1. What Is an App Password?
An app password is a 16-digit passcode that allows an application or device to access your Google Account securely when it doesn’t support 2-Step Verification. It is required for many third-party mail clients or systems that send emails using your Gmail account.
2. Before You Start
Make sure you have:
Your Google (Gmail) account
2-Step Verification enabled
⚠️ Note: App passwords are only available after you turn on 2-Step Verification.
3. Turn On 2-Step Verification (If Not Enabled Yet)
Sign in to your Google Account: https://myaccount.google.com/
Go to “Security” on the left menu
Find “Signing in to Google”
Click “2-Step Verification”
Follow the prompts to complete the setup
⚠️ Important for Workspace (Business/School) Accounts
If you already turned on 2-Step Verification but still don’t see the “App Passwords” option, this may be because:
Your Google Workspace administrator has disabled App Passwords for your organization.
Google Workspace security policies can control whether users are allowed to generate app passwords, even after 2FA is enabled.
🔎 What this means: App Passwords are controlled by your company or school’s admin settings. This is different from personal Gmail accounts — individual users cannot override this restriction on their own.
👉 What to do next
Please contact your Google Workspace administrator or IT team and ask them to check the following:
Sign in to the Google Admin Console at
https://admin.google.comGo to:
Security → Authentication → 2-Step VerificationEnsure the setting Allow users to generate app passwords (or similar) is enabled.
If this is disabled at the Admin level, users will not see the App Passwords option, even with 2FA enabled.
Once the admin enables this policy, you should see the App Password option under Security → App Passwords in your Google Account.
📌 Why this happens
Google Workspace administrators can enforce security policies to protect business accounts. As part of that control, they can disable less secure authentication methods, including App Passwords. This setting prevents users from generating the 16-digit password used for certain apps and systems.
4. Generate Your 16-Digit App Password
Visit the App Passwords page: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
Re-enter your Google Account password if prompted
Under “Select app”, choose the application type, or select “Other (Custom name)”
Under “Select device”, choose the device
Click “Generate”
A 16-digit app password will appear, e.g.:
abcd efgh ijkl mnop
Copy this password and paste it into your email application where it asks for your Gmail password
⚠️ Important: The app password is shown only once, so copy it immediately.
5. FAQ
I enabled 2-Step Verification but cannot see “App Passwords”. Why?
Possible reasons:
You are using a Google Workspace / company-managed account with restrictions
Your administrator has disabled app passwords
Advanced security features are enabled
App passwords are not permitted for your organization or region
Is the app password the same as my Google Account password?
No.
Your Google Account password is used for logging in
The app password is a one-time 16-digit code for third-party apps
Can I revoke an app password?
Yes.You can delete any app password from the same App Passwords page.