Fix Apple Mail ‘No Password Provided’ Error for Gmail Accounts

You open Mail on your iPhone or Mac, try to check your Gmail, and you see a frustrating message: No Password Provided. It may say no password is provided for Gmail and ask you to go to Mail account settings.

You are sure you never deleted your password. You may even be signing in to Gmail perfectly well in your browser. Yet Apple Mail insists there is no password and refuses to fetch any new messages.

This error is common after a password change, an iOS or macOS update, or a Google security prompt. The good news is that it is usually fixed in a few minutes by re-authenticating the account the right way.

Quick Answer

Go to Settings on iPhone, then Mail, then Accounts, select your Gmail account, and tap Re-enter Password or delete and re-add the account using the Google sign-in option. On Mac, open Mail settings, select the account, and sign in again through Google’s page. The key is to complete Google’s full browser sign-in, including any two-step verification, rather than typing the password into an old-style password box.

What No Password Provided Really Means

Modern Gmail access in Apple Mail does not work the way old email accounts did. You do not simply store a password that Mail sends to a server. Instead, when you add Gmail through the Google option, Apple Mail uses a secure token granted by Google after you sign in on Google’s own page.

The No Password Provided message appears when that token is missing, expired, or revoked. Mail describes it as a password problem because, from its point of view, it has nothing valid to present to Gmail.

Common Reasons the Token Disappears

• You changed your Google password, which revokes access on other devices for security.
• You completed a Google security check or removed the device from your Google account.
• An iOS or macOS update interrupted the account connection.
• The account was originally added as a manual IMAP account with an old password, rather than through the Google option.
• Two-step verification was turned on or changed, and Mail was never re-authorised afterwards.
• A long period without using Mail on that device let the session expire.

Understanding this explains why simply retyping your password often fails. The fix is not a password field at all in many cases. It is a fresh Google sign-in that issues a new token.

Fix It on iPhone and iPad

Method 1: Re-Enter the Password Through Settings

1. Open Settings and go to Mail, then Accounts.
2. Tap your Gmail account.
3. If you see a Re-enter Password option or a warning at the top, tap it.
4. A Google sign-in page will open. Sign in with your full Gmail address and current password.
5. Complete any two-step verification prompt, such as a code or a tap on another device.
6. Approve access for Apple Mail if Google asks, and make sure Mail is switched on when you return to settings.
7. Open the Mail app, pull down to refresh, and wait for messages to load.

If this flow completes cleanly, the error should disappear and stay gone. Do not close the sign-in page halfway through, because an interrupted authorisation is a leading reason the error returns immediately.

Method 2: Delete and Re-Add the Account

If there is no re-enter option, or re-entering does not help, a fresh setup is more reliable.

1. In Settings, Mail, Accounts, select the Gmail account and tap Delete Account. Gmail messages are stored on Google’s servers, so this does not delete your mailbox.
2. Restart your iPhone.
3. Return to Accounts and tap Add Account.
4. Choose Google from the list. Do not choose Other or set it up manually.
5. Sign in on Google’s page, complete verification, and allow the requested access.
6. Ensure Mail is toggled on, tap Save, then open Mail and let the inbox sync fully. Large mailboxes can take a while on first sync.

A related situation, where mail stops fetching right after a password change, is walked through in this guide about fixing iPhone Mail fetch after a password change, and the re-add method above solves that case too.

Fix It on Mac

Re-Authenticate in Mail Settings

1. Open the Mail app and go to Mail, then Settings or Preferences, then Accounts.
2. Select your Gmail account and look for a sign-in warning or an offline status.
3. If prompted, click to sign in and complete the Google sign-in in your browser window that opens.
4. Alternatively, go to System Settings, then Internet Accounts, select Google, and re-authorise there.

Delete and Re-Add on Mac if Needed

1. In System Settings, Internet Accounts, select the Google account and remove it.
2. Restart the Mail app.
3. Add the account again from Internet Accounts, choosing Google, and complete the full browser sign-in.
4. Open Mail, select the mailbox, and use Mailbox, Get All New Mail to force a sync.

