Learning how to check Outlook app passwords matters if you use Outlook with two-factor authentication, legacy mail clients, or older devices.
This guide explains where app passwords exist, how to review them, and what to do when Outlook no longer accepts a sign-in.
What Outlook app passwords are
An app password is a special one-time-generated password used by certain apps or devices that cannot complete modern multifactor authentication.
In Microsoft accounts and Microsoft 365 environments, app passwords are typically created for legacy email clients, scanners, printers, or older versions of Outlook that do not support modern authentication.
Unlike your normal Microsoft account password, an app password is usually not reusable everywhere and is often designed for a specific app or device.
That makes it important to know whether one exists, whether it is still active, and whether it should be removed and replaced.
How to check Outlook app passwords in your Microsoft account
In most cases, you cannot view an app password after it is created.
Microsoft usually displays it only once at creation for security reasons.
What you can do is check whether app passwords are enabled, review the devices or apps that rely on them, and revoke old ones if needed.
Check the Security info page
For personal Microsoft accounts, app password settings are usually managed from the Security info area of your account.
Sign in to your Microsoft account and open the security settings page.
Look for sections related to two-step verification, advanced security options, or additional sign-in methods.
If app passwords are available for your account, you may see an option to create a new one.
If they are not shown, the feature may be disabled by your security settings or unavailable because your account uses modern authentication everywhere.
Review Microsoft 365 and Exchange settings
In work or school environments, app passwords are controlled by Microsoft Entra ID and Exchange Online policies.
End users usually cannot see a list of existing app passwords in Outlook itself.
Instead, an administrator can review authentication policies, conditional access rules, and legacy authentication settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center or Entra admin center.
If your organization has disabled legacy authentication, app passwords may no longer be allowed at all.
That is common in modern security configurations and is often the reason an older Outlook profile stops connecting.
Can you see an app password inside Outlook?
No.
Outlook does not show stored app passwords in a readable form.
The desktop app, Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook on the web, and the mobile app all hide credentials for security purposes.
If Outlook is already signed in, it may store an authentication token or saved credential through Windows Credential Manager, macOS Keychain, or the device’s secure storage.
However, these are not displayed as a plain-text app password that you can simply read back.
Where Outlook credentials may be stored instead
If you are troubleshooting sign-in issues, the problem is often not the app password itself but a saved credential or token that needs to be refreshed.
Common storage locations include:
- Windows Credential Manager for Outlook on Windows and other Microsoft apps
- macOS Keychain for Outlook on Mac
- Google Password Manager or device credential storage on some mobile devices
- Microsoft account security pages for account-level authentication settings
Checking these places helps identify whether Outlook is using an old password, cached token, or outdated sign-in method.
How to find out whether an app password is still needed
Before creating or replacing an app password, confirm whether the app or device actually requires one.
Many modern Outlook installations now support modern authentication and no longer need app passwords.
Signs that you may still need one
- You are using an older version of Outlook or Office
- You connect Outlook to an account with MFA enabled and repeated password prompts appear
- A printer, scanner, or mail relay needs SMTP access
- Your organization allows only basic sign-in for a legacy system
Signs that you do not need one
- You use the latest Outlook desktop or Outlook mobile app
- Your account signs in through Microsoft Authenticator, passkeys, or modern MFA
- Admin policies in Microsoft 365 block legacy authentication
If the app supports modern sign-in, removing old app passwords is usually the safer choice.
How to create a new Outlook app password if needed
Because existing app passwords are not normally viewable, the practical way to check Outlook app passwords is often to create a new one if the old one is lost or invalid.
For a personal Microsoft account, go to the security settings, turn on two-step verification if needed, and choose the option to create an app password.
For work or school accounts, the administrator must allow app passwords.
If they are permitted, the account security page may display the option after MFA is enabled.
Once generated, copy the password immediately and paste it into the device or app that needs it.
Best practice is to label the app password by device or purpose if the Microsoft interface allows it.
For example, use names such as “Outlook on older laptop” or “Scanner SMTP” so you can identify it later.
How to remove or replace outdated app passwords
If an old app password may have been exposed, stop using it right away and create a new one only if needed.
Deleting old app passwords reduces risk, especially for legacy devices that may not support stronger security controls.
To remove one, return to the account’s security settings and look for app password management, additional security verification, or sign-in methods.
In Microsoft 365 environments, administrators may need to reset MFA methods, disable legacy auth, or require modern authentication to fully eliminate app passwords.
If you cannot delete the password directly, change the main account password and revoke active sessions.
That will force connected apps to sign in again.
Common Outlook issues that look like an app password problem
Many sign-in errors are mislabeled as password issues.
Before assuming an app password is broken, check these common causes:
- Expired Outlook profile that needs to be recreated
- Cached credentials in Windows Credential Manager
- Modern authentication disabled in Exchange or Entra settings
- Multi-factor authentication prompt failure in an older client
- Incorrect IMAP, POP, or SMTP settings for third-party mail apps
On Windows, clearing old Outlook credentials and signing in again often resolves the issue faster than searching for an app password that is no longer valid.
Security best practices for Outlook app passwords
App passwords should be treated as temporary compatibility tools, not permanent security solutions.
Use them only when necessary and retire them when the device or app can use modern authentication.
- Use a unique app password for each device or app
- Store it only in approved password managers or secure documentation
- Do not share it through email or chat
- Replace it if the device is lost or reimaged
- Prefer Microsoft Authenticator, passkeys, and modern MFA whenever possible
Organizations using Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, or Microsoft Entra should also audit legacy authentication regularly and disable it where business requirements allow.
When to ask an administrator for help
If you use a managed Microsoft account, your organization may restrict app passwords entirely.
Contact your IT administrator if you cannot see app password settings, if Outlook keeps asking for credentials, or if a device that used to work suddenly fails after a security policy change.
Administrators can confirm whether app passwords are permitted, whether conditional access is blocking sign-in, and whether the mailbox is configured for modern authentication only.
They can also tell you if the right fix is a new app password, a new Outlook profile, or a policy update.