Apple Mail won't create new mail account

Question

RSBecker Author

Level 1

4 points

Apple Mail won't create new mail account

Tahoe -- Apple Mail cannot create account using wifi authentication failure

Over the past several months, my Apple devices, one-by-one,

have stopped working with my main email account over wifi. My iPhone 15 can

connect over cellular, and my iPad Mini 6 can connect when using my phone’s

hotspot. But my Intel-based iMac, the last to lose its ability to connect to

the mail server, is an utter failure. I should note that each device is running

the latest OS it can use (the iMac can’t go beyond Sequoia), and that each was

previously able to receive and send email in this account. None of these devices

has a problem using my Gmail accounts.

I have tried all of the fixes I can find in these forums and elsewhere – removing VPN software,

removing and recreating the account in Apple Mail, disabling

security/anti-virus software and the firewall, etc.

I just got a new iMac running Tahoe 26.1, and have delayed installing security/anti-virus

software in the hope that I could create the email account on a new machine

that has no software that might interfere. But I continue to be told that Apple

Mail cannot authenticate the account. I was able to save the account settings

I don’t think any settings on my router are causing the problem, and they have not changed in a

long time – long before my devices began having problems. I have found no posts

indicating that these issues can be caused by the router.

I have similarly found no posts identifying mail server settings that might be problematic. But if

that mnight be the cause I can change them. My mail server is running on a

system with Debian Bullsey with current versions of Postfix and Dovecot with

SSL, so it uses port 993 incoming and 587 outgoing.

iMac 27″, macOS 15.7

Posted on Dec 8, 2025 10:30 AM

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Answer 1

RSBecker Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 10, 2025 9:41 AM in response to MrHoffman

Thanks for the detailed instructions to diagnose. Yesterday, I stumbled on the solution, although I don't really understand what the real problem was. I upldated the firmware on my Asus routers as I do every few months.

When I woke up today, my iPhone, iPad and IMac had retrieved mail from the mail server., and continue to do so.

I have been using this server for about 15 years with few problems, and I have made no significant changes to it recently, other than upgrading the software as needed. The routers have been working properly for years. So what caused the problem after upgrading to IOS and iPadOS 18.4 or 18.5, and Sequoia is a mystery.

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Answer 2

Dec 9, 2025 8:45 PM in response to RSBecker

Three sets of data: The first is whether your Mail client is to automatically correct errant mail server settings. The second is the hardware and software inventory, and the third is a Wi-Fi overview.

For the second, please download and run (free) EtreCheck, and share the results to the clipboard. Then open a new reply here, and press the Additional Text button that looks like a printed page, and paste and post the hardware and software configuration report here. From that, we can get a little more detail about what is installed and what is running here.

For the third, on a Mac, the basic Wi-Fi environment characteristics are visible when using Option-Click on the Wi-Fi logo 🛜 in the menu bar to capture some Wi-Fi network data.

For us to look at the Wi-Fi network data here, post the items shown in the following image including the Security mode and from Channel to NSS inclusive (Security, Channel, Country, RSSI, Noise, Tx Rate, PHY mode, MCS, NSS, green highlight) (without posting the Wi-Fi address, any local HotSpots that might be present, the network name, or the BSSID, all of which are expurgated from the image shown below, red highlight), and we can take a look at the basic network environment.

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Answer 3

brbo

Level 8

38,611 points

Dec 9, 2025 8:07 PM in response to RSBecker

Re: Apple Mail won't create new mail account

Am no expert in this area, yet your post deserves some response.to your long-standing issue.

Seems with issues like yours, it can be worthwhile going into your account on the eMail provider's website

(eg: GMail, Yahoo etc.) and checking through the settings there in order to authorise the provider to allow Apple Mail to access the account.

ie: Mail app may have no clear path to your email account (ie: every time Mac Mail tries : authentication fails.):

This may be due to the provider's security software, and the lack of authorisation may be preventing access.

(The provider may want to verify that you are you, in order for you to provide authorisation.

Authorisation is often just a tick on a box, and / or adding "Apple Mail" to a field)

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