A handful of Mac owners say they can't add Outlook accounts to Apple Mail after recent macOS updates, but the scope and cause of the problem remain murky.

The reports in the Apple forums describe failed authentication when trying to add Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Live accounts to Mail. Errors range from "Authentication Failed" to "Unable to verify account name or password."

So far, iCloud, Gmail, and Microsoft 365 Exchange accounts appear unaffected. None of the staffers at AppleInsider have been able to replicate the bug either.

The problem surfaced in early October 2025 across multiple forums, including Apple Discussions and Reddit. Some users running macOS Tahoe 26.0.1 hit the snag after upgrading, while others on macOS Sequoia 15.7.1 reported the same behavior.

That overlap suggests the issue may not be tied to Tahoe alone. Instead, it could reflect a broader authentication problem between Apple Mail and Microsoft's personal email services.

What users are seeing

One MacBook Pro owner noted Outlook worked fine on iPhone and iPad, but not on their Mac after the Tahoe update. Another user said Apple's support team recommended updating the OS or using Microsoft's Outlook app, neither of which solved the problem.

Others point to missing account options inside Mail. Mac users previously had the choice to add "Outlook.com" directly, but newer macOS builds only offer Exchange or IMAP.

Some speculate that change is tripping up Microsoft's authentication process. A few also believe Microsoft's Authenticator app integration might be failing on macOS.

Temporary Outlook fixes on Mac

So far, workarounds are spotty. Some have tried configuring IMAP manually with servers outlook.office365.com and smtp.office365.com.

A few got it working, but others say the same setup still fails. The most reliable path for now is using Microsoft's standalone Outlook app or sticking to webmail.

Mac owners who like having all their accounts in Apple Mail are stuck juggling multiple apps. The problem is frustrating, but it doesn't affect everyone.

Neither Apple nor Microsoft has publicly addressed the problem. The lack of clarity leaves users speculating whether the fault lies in Apple's Mail app, Microsoft's authentication servers, or some combination.

Given the relatively small number of confirmed cases, it's not accurate to call this a widespread outage. For now, most Mac users appear unaffected.

The issue was first spotted by PiunikaWeb.