Alternative to Outlook?

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Groucho

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#3499791 3-Jun-2026 10:33

I'll be the lone voice to say Gmail works well using the native Mac desktop Mail app. I have two Gmail accounts configured.

Can't speak for iOS as use Thunderbird for Android (formerly K9-Mail) but that also works well.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#3499794 3-Jun-2026 10:52

MikeAqua:

nedkelly:

Can confirm Gmail works great with Thunderbird, I have it on a machine at home.

Do you have to re-authorise gmail accounts every few week/months or is it one and done?

Provided you connect regularly, it will use the refresh token to obtain a new access token as required. Manual intervention is only required if the refresh token expires.

And just so it's repeated again for those who don't know... OAuth2 is not an authentication protocol, it's an authorisation protocol.

MikeAqua

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#3499796 3-Jun-2026 11:00

SirHumphreyAppleby:

Provided you connect regularly, it will use the refresh token to obtain a new access token as required. Manual intervention is only required if the refresh token expires.

And just so it's repeated again for those who don't know... OAuth2 is not an authentication protocol, it's an authorisation protocol.

Is that specific to Thunderbird or is Outlook supposed to do this too?

In my case it isn't. I've had it go to re-auth only a few hours after a previous session.

Mike

gzt

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#3499797 3-Jun-2026 11:04

For Outlook I suspect that is not normal behavior. Google tells me you have some auth problem maybe related to cached credentials from a previous auth.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#3499848 3-Jun-2026 11:30

MikeAqua:

Is that specific to Thunderbird or is Outlook supposed to do this too?

In my case it isn't. I've had it go to re-auth only a few hours after a previous session.

That shouldn't be the case. OAuth2 is a bit of a black box though. A provider can distinguish between clients and apply different rules. Plus, there are a bunch of other factors to consider, such as if you change your password, tokens may invalidated on some platforms but not others.

Google's OAuth2 Playground issues refresh tokens that are only valid for 7 days (IIRC), but if you register a client, they're valid for longer. It's entirely feasible Outlook is treated differently from Thunderbird, but what you describe sounds like a bug.

MikeAqua

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#3499918 3-Jun-2026 15:13

gzt: For Outlook I suspect that is not normal behavior. Google tells me you have some auth problem maybe related to cached credentials from a previous auth.

I do have two accounts linked to Outlook, but that shouldn't be an issue. Other than those, there are no previous auths. Only two email accounts have ever been added to outlook on this machine.

I think I'll try my luck with Thunderbird and see how I get on. It's free anyway, so nothing to lose.

Mike

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Technofreak

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#3500798 6-Jun-2026 16:47

askelon:

I use thunderbird for multiple gmail/google workspace accounts. Works perfectly. And yes I also have gmail installed as a web app - I find using that is better for lots of searching but thunderbird is a nicer interface for every day use. Outlook Classic was ok with the Google Workspace sync tool, new Outlook just breaks so often.

You don't have to use new Outlook even though that's what Microsoft tries to force upon you. There is another version of Outlook that works much better it just takes a bit of effort to find. I went through this about a year ago. I think I posted on Geekzone about it. I'll try to dig up that post.

Edit.

Here's the post https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=45&topicid=322830&page_no=1#3424944

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MikeAqua

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#3501224 8-Jun-2026 11:10

Technofreak:

You don't have to use new Outlook even though that's what Microsoft tries to force upon you. There is another version of Outlook that works much better it just takes a bit of effort to find. I went through this about a year ago. I think I posted on Geekzone about it. I'll try to dig up that post.

Edit.

Here's the post https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=45&topicid=322830&page_no=1#3424944

Thanks. I think I'll give Thunderbird a try first. if that doesn't work, I'll try classic Outlook.

Mike

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