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Gmail and Outlook sitting in a tree, not t-a-l-k-i-n-g to me or thee

Thunderbird also affected as legacy email authentication enjoys a Monday wobble

Nobody likes Mondays, least of all Google's Gmail, the POP3 and IMAP services of which fell over this morning to deprive Monday morning mailers their start-of-week fix.

The issues appeared to kick off at around 11:30 BST and continues to prevent those who prefer to access their Googly mail via means other than the browser. The problem appears to be related to POP3 and IMAP access; if you're connecting to Google's servers using those services, then sending and receiving email could be a challenge.

Google had planned to turn off access to G Suite account data for apps not using OAuth for first-time users from 15 June 2020 and all accounts from 15 February 2021, but back-pedalled in March, putting the move on hold "until further notice."

Or until Star Wars day, judging by the wailing on Twitter.

Google itself has remained tight-lipped on the issue, with its Gmail social media orifice insisting there were no disruptions. Indeed, devices or apps running with OAuth have continued to behave correctly and the Gmail website is unaffected.

Far be it from us to suggest that this might be a fitting reminder that it is time to consider a move to something a little more modern rather than trying to access Google email from a third party client.

The G Suite team, doubtless mindful that people tend to pay for its services, acknowledged a problem and reassured users that the problem is being looked into.

The Register has contacted Google to find out who kicked the plug out of that ageing server under the desk. We will update if a response is forthcoming. ®

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