Problem with Weathercat sending out admin emails

[mfed]

As of 5th June 2022 Weathercat has suddenly stopped sending my usual admin emails - something that had worked flawlessly for many years.  I haven't altered any settings anywhere!  I use gmail.  Apple Mail still work fine on that system.

I have checked the SMTP settings, Username, PW, Port, etc and it all checks out fine, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

The only relevant post I have found is a similar issue which was solved by changing a setting within Gmail - "Allow less secure Apps to send emails".  Unfortunately Google has disabled this feature altogether and so I cannot try this.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

mfed

[mfed]

Just came across this from Google:

Less secure apps & your Google Account

To help keep your account secure, from May 30, 2022, ​​Google no longer supports the use of third-party apps or devices which ask you to sign in to your Google Account using only your username and password.

Important: This deadline does not apply to Google Workspace or Google Cloud Identity customers. The enforcement date for these customers will be announced on the Workspace blog at a later date.

For more information, continue to read.

If an app or site doesn’t meet our security standards, Google might block anyone who’s trying to sign in to your account from it. Less secure apps can make it easier for hackers to get in to your account, so blocking sign-ins from these apps helps keep your account safe.

[elagache]

Dear mfed and WeatherCat faithful,

Unfortunately, your own research appears to have uncovered the most likely cause and Google has become a large bureaucratic company with all the insensitivity that implies.

The only suggestion I can offer is to switch to some other email service for your WeatherCat emails.  You could certainly ask the WeatherCat community for suggestions if that would help you.

Sorry for your misfortune.

Edouard

[mcrossley]

Gmail still allows apps to login to send email via the addition of app passwords, however you have to enable 2FA on your main Google logon for this feature to be enabled. See https://support.google.com/mail/answer/185833

[mfed]

Thank you very much mcrossley...

A combination of activating 2FA and setting up an App PW seems to have done the trick and everything works now!

Thanks again for your help.

mfed

[Blicj11]

Gmail still allows apps to login to send email via the addition of app passwords, however you have to enable 2FA on your main Google logon for this feature to be enabled. See https://support.google.com/mail/answer/185833

Thanks for pointing this out, Mark. I was having the same issue with WeatherCat no longer sending emails via my gmail account and your link told me exactly how to resolve the issue. I am now back in business with WeatherCat emails.

[LesCimes]

Am playing "catch-up" on managing my weather station and the software after several years of absence. I too discovered that the email via gmail.com was no longer working. The tips above guided me through the new required settings. Glad to report that WeatherCat email announcements are back working thanks to the forum postings.

[glenwood]

Yes I am a simpleton and I need help.  I tried to switch to gmail to send my data.  That didn't work.  I read through the advice here and still can't get it to work, so tried to switch back to my old email.  Now that won't work.
I have gone back and read through the manual. 
What do I put in the "Email "from"Field"  ?
Maybe I have that wrong.

Thank you

[Blicj11]

We are all simpletons, it just depends on the subject.

I don't think it matters what you put in the From field. Mine has a made up email address.

If you want to try to get gmail working, you have to turn on 2FA and set up an App password for WeatherCat. Both of these things are done in your gmail account settings, not in Weather Cat.

Here are the instructions for your gmail account:

• Go to your Google Account.
• Select Security.
• Under "How you sign in to Google," select 2-Step Verification.
• If you have previously turned on 2-Step Verification you can skip this step. If not, turn it on now and use your iPhone or iPad as your verification device.
• Scroll to the bottom of the 2-step Verification page, select App passwords.
• At the bottom of the window, Click on Select App.
• Type WeatherCat.app
• Select Generate.
• Copy the password it generates so you can paste it into Weather Cat.

Then in WeatherCat Preferences|Email, use the following settings:
SMPT Server: smtp.gmail.com
Port 587
User: Your gmail login name
Password: Paste the password you just generated in your gmail settings IMPORTANT: This is NOT your gmail account password – it is the password you just generated
Authentication: Check this box
Email 'From' Field: Anything that looks like an email address, including your gmail address
Admin Addresses: Your gmail address
User Addresses: Leave blank

You should now be able to click on the Test Now button. If it doesn't work, it will usually give you an error message in the popup box telling you what to fix.

By the way, I did this and it worked great for 13 months. I noticed it stopped working 4 days ago. I went into my Gmail account and deleted the WeatherCat.app password and regenerated it. I copied that password back into WeatherCat and the email notification account in WC is working again. Has to be a Google thing. Or Alphabet, if you prefer.

[glenwood]

Thanks Blicj11 for you quick response.   I am working on it.

[glenwood]

Woo Hoo....just letting you know Bliccj11, that a month later, I carefully followed your instructions and gmail now works.  Thank you!

[Blicj11]

Just to summarize the WeatherCat Admin email issue, if Admin emails stop working:

• Install the Xcode Command Line Tools - Xcode 14.3.1 CLT will resolve the issue - you do not have to be a developer, just sign in with your apple id
• If you use a gmail address you have to enable 2FA on your gmail account
• Then create a third-party app password to use in WeatherCat for your email admin password in place of your actual gmail password
• Your mileage may vary
• Tax, title, and licensing fees not included

Note: I updated Xcode to 15 and WC admin emails stopped working - when I reverted to Xcode 14.3.CLT 1 I had to create a new third-party app password in my gmail account for WC before WC admin emails resumed functioning.

[coveredinoil]

Another  to say "create a third-party app password to use in WeatherCat for your email admin password in place of your actual gmail password" worked a treat.

[Blicj11]

Thanks for the feedback. I also walked my brother through this over the phone and it worked for him too.

[drewaz]

sorry to resurrect an old post but I'm having a similar problem.

Recently I switched to iCloud for email and now WC can't send emails.  ISP is Cox as it was before changing email to iCloud ... it worked as expected before changing my email address.

I generated an Apple app specific password and entered it into WC.
changed SMTP server to smtp.mail.me.com
port:  587
authentication is checked
ISP: Cox.
M1 Mac, Ventura 13.6.6
Also I tried using imap.mail.me.com and port 993 ....  same results
quit then opened WC

I have tried both test buttons and get this response:  'mail test failed"

I must be missing something and hope one of you experts can point me in the right direction!

as always, thanks for the help.
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