Microsoft"s Outlook apps on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android already support Apple iCloud accounts, allowing users to enjoy iCloud Mail, Calendar, and Contacts inside the Outlook experience. However, to configure the same, users have to create and enter app-specific passwords, which is a cumbersome process.
Today, Microsoft announced a better way to add an iCloud account to Outlook apps. With the new OAuth 2.0 authentication support for iCloud inside Outlook apps, users can just sign in with their Apple Account to access their iCloud Mail, Calendar, and Contacts data. During the OAuth setup, users have to allow Microsoft Outlook to access their Apple account data by accepting the request on the permissions page.
For users who already have configured iCloud on Outlook using the old app-specific password method, it will continue to work. But in the coming months, Microsoft will ask them to sign in using the new OAuth 2.0 flow.
The new OAuth 2.0-based iCloud Mail, Calendar, and Contacts authentication flow is rolling out to the new Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and Outlook for iOS and Android. For classic Outlook for Windows users, Microsoft recommends using the new Outlook for Windows.
For classic Outlook for Windows users who can"t upgrade to the new Outlook for Windows, an iCloud app-password, also known as an application password is required. Please note that this is a different password than a regular iCloud account password and users can generate it using the following procedure:
- Open a web browser and go to the Apple ID website. Enter your Apple ID and password.
- If you already turned on two-factor authentication, you"ll receive a code on one of your trusted devices. Enter this code to continue. Otherwise, turn on two-factor authentication.
- From Sign-In and Security, select App-Specific Passwords > Generate an app-specific password.
- Type a name for the App-Specific Password and select Create. (If prompted, enter your iCloud password and select Continue.)
- Copy the app-specific password and select Done. The app-password usually has 16-characters separated by dashes, such as xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx. The app-password is case-sensitive.
- Use the generated password to add your iCloud account in Outlook for Windows.
This update removes a significant point of friction for iCloud users within the Microsoft ecosystem, making the Outlook app a more seamless and integrated hub for all their email accounts.