apps or devices that are less secure. Apps that are less secure don't use modern security standards, such as OAuth, increasing the risk of accounts and devices being compromised. Block these apps and devices to improve data safety.
Examples of apps that don’t support modern security standards include:
- Native mail, contacts, and calendar sync applications on older versions of iOS and OSX
- Some computer mail clients, such as older versions of Microsoft Outlook
Examples of apps that do support modern security standards are Gmail, Windows Mail, Outlook from Microsoft 365 (desktop version), Outlook for Mac, Instagram, PayPal, Amazon, Facebook, and Basecamp.
Note: When 2-step Verification is turned on for an account, access to less secure apps is automatically disabled, unless users are in a configuration group that allows access to less secure apps. Go to Manage access to less secure apps below.
Transitioning to more secure app access to Google Accounts
Blocking sign-ins from less secure apps helps keep accounts safe. For these reasons, Google is limiting password-based programmatic sign-ins to Google Accounts.
Manage access to less secure apps
Watch the video
To manage a user’s access to less secure apps
You can allow users to turn on or off access to less secure apps or disable their access to less secure apps.
Before you begin: If needed, learn how to apply the setting to a department or group.
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Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.
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Go to Menu
Security > Access and data control > Less secure apps.
Requires having the Security settings administrator privilege.
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(Optional) To apply the setting only to some users, at the side, select an organizational unit (often used for departments) or configuration group (advanced). Show me how
Group settings override organizational units. Learn more
- Select the setting for less secure apps:
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Disable access to less secure apps (Recommended)
Users can’t turn on access to less secure apps. If you select this option while a less secure app already has an open connection with a user account, the app will time out when it tries to refresh the connection. Timeout periods vary per app. - Allow users to manage their access to less secure apps
Users can turn on or off access to less secure apps.
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Click Save. Or, you might click Override for an organizational unit.
To later restore the inherited value, click Inherit.
Monitor accounts that allow less secure apps
Use accounts reports to see whether users can allow less secure apps to access their accounts. For details, read Accounts reports.
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