ATT.NET email keeps switching between ATT authorization key and normal password!!

Hi @Marsh511! We completely understand your concern regarding att.net email switching between ATT authorization key and normal password, and would like to help. Let's get the assistance you require.

In order to fix this, we'd recommend you to follow this below mentioned basic troubleshooting steps.

Set up your email for the first time or set it up on a new computer.

1. Open Outlook, select File, then Add Account.
2. Choose Manual setup or additional server types.
3. Select POP or IMAP.
4. Fill in your user details.
   • Enter your name as you want it to display to others.
   • Enter your full AT&T mail address.
5. Enter the server information.
   • Account Type - Select IMAP or POP3.
   • Incoming mail server - Enter imap.mail.att.net (IMAP) or inbound.att.net (POP3).
   • Outgoing mail server - Enter smtp.mail.att.net (IMAP) or outbound.att.net (POP3).
6. Fill out the logon information:
   • User Name - Enter your full email address.
   • Password - Enter or paste your secure mail key.
   • Check Remember password and Require logon using Secure Password Authentication.
7. Select More Settings.
8. Complete Outgoing Server info.
   • Check My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication.
   • Select Use same settings as my incoming mail server.
9. Complete Advanced info.
   • Incoming server - Enter 993 (IMAP) or 995 (POP3).
   • Use the following type of encrypted connection - Choose SSL.
   • Outgoing server - Enter 465 (IMAP and POP3).
   • Use the following type of encrypted connection - Choose SSL.
10. Select OK and then Next. Outlook will test your account info. If everything passes, select Finish.

Make changes to avoid email problems

Do you use a desktop program or a mobile app to access and manage AT&T Mail? If so, we suggest you use one with Open Authentication (OAuth) technology. OAuth encrypts your username and password. Learn about OAuth and find out if your app uses it.

What if your email program or app doesn’t use OAuth technology? In that case, you’ll only be able to access AT&T Mail with a 16-character secure mail key. Be sure to use myAT&T to create a secure mail key for each of your AT&T email addresses and subaccounts. By doing so, you’ll be able to: 

• Access your AT&T Mail using your favorite email apps  
• Synchronize other account info, such as your calendar and contacts, to your email app.

Create a secure mail key

It’s easy to create a secure mail key from your mobile device, tablet, or computer. Have your User ID and password ready to sign in to myAT&T.

1. Go to your myAT&T Profile. Sign in, if asked.
2. Scroll to My linked accounts, select the email account that needs a secure mail key.
3. Scroll to Secure mail key, select Manage secure mail key.
4. Choose the email address that you’d like to use, if you have more than one.
5. Select Add secure mail key. Enter a nickname for the secure mail key to make it easy to recognize.
6. Choose Create secure mail key.
7. Select Copy secure mail key to clipboard. Make a note of your secure mail key  for further updates.   
   • For security purposes, the secure mail key only displays until you select OK. 
   • If you lose or forget the secure mail key, you can always create new secure mail keys.
8. Select OK.
9. Go to your preferred email app, replace the existing password with your secure mail key. For an IMAP account, delete the existing password for both the IMAP and SMTP servers. Replace them with your secure mail key.

Good to know: Each device you use to access your email will have its own secure mail key.

Let us know if this helps.

Thank you for contacting AT&T Community Forums,

Ancy, AT&T Community Specialist.