Less Secure Apps and Google Sync Retirement (2024)

Less Secure Apps are applications that use only your username and password to authenticate your account. This is now an outdated way to authenticate that puts your accounts at increased risk.

The industry has adopted a more secure method of authenticating third-party applications called OAuth 2.0, which most modern apps use today.

Google Sync is a legacy service that Google ended support for in 2013. However, Google Workspace accounts could continue to use the service if they were already connected to it with their iOS device(s).

If you have the Less Secure Apps setting enabled on your account you should have received an email from wsuitdivision@weber.edu.

Please note this option is not available for student accounts. 
To check if you have the setting enabled, go to your Google Account page, click Security from the left navigation, and scroll down to "Less secure app access." 
If it's set to On, click on it and toggle the setting to Off.

If something was signed in via this authentication method the app will sign you out and/or present you with an error the next time you use it because it can no longer connect to the account. 

To check if you're connected via Google Sync on your iOS device:

1. Open Settings on your iOS device.
2. Depending on your iOS version, do one of the following actions:
   • Tap Mail and then Accounts.
   • Tap Passwords & Accounts.
   • Click on your WSU account name
3. If your account says "EXCHANGE" above your email address you are using google sync. 
   • Disconnect your account in your settings. You can then either sign in with google to use OAuth or use the Gmail mobile app. 

Email Applications:

• Outlook 2016 or Earlier

  • Move to Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365, a web-based version of Outlook) or Outlook for Windows or Mac, both of which support OAuth access. Alternatively you can use Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook. 

• Thunderbird or another email client

  • Re-add your Google Account and configure it to use IMAP with OAuth

• The mail app on iOS or MacOS, or Outlook for Mac and use only a password to login

  • You'll need to remove and re-add your account; select "Sign in with Google" to automatically use OAuth.

Calendar Applications

• If you use an app that uses password based CalDAV to give access to your calendar, switch to a method that supports OAuth. 
• If your Google Workspace account is linked to the calendar app in iOS or MacOS and uses only a password to login, you’ll need to remove and re-add your account to your device; select “sign in with Google” to automatically use OAuth
   

Contacts Applications

• If your Google Workspace account is syncing contacts to iOS or MacOS via CardDAV and uses only a password to login, you’ll need to remove your account. 
• If your Google Workspace account is syncing contacts to any other platform or app via CardDAV and uses only a password to login, switch to a method that supports OAuth.

Other Applications

• If the app you are using does not support OAuth, you will need to switch to an app that offers OAuth.

Access to Less Secure Apps (LSA) will be turned off in two stages: 

• Beginning June 15, 2024:
  • Less Secure Apps setting will be removed for new users who have never enabled the setting.
    • Users who had the setting enabled and were using it can continue to use the apps until September 30th.
      • This includes all 3rd party apps that require password only access to google such asCalDAV, CardDAV, IMAP, SMTP, and POP. 
        The IMAP enable/disable settings will be removed from users’ Gmail settings.
• Beginning September 30, 2024:
  • Access to Less Secure Apps will be turned off for all Google Workspace accounts. CalDAV, CardDAV, IMAP, POP and Google Sync will no longer work when signing in with just a password — you will need to login with a more secure type of access called OAuth.
  • Access to Google Sync will be removed for all accounts

Google Workspace Updates Retirement Announcement
Google Help Center: Less Secure Apps & Your Google Account