Error setting up email: the IMAP server doesn't support Password authentication

[Poppi]

Bell email was successfully installed and running properly on my ipads; one a regular ipad and the other a new ipad pro. I also have Bell email set up and running on my iphone. Everything was working properly until I tried to change my email password on the devices. The password change worked on my iPhone but not on my two iPads. I have tried deleting the accounts and adding them again but I always get the error that "the IMAP server "imap.bell.net" doesn't support Password authentication". I try adding the account manually with no success. Very frustrating to have things work correctly one minute but not the next. Any help would be appreciated.

[Langland88]

I am trying to set up my first ever Bell email account on my new iPhone 14 Pro Max. I follow all the steps but at the end I get the error message "does not support Password authentication". I have followed all the steps in the tutorial Bell provides and can't see where I'm going wrong. I am using the usual standard for passwords -- a combo of upper and lower case letters, at least one number and at least one symbol. Are there, perhaps, limits on the symbols and numbers one can use? Anything else?

[WelshTerrier]

Are you trying to set up a new Bell email account or you trying to login to and setup an existing Bell Email account?

Do you have an existing Bell email address?

If you are trying to set up a new Bell email address, this option is no longer available. Bell has stopped providing email addresses. If you need an email address, you will need to obtain one from an outside supplier such as Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, Mail, etc.

If you have an existing Bell email address, you can verify you email information in MyBell > My Profiles > My Billing & services > Service Profiles. You can also try logging in the your Bell email from a web browser. From there you can also select t> "I forgot My Email address or password" & request a reset.

If you need further assistance let us know on the Bell Community Forum.

[Langland88]

Thank you so much, WelshTerrier. Much appreciated. Of course, the welcome email I got from Bell said no such thing about new Bell email addresses. Such is life.

[WelshTerrier]

I will assume you linked your Mail app account using iCloud between the  three devices. If so, I suspect your conflict & set up issues are caused by syncing your email account & the saved password change you made.

It is important to understand that if you are using iCloud to sync & share between devices; E.g. Make a mail setting change in one device related to a mail account that these changes are synced between devices using Apple iCloud. e.g.  Passwords, iCloud Mail, etc. etc. etc.

Try this, delete the accounts on both iPads, power down both devices. Verify that everything is working as it should be on the iPhone. Power up one iPad & make sure that the iPhone & iPad are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Re-create the email account on the iPad. Wait for it to Sync with iCloud & the iPhone. Verify it is working. If it is working, problem solved & you can continue by following the same instructions with the second iPad.

Hopefully this will rectify your mail account issues.

Please keep us posted if you require further assistance on the Bell Community Forum.

[Poppi]

Thanks for your reply. In the past I have been able to successfully access my Sympatico IMAP email on multiple devices without having to sync them. The problem I am having now is that, when I try to add the email account back on to my iPad, I constantly get the message that the server does not support SSL. This has happened in the past but I was always able to get the email to work by deleting and adding the account a few times. 

[ZaneP · Accepted solution]

Hi @Poppi 

Just for clarity: there aren't password problems on your iPhone. It's only on the iPad?

The password would be common across all devices connecting an email client to your "incoming" email server (imap.bell,net). Bell certainly supports SSL: it's actually a requirement. The port is 993.

My suggestion is to try Bell's web-browser based email temporarily, even if it's not your preferred way to get your mail. This will eliminate any quirky behaviour between your iPad OS email client and Bell's server.  You'll be able to check that your latest/newest email password is getting you a successful login.

Go to https://bell.ca/webmail.

There are other problem-solving steps to look at, but I'd start with this one. Keep us posted.

[Poppi · Accepted solution]

Thank you to everyone who replied to my issue. I tried to add the account again on my iPads with no success so I installed Outlook (free for iPad) and was able to get the Sympatico email installed and configured on all my devices with no issues in less than 5 minutes. I suspect it was a problem with the native iPad Mail client interacting with the Bell IMAP servers. I was quite impressed with how fast Outlook automatically found all the details of the connection and configured the app. Very nice!

[ZaneP · Accepted solution]

Glad you got this working! Outlook is a very stable mail client. It's been around for literally decades.

[Trying Hard]

I recently upgraded my iPhone from a 12 to a 14 but now cannot create my sympatico mailbox. 

I have tried every aspect of the following link, several times, after restarting my phone. Tried different ports. It still just says that the imap server doesn't accept password authentication. I tried a pop version but that also failed. Is there someone who has an idea of how to fix this please?

How to set up Bell email on my Apple iPhone

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day & Welcome to the Bell Community Forum.

Is your Bell email account still active? Have you tried logging in to your Bell email account using a web browser? If not, please do so. This will confirm your login, password & that your email account is still activated. (Keep in mind if you repeatedly enter the wrong information, the system will lock you out for a short time period. You will need to try logging in later.)

If unable to login with a web browser, try doing a password reset. Please follow these instructions.

1. Open your web browser: copy & paste or enter the following web link into the location address bar at the top of page in your web browser: https://webmail.bell.net/  (This will take you to the Bell email login page.)
2. At the login screen, there is an option to select: I forgot my Email Address or Password. Please Select > Password.
3. This will open up another web link: Log in to MyBell . Select this link.
4. Log in to MyBell with your Username and Password.
5. This will take you to the web page: Manage email address(es). Follow the onscreen instructions to change your password & save this change.

After you have reset your password, try logging back in to you Bell email account with a browser. If you are now able to do so, log out, & now try setting up your iPhone Bell email account. To begin with, delete the previous account setup, restart your device & setup your account from the beginning.

How to reset my Bell email password

How to set up Bell email on my Apple iPhone

Thank you for posting your question.

Take care.

[Trying Hard]

Yes, I can login just fine on webmail. The issue is with the phone setup. 

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day

Thank you for your reply & verifying your email account.

Is this a new iPhone? Did you purchase this Apple iPhone 14 from Bell or another supplier?

Have you deleted the previous email account setup on your iPhone 14? Please restart your device & setup your account from the beginning.

Is everything else working on this device? Have you contacted Apple Support Canada?

How to set up Bell email on my Apple iPhone

Thank you for posting your question.

Take care.

[Trying Hard]

This is a new phone, purchased through Telus. Previous account is deleted. I've restarted, deleted, restarted, multiple times. Based on the response received regarding the imap server not accepting passwords, I'm pretty sure this is a Bell Sympatico issue. 

[Trying Hard]

Could it be that the new requirements for two factor identification are messing things up?