Apple’s current steps for adding accounts are maintained on Apple Support for adding an email account to Mail on Mac, and Google’s side of the process is explained on Google Support for adding Gmail to an email client.

Checks to Make if the Error Keeps Coming Back

Confirm You Can Sign In on Google’s Website

Open a browser and sign in at Gmail directly. If Google blocks the sign-in, asks you to recover the account, or shows a security alert, resolve that first. Apple Mail cannot succeed while Google itself is refusing the sign-in.

Check Google Account Security and Third-Party Access

Review the recent security activity and connected access in your Google account. If you previously removed Apple Mail or iOS access during a tidy-up, that removal is exactly what causes this error, and re-adding the account is the cure. Avoid removing it again unless you retire the device.

Remove Old Manual IMAP Setups

Some users have Gmail added twice: once properly through Google, and once as an old manual IMAP account that uses a saved password. The broken duplicate keeps generating errors. Check your accounts list carefully and remove manual duplicates, keeping only the Google-option account. Never use an app password in Apple Mail for Gmail when the Google sign-in option is available — the token method is the intended and more secure route.

Update iOS or macOS

Install any pending system update, then restart and test Mail again. Account sign-in flows are updated through the operating system, and an outdated version can fail against Google’s current sign-in pages.

How to Prevent It Happening Again

After any Google password change, expect to re-authenticate your Apple devices, and do it proactively through Settings rather than waiting for errors. Keep two-step verification methods up to date so the re-sign-in is never blocked by an old phone number. Avoid force-closing or cancelling Google sign-in pages mid-flow. Finally, if you use the Gmail app as a backup, you will always have a way to read mail while you repair Apple Mail, which takes the pressure off when this error appears at a bad moment.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Typing the password into the wrong place: For accounts added via Google, there is no simple password box to fill. You must complete the Google sign-in page.
• Setting Gmail up through Other: Manual setup invites exactly this error. Always choose the Google option when adding Gmail.
• Closing the verification step early: Backing out of a code or approval prompt leaves the token unissued, so the error returns at once.
• Deleting the account without restarting: A restart between deleting and re-adding clears stale account data and makes the fresh setup far more reliable.
• Using an old password after a change: Always use the current Google password. If you are unsure, reset it through Google first, then re-add the account once.
• Assuming your mail is deleted: The error is about access, not data. Your Gmail is safe on Google’s servers while Mail is disconnected.

Conclusion

The No Password Provided error for Gmail in Apple Mail means the secure sign-in token between Apple and Google is missing or has been revoked, most often after a password change or security event. Fix it by re-entering the password through Mail account settings, or more reliably by deleting and re-adding the account using the Google option and completing the full sign-in, including verification. Apply the same re-authentication on Mac through Internet Accounts. Once the token is renewed, Gmail syncs normally again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Mail say no password provided when I never removed it?

Because Apple Mail uses a token from Google, not just a stored password. When Google revokes that token after a password change, a security review, or an update, Mail reports that it has no password to use, even though you changed nothing in Mail itself.

Will deleting and re-adding Gmail delete my emails?

No. Gmail is stored on Google’s servers. Deleting the account from your iPhone or Mac only removes the local connection. When you re-add it and sync finishes, all your mail, folders, and labels reappear.

Should I use an app password for Gmail in Apple Mail?

No, not when the Google sign-in option is available. App passwords are for older apps that cannot show Google’s sign-in page. Apple Mail fully supports the proper sign-in, which is safer and far less likely to trigger this error.

The re-enter password option is not showing. What can I do?

Go straight to the delete and re-add method. It achieves the same result more thoroughly. Before deleting, confirm you can sign in to Gmail in a browser so you know your current password and verification methods work.

Does this error affect sending as well as receiving?

Yes, usually both. Without a valid token, Mail can neither fetch new messages nor send through Gmail’s outgoing server. Once you re-authenticate, test both by sending yourself a message and confirming it arrives.