How to connect Yahoo, AOL, Fastmail & co

The spare-key trick 🔑

Some email companies don’t let new apps in with your normal password. Yahoo, AOL, Fastmail, Yandex and Mail.ru all work this way.

Instead, they ask you to make a special password just for Talanoa. They call it an app password. Think of it as a spare key you give to one friend: it opens the door, but your main key stays in your pocket. And if you ever want, you can throw that spare key away without changing your real password.

Talanoa recognizes these companies by itself and tells you exactly what to do. You just follow along.

Step 1: Start adding your account

If this is your first time opening Talanoa: click Other email provider.

If you already have an account in Talanoa: click the + at the bottom of your accounts list, on the left side of the window. Then click Custom Provider (SMTP/IMAP). (Don’t worry about the funny letters. It just means “any other email”.)

Then:

1. Type your Full name. This is the name people see when you send them an email.
2. Type your Email address, like [email protected].
3. Click Continue.

Talanoa shows the name of your email company with Detected automatically. For example, Yahoo Mail or Fastmail.

Step 2: Make your special password

Right under the company name, Talanoa shows a small purple box that explains where to make the app password. It has a Generate App Password link.

1. Click Generate App Password. Your browser opens the right page of your email account. Sign in if asked.
2. Follow the steps on that page to create a new app password. When it asks for a name, type Talanoa.
3. Copy the password it shows you. Many companies show it only once, so copy it right away.

Here’s roughly where it lives, in case you want to find it yourself:

• Yahoo: Account security → Generate app password.
• AOL: Account security → Generate app password.
• Fastmail: Settings → Privacy & Security → app passwords → New App Password.
• Yandex: Yandex ID → Security → App passwords.
• Mail.ru: Settings → Security → App passwords.

Don’t see anything about app passwords? Most companies only show it once two-step sign-in is turned on. That’s the thing where you get a code on your phone when you sign in. Turn it on in your account’s security settings, then come back.

Step 3: Paste it in Talanoa

1. Go back to Talanoa.
2. Paste your special password in the App Password box.
3. Click Test & Add Account.

Talanoa checks that it can receive and send emails. It only takes a few seconds.

And… that’s it! 🎉 Your emails start arriving. If your mailbox is big, the first time can take a little while. Perfect moment to stretch your legs.

What about GMX, Zoho, Orange and the others?

Talanoa knows lots of other email companies too: GMX, Web.de, T-Online, Zoho, Mail.com, Mailbox.org, La Poste, Orange, Free, SFR, Libero and more.

For most of them, there’s no special password. Talanoa simply asks for your normal Password. Same steps, just easier.

Your company isn’t on the list? Talanoa will still try. See Connect any other email.

Something went wrong?

“It says it could not connect.” Make sure you pasted the app password, not your normal password. That’s the most common mix-up, so don’t feel bad. If you lost it, just make a new one.

“I use GMX (or Web.de) and my normal password doesn’t work.” Some companies switch off email apps by default. Sign in to your account on the web, find the setting that allows email apps (often called POP3/IMAP), turn it on, and try again.

“I already have one account and Talanoa asks me to upgrade.” The free version of Talanoa lets you use one account. To add more, you need Talanoa Pro.

Still stuck? Write to us at [email protected]. A real human will answer.