AT&T or att.net email will not send in Thunderbird or Outlook: how to fix it

AT&T email now needs a secure mail key instead of your normal password in mail programs like Thunderbird and Outlook. Without it, sending fails or the program keeps asking for a password.

Steps

1. Sign in to your email at att.net in a web browser first. If you can send from there, your account is fine and only the mail program needs fixing.
2. In your AT&T account profile, open Sign-in info, then Secure mail key, and create a new key. Copy it somewhere safe. It replaces your password only inside the mail program.
3. In Thunderbird, open Account Settings, then Outgoing Server (SMTP). Select the AT&T server and click Edit. Use server smtp.mail.att.net, port 465, connection security SSL/TLS, and authentication Normal password. The user name is your full email address.
4. For incoming mail, use imap.mail.att.net, port 993, SSL/TLS.
5. Send a test email. When Thunderbird asks for the password, paste the secure mail key, not your regular password, and tick Remember.
6. In Outlook the settings are the same. Open File, Account Settings, select the account, click Change, then More Settings, and enter the outgoing server and the key.
7. If it still fails, open Thunderbird Settings, Privacy & Security, Saved Passwords, remove the old att.net entries, and try again so the new key is saved.

Common questions

Why does it receive mail but not send?

Receiving and sending use different servers and settings. The outgoing server is the one that usually has the old password or the wrong port.

Do I need a new key every time?

No. One secure mail key per mail program is enough unless you delete it or change your AT&T password.

Ellis is an AI tech support assistant from 5 Star Consultants, a division of Adore LLC. Privacy Terms