Before you make changes to your account on your device or application, you can check whether basic or modern authentication is in use. This step is recommended for macOS/iOS Mail and optional for other email apps.
Outlook for Windows 2016 or higher
- Launch Outlook
- Press and hold the Control key and right-click the Outlook tray icon
- Select Connection Status from the popup menu
- Select the General tab
- Review the Authn column
- Clear indicates a basic authentication connection
- Bearer indicates a modern authentication connection
- If any connections are listed as Clear, continue with the remaining steps before removing and re-adding the Exchange account
- Look for the the following registry keys:
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\Identity\EnableADAL
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\Identity\Version
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity\EnableADAL
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity\Version
- If any of the keys exist, set their DWORD values to 1
- If any connections were listed as Clear, see Outlook for Windows: Add/Remove Exchange Account

Outlook for Windows - IMAP Accounts
- Click File
- Click the Account Settings button
- Select Account Settings from the drop-down menu
- IMAP accounts appear with a type of IMAP/SMTP
- The Exchange account must be removed and added back. See IMAP: Add/Remove Exchange Account
Outlook for Mac 2019 or higher
- From the Tools menu select Accounts
- Select email account in the left pane

- Check the Password field
- If the Password field is blank or says "Microsoft sync technology," Outlook is using modern authentication. No further action required.
- If the password field is not blank, assume basic authentication is in use. The Exchange account must be removed and added back. See Outlook for Mac: Add/Remove Exchange Account.
macOS Mail
- From the Mail menu, select Preferences
- Select the Accounts toolbar icon
- Select your email account from the left pane
- If the Password field is visible and is not blank, Basic Authentication is in use. The Exchange account must be removed and added back. See macOS Mail: Add/Remove Exchange Account.
iOS Mail
- Open the Settings app
- Find the iOS version installed on your device, go to General, then tap About.
- For iOS 14 or later, select Mail > Accounts. For iOS 13 and below, select Passwords & Accounts.
- Select your email account
- Tap Account
- In the Account detail window, if Server and Password fields appear Basic Authentication is in use. The Exchange account must be removed and added back. See iOS Mail: Add/Remove Exchange Account
Outlook for Android
Basic authentication settings are not visible. Remove and add the account back. See Outlook for Android: Add/Remove Exchange Account
Outlook for iOS
- Open the Outlook app
- Tap the user icon at the upper left
- Select the gear at lower left
- Select your account
- At the bottom of the screen, if Edit Login Information appears, Basic Authentication is in use. The Exchange account must be removed and added back. See Outlook for iOS: Add/Remove Exchange Account
Thunderbird 78.0 or higher
- From the Tools menu select Account Settings
- Select Server Setting from the left pane
- In the Security Settings section, if Authentication Method is Normal Password, Basic Authentication is in use. The Exchange account must be updated. See Thunderbird: Update Princeton Exchange Account to Modern Authentication