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SMTP Setup Guide

Step-by-step instructions for connecting SayMail to Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, Proton Mail, Zoho, and AOL.

Overview

What is SMTP?

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard protocol applications use to send email. When you configure SMTP in SayMail, you are authorising it to send messages through your own email provider — meaning emails arrive from your address, not a shared service.

Setting What to enter
SMTP Server Your provider's outgoing mail server address (see sections below)
Port 587 (TLS, recommended) or 465 (SSL)
Username Your full email address
Password Usually an App Password, not your normal account password
Important: Most modern email providers require Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to be enabled before they will issue an App Password. Plain username/password login is no longer accepted by Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud. Port 25 is blocked by virtually all ISPs and should never be used.

Provider

Gmail (Google)

📧

Gmail

Requires 2-Step Verification + App Password

SMTP Settings

  • Server: smtp.gmail.com
  • Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
  • Username: your Gmail address
  • Password: App Password (see steps)

Requirements

  • 2-Step Verification must be on
  • App Password is 16 characters
  • "Less secure apps" no longer supported

Steps to get your App Password

1

Go to Google Account Security

2

Enable 2-Step Verification if not already on

3

Search for App Passwords in the search bar at the top of your Google Account page

4

Create a new App Password — name it "SayMail" — and copy the 16-character code into SayMail Settings

Note: OAuth2 is Google's preferred method for third-party apps, but App Passwords work reliably for SayMail's background sending use case.

Provider

Outlook / Microsoft 365

📨

Outlook / Microsoft 365

Personal accounts work; corporate tenants may need admin action

SMTP Settings

  • Server: smtp.office365.com
  • Port: 587 (TLS)
  • Username: your full Microsoft email address
  • Password: App Password if MFA is on; otherwise your normal password

Requirements

  • If MFA is enabled, an App Password is required
  • SMTP AUTH must be enabled on the account
  • Corporate tenants may have SMTP AUTH disabled

Steps to get your App Password

1

Go to Microsoft Account Security

2

Enable Two-step verification

3

Under Advanced security options, create an App Password and use it in SayMail

Corporate / work accounts: Your IT administrator may have disabled SMTP AUTH across the organisation. If you keep getting authentication errors, ask your admin to enable SMTP AUTH for your account in the Microsoft 365 admin centre.

Provider

Yahoo Mail

📬

Yahoo Mail

App Password required for all third-party apps

SMTP Settings

  • Server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
  • Port: 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS)
  • Username: your Yahoo email address
  • Password: App Password (see steps)

Requirements

  • App Password is mandatory — your normal password will not work
  • Yahoo account must have a phone number for verification

Steps to get your App Password

1

Go to Yahoo Account Security

2

Scroll to Generate app password, select "Other app", name it "SayMail"

3

Copy the generated password into SayMail Settings

Provider

iCloud Mail (Apple)

☁️

iCloud Mail

App-specific password required; Two-Factor Authentication must be on

SMTP Settings

  • Server: smtp.mail.me.com
  • Port: 587 (TLS)
  • Username: your iCloud email address
  • Password: App-specific password (see steps)

Requirements

  • Two-Factor Authentication must be enabled on your Apple ID
  • App-specific passwords are generated at appleid.apple.com

Steps to get your App-specific Password

1

Go to appleid.apple.com and sign in

2

Under Sign-In and Security, tap App-Specific Passwords

3

Click +, name it "SayMail", and copy the generated password into SayMail Settings

Provider

Proton Mail

🔒

Proton Mail

Requires Proton Mail Bridge running on your Mac or PC

Important Proton Mail does not offer direct SMTP access. You must install Proton Mail Bridge on a Mac or PC that is always on. Bridge creates a local SMTP server that handles the encryption on your behalf.

SMTP Settings (from Bridge)

  • Server: 127.0.0.1 (local)
  • Port: as shown in Bridge
  • Username: your Proton email
  • Password: Bridge-generated password

Requirements

  • Proton Mail paid plan (Bridge is not on free tier)
  • Bridge must be running on the same network as your iPhone

Steps

1

Download Proton Mail Bridge and install it on your Mac or PC

2

Sign in to Bridge with your Proton account

3

Bridge will display local SMTP settings — copy the server, port, and password into SayMail Settings

Provider

Zoho Mail

📮

Zoho Mail

IMAP/SMTP must be enabled in Zoho settings

SMTP Settings

  • Server: smtp.zoho.com
  • Port: 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS)
  • Username: your Zoho email address
  • Password: App Password if 2FA is on; otherwise your normal password

Requirements

  • IMAP/SMTP access must be enabled in Zoho Mail settings
  • App Password required if Two-Factor Authentication is enabled

Steps

1

Log in to Zoho Mail and go to Settings → Mail Accounts

2

Enable IMAP/SMTP Access

3

If 2FA is on, go to Zoho Account Security and create an App Password for SayMail

Provider

AOL Mail

📩

AOL Mail

App Password required for all third-party apps

SMTP Settings

  • Server: smtp.aol.com
  • Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
  • Username: your AOL email address
  • Password: App Password (see steps)

Requirements

  • App Password is mandatory — your normal password will not work

Steps to get your App Password

1

Go to AOL Account Security

2

Under Generate app password, create a password for SayMail and copy it into SayMail Settings

Troubleshooting

Common problems

If SayMail fails to send, the error message in the app will usually point to one of these causes.

Authentication failed

You are using your normal account password instead of an App Password. Almost all major providers now require an App Password for third-party apps. Follow the steps for your provider above to generate one.

Connection timed out

The SMTP server address or port is wrong. Double-check the server hostname and make sure you are using port 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL) — not port 25, which is blocked by most ISPs.

Connection refused

Your internet service provider is blocking outbound SMTP connections. This is common on mobile networks and some home broadband providers. Try switching between Wi-Fi and cellular, or use the SayMail Email Service option in Settings instead, which routes through a dedicated sending infrastructure that is not affected by ISP blocks.

Works in my email app but not in SayMail

Your email app may be using OAuth2 (a browser-based login flow) rather than a plain SMTP password. SayMail uses standard SMTP authentication, which requires an App Password. Generate one using the steps for your provider above.

Still stuck? Take the domain name of your email address, eg fred@funkymail.com, the domain is funkymail.com, then search (google, etc) for 'funkymail smtp setup'. That should lead you to step by step instructions.