Does your Outlook 2016 or 2011 for Mac frequently prompt for authentication while you are connecting with your Office 365 domain? And, you cannot understand what step should be taken for to get rid of this. Then, this guide will walk through each and every aspect of why Outlook 2016 Mac keeps asking for Office 365 password in detail. Also, provides a reliable approach by which users will understand how to fix Outlook 2016 for Mac keeps asking for password efficiently.
At times, when Mac users enter the credentials, Outlook 2016 not accepting password while connecting with Exchange On-premises or Exchange Online via. Office 365. Also, it will prompt the authentication abruptly and keeps asking for keychain password. This whole circumstance arises because of Keychain Access. It is a macOS application used to store accounts credential information. Thus, if the Microsoft Outlook 2016 for Mac keeps asking for Office 365 password, then try the below mentioned manual solution sequentially. It is a genuine solution to repair Mac Outlook losing password issue in a secure way. But, first, understand a real-life scenario by which readers can clearly understand how and when this situation arises in Outlook 2016/2011.
Solve “Outlook keeps asking for password” Manually. There are lots of solutions that you can perform for fixing the Outlook issue. Resetting the Outlook login settings. The very first method is resetting the login setting for Outlook using Windows Credentials Manager by following steps. Visit the Control Panel and press Credentials Manager. If both conditions are true,it is highly recommended that you use the Outlook keeps asking for my password diagnostic to troubleshoot issues in which Outlook continually prompts for a password. This diagnostic does automated checks and returns possible solutions for you to use to try to fix any detected issues.
“Hello, In my company we are working on Mac machine. But, a few days back, we reported some bugs in macOS Sierra and I fix that issue by formatting the system. After that, when I use Mac Outlook and sync it with Exchange, it will constantly ask for the password. Even though the password is correct but it will prompt the process. So, I really cannot understand, it is a bug or a macOS problem. If anyone knows how to resolve Outlook 2016 for Mac keeps asking for password, then please let me know. Thank in advance!”
Also Read:How to Convert Mac Outlook OLM to PST?
Why does Outlook 2016 Mac Keeps Asking for Office 365 Password?
It is evident from the above that the reason behind the entire situation is Keychain Access password. Keychain Access is nothing, it’s just an inbuilt feature of macOS that store and save all the Mac-based applications such as Safari, Outlook passwords, and account information. However, Keychain Access is a normal looking password management feature that saves the password, but on a primary level, it has critical functionality. For any reason, if the Keychain Access becomes corrupted then, it will disturb the Mac users in several ways. The same case happens in Outlook; multiple duplicates tokens will generate in Keychain. And, it will confuse with the original password, and keep forgetting it for multiple accounts. That’s why outlook 2016 mac keeps asking for password.
How to Fix Outlook 2016 Mac keeps asking for Office 365 password?
To fix “Keychain Password” issue in Outlook 2016 for Mac while connecting with Office 365, follow the given instructions carefully that are listed below:
- Initially, open Keychain Access with the help of any of below-mentioned methods:
-> Move on Finder application of Mac OS, then select Utilities from the Go menu. After that, double-click Keychain Access.
-> Type Keychain Access under the Spotlight Search. Afterward, double-click Keychain Access. - Once the Keychain Access is open, type Exchange in the search bar of Keychain Access.
- Now, from the search results, select each item to view Account that’s mentioned at the apex, and then hit Delete button. Perform this step repeatedly until all the items deleted from your Exchange online account.
- Type adal in the search field.
- Now, pick all items whose type are MicrosoftOffice15_2_Data: ADAL: and then Delete it.
- After the completion of above step, enter office in the search field.
- Then, select the items that are entitled as Microsoft Office Identities Cache 2 and Microsoft Office Identities Settings 2, and then Delete it.
- At last, close the Keychain Access.
The above-mentioned steps will be very helpful in troubleshooting Outlook 2016 Mac Keeps asking for Office 365 password.
Conclusion
Keychain Access is one of the dynamic feature of macOS and with the help of this user has no need to remember each and every password. But due to some duplicate tokens generate in Keychain, Outlook 2011 Mac keeps asking for keychain password. Hence, in this article, we are trying to resolve the Outlook 2016 Mac keychain problem without any trouble.
Learning has never been so easy!
So, I was having this BRUTALLY annoying issue on my macs (when I work from home, I work on my mac) where, every time I launched Outlook 2016, I would be prompted to login with my credentials... Just super annoying and unnecessary.
Theres a ton of documentation on 'how to fix this' but a lot of it misses an important step (also, a facepalm step).
6 Steps total
Step 1: Open the Keychain
Theres a bunch of ways to do it, but ultimately, the easiest way is to press CMD+Space, to open spotlight, then search 'Keychain Access'.
Step 2: Clear old items relating to Exchange/MS login in the keychain
According to a Microsoft Representative, the best option here is:
Make sure you quit Outlook and other Office apps.
Search 'Exchange' under Login --> All Items and delete everything (NOT EVERYTHING - take a look and make sure you're only deleting entries that are in some way related to Microsoft)
Search 'Office' and delete everything
Search 'ADAL' and delete everything
Search 'ADAL' and delete everything
Step 3: Open Outlook & Login
Yea, I know, we're trying to fix this - but you have to log in this ONE more time...
Step 4: Open Outlook Preferences from the menu
Click Outlook -> Preferences in the menu bar
Step 5: Open Accounts
Open the Accounts Section...
Step 6: Finally... Add your password
Seriously - this is critical! Add your password in the password field for the account in question, then close the preferences window.
Outlook 365 Email Keeps Asking For Password Mac Forgot
NOW - when you restart Outlook you SHOULD NOT have to login!
While this isn't the most difficult or pressing issue in the world, it most definitely is annoying! I hope this guide helps some folks!
References
Outlook 365 Keeps Asking For Password Mac
- michaelkummer.com
- Microsoft TechNet Discussion
Outlook 365 Keeps Prompting Password
5 Comments
Outlook Keeps Asking For Password
- ChipotleTony Bongiorno Jul 19, 2017 at 06:07pmThanks for posting. I've seen this quite a few times from multiple users
- SonoraTMagro Apr 8, 2019 at 07:45pmTried and still not working for me. Box will not go away. :(
- Pimientospicehead-pn1ix Jul 16, 2019 at 04:02pmThanks for posting, but the login box still appears. A question -- when I searched Exchange, should I delete the Private Exchange Key (two of them) and Public Exchange Key (also two files)?
- Pimientospicehead-xgxh2 Aug 6, 2019 at 06:33amstill not working for me. I have 3 office 365 accounts, and every time I should enter the password 3 times for each account. It is really annoying
- Sonoraearthsound Mar 31, 2020 at 06:22pmA couple of steps we added to our recipe to workaround this longstanding issue:- Open Keychain Access > View > Show Invisible Items
- After deleting entries in Keychain related to office, exchange, and adal > restart computer.
- In Keychain > lock the login entry.
- Open Outlook > input password to allow access to Keychain again
- Continue with steps to input password into the password textbox under Tools > Accounts > mailbox(es) having issues
- Restart Outlook