Microsoft will usher in big changes for millions of email users at the end of this month – and it could leave those who rely on Gmail unable to send or receive messages.
Starting June 30, Microsoft will no longer allow users to access their Gmail account from Outlook.com. Until now, you could bring multiple email inboxes together in a single window in your web browser.
Introduced in 2019, Microsoft allowed Outlook.com users to add third-party email inboxes to the client, such as Gmail, something that will be culled by the end of this month
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Without having to know which email address was used, Outlook.com lets you search multiple inboxes and send messages from multiple accounts.
Microsoft introduced support for Gmail in 2019, among other popular Google services such as Drive and Google Calendar, in the browser-based version of Outlook.com. Starting next month, you’ll have to go to the Gmail website to access it.
Microsoft is not removing support for Google services from the latest version of its Outlook application on Windows 10, Windows 11, or Mac. So those who rely on the desktop app won’t notice any difference; only those using Outlook.com will notice the commotion.
The decision to end Gmail support is one of many changes announced by Microsoft.
The Redmond-based company, which debuted a whole new category of Windows PCs this week, has improved security for email users by introducing a stricter standard for logins known as Modern Authentication. It replaces an older system – Basic Auth – that only requires a username and password to log into an account.
This previous system allowed anyone with access to your username and password to break into your email. If you use the same username/password combination for multiple accounts, hackers can use a data breach from another website to break into your inbox.
For now, it doesn’t appear that Microsoft is forcing you to use two-factor authentication (which requires a one-time passcode sent via SMS or to approve your login attempt from another app) to access Outlook. However, this remains a useful extra layer of security for those concerned about hackers.
David Los, Group Product Manager for Outlook, explained the changes in a blog post: “At Microsoft, our goal is to provide our users with a modern and secure email experience, using the latest technologies to improve functionality and ease of use.
“When it comes to Outlook, we want to ensure that our customers’ emails, documents, calendar and contacts are protected from unauthorized access, tampering or loss.”
If you’re using a version of Outlook that doesn’t support the new login standard, Microsoft says you’ll be contacted before the end of this month.
To continue using Outlook in your web browser, you must use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge version 79 or newer, Firefox version 78 or newer, Safari version 16 or newer, and Opera version 76 or newer.
An example of the newer Modern Authentication login window. Microsoft says it is designed to provide the user with extra protection and keep them safe
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If you’re using an iPhone and have recently noticed that Microsoft accounts are asking for your password, it’s probably because these profiles were originally set up with the basic authentication system.
In addition to the changes, Microsoft has confirmed that the ‘light’ version of the Outlook Web App will no longer be supported after August 19. This version of Outlook was created to allow people with an old browser that is not compatible with the new Outlook. com to check their emails.
Announcing the decision to discontinue this iteration, Microsoft said: “As we accelerate our security efforts to better protect our customers, we are retiring the light version of the Outlook web app. This means that after 2024, customers will have the latest versions of a supported browser to run Outlook.com.”