Using Thunderbird with OAuth2

I don't know if it's changed in later version of TB but in my older version of TB (45.8.0 - don't ask why I still use it, it's off topic) OAuth2 authentication can only be specified for IMAP, not POP.  The secure mail key will work for either.  Is that still true for current TBs?

Obviously being that it's in there for 45.8.0 I would say that by now that qualifies for "quite some time ago" by now!

I think AT&T hates Thunderbird. Email clients in general, though they seem to grudgingly admit that Outlook and phone clients have to connect, but especially TBird. Perhaps because it's open source? Anyway, yes, it supports OAuth2, at least since 58.0 if not earlier. OAuth2 is working fine in TBird 60 (64-bit Windows 10 and Linux) with my gmail and a couple of old Yahoo-only addresses (spamcatchers). I've been tempted to switch my at&t emails to OAuth2, but I'm not sure whether (using IMAP) that will trigger loss of my existing emails. Just completed backing up everything to local folders on the computer so I may try it - but does anybody else have recent experience with that? Does it work or cause problems?

@mbNOW1 

I'll take your word that later TB's work with OAuth2 with yahoo.  But as far as I am concerned the secure key works fine and I don't use att/yahoo email anyhow.  Changing the authentication shouldn't affect anything other than you will be able to use the account if it works and not if it doesn't work.  You can always change the authentication back to what you originally had or use the secure key.

By the way Thunderbird's entire "world" (and that means your mailboxes too), i.e., it's profile, can be saved.  So if you had to revert simply replace the "bad" profile with the "good" one.  It's always good to save a copy of the profile when experimenting.

I only use ISP email accounts to receive email from the ISP. I have my own mail server and my own domain for "real" mail. That way I can easily change ISPs without invalidating my published email address.

...or you could just have well used a forwarding service or create your own personal domain to accomplish the same objective.  I've use a forwarding service provided by a professional organization I'm a member of since the early 90's.  Makes it trivial to move to any ESP I want without all the potential headaches of maintaining a email server.

As of today, May 6, 2021, the easiest way to do it, is to manually configure the att.net email accounts.  Once you're in the window where you can manually configure the servers, make sure the servers are the YAHOO addresses.  This forces the servers to bring up the OAUTH consent window (as users will recognize from adding GMAIL accounts to Thunderbird or the Mac Mail program).  It's also similar to logging in to the ATT.NET mail on the Web.

The servernames you want to enter are for 

IMAP INCOMING: imap.mail.yahoo.com 

PORT: 993

You want to change the AUTHENTICATION method in the DROP DOWN to OAUTH2

SMTP OUTGOING SERVER SETTINGS:

Manually update the OUTGOING SERVER (SMTP) for the account to:

SERVER NAME: smtp.mail.yahoo.com

PORT: 465

You will want to update the AUTHENTICATION METHOD to OAUTH2 in the drop down menu as well, but it probably won't change until you hit OK.  Then go back IN to the SETTINGS.  Once it has taken the "smtp.mail.yahoo.com" change, the OAUTH2 choice in AUTHENTICATION METHOD should appear, and you can choose it.

Then go back to the INBOX for your EMAIL ADDRESS and click "GET MAIL"

You should now be presented with those pop up menus asking for you to LOGIN TO your YAHOO email account.

You will have to enter your email address and password, and grant it "access".

Then you should start seeing a whole bunch of email download.

Cheers,

jehosephat Mines

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