How can I add my Xfinity mail account to the New Outlook?

Question

How can I add my Xfinity mail account to the New Outlook?

Veit Marschner 0

Since December 10, 2025 I cannot see my new emails in New Outlook any more. I know that many emails have been sent to me because I see them in my Xfinity email account. I have chatted with a support agent I connected by clicking on Help>Support within New Outlook. The last troubleshooting step the agent suggested was to remove my mail account in New Outlook. Now I cannot sign into New Outlook any more. When I try to connect to the mail account suggested by New Outlook I get the message shown in the screen shot below.

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I then clicked on "Advanced Setup" and selected IMAP from the list of providers shown in the next screen shot.

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As password I used the password for my email account with Xfinity. Outlook then tells me that my emails need to be synced to the Microsoft Cloud (see screen shot below).

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After I click on "Continue", Outlook gives me the message that my sign in failed (see 1st screen shot). I have tried this a couple of times but no luck. The error message also says that I may need an app password. However, when I first set up New Outlook last year, I did not need an app password. This whole problem started after I installed Windows update 2025-12 Security Update ([Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]) ([Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]). I have tried to uninstall it but to no avail. Windows does not let me uninstall it. Can anybody help with setting up New Outlook so I don't have to use Xfinity's website to access my emails?

1 answer

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Answer 1

Chloe-V 2,940 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Veit Marschner,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

I have reviewed your description and the incident in the new Outlook sign-in process for Windows when adding an email account using the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). The new Outlook integrates non-Microsoft accounts through a cloud sync step; if the local Outlook state or the automatically detected settings do not match, the sign-in process may not complete.

Below are Outlook‑only actions to resolve the incident:

Step 1: Update New Outlook and restart the application

Open the Microsoft Store.
Select Downloads and updates, then choose Get updates to install the latest version of Outlook.
Restart New Outlook and try adding the account again.
Keeping the application current often stabilizes the IMAP onboarding and sign‑in experience.

Step 2: Clear the local Outlook state and re‑add the account

Completely close New Outlook.
Open File Explorer and navigate to: %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\
Delete or rename the folders named Olk and OneAuth
Launch New Outlook and add the account again.
Resetting these local folders frequently resolves incidents caused by cached authentication or profile data.

Step 3: Add the account using manual server settings inside Outlook

In New Outlook, open Settings > Accounts > Email accounts > Add account.
Enter your email address and choose Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP).
Select Show more, then turn off “Use recommended settings.”
Enter the exact Internet Message Access Protocol and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol server values provided by your email provider directly in Outlook.
When prompted with “Sync your IMAP account to Outlook”, choose Continue to permit the cloud synchronization required by the new client.

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Veit Marschner 0 Reputation points

2025-12-11T22:42:37.0866667+00:00

Dear Chloe-V,

I really appreciate your advice and thank you very much for your prompt response. Unfortunately, steps 1 and 2 did not solve my issue. I can't perform step 3 because when I open the new Outlook, it is asking me for my password. When I enter it, it takes quite some time to let me know that my sign in failed. I tried today again several times but always fail to sign in. I use a password manager. Therefore, there is no chance that I might make typos. I enter the same password that I use to access my email account in Xfinity. I assume this is the password I am supposed to use, correct? I also changed my password and tried to enter my account to New Outlook but still unsuccessful. I could just continue to use Xfinity to check on my emails but I like Outlook better if it would only work again! Any other thoughts?
Veit Marschner 0 Reputation points

2025-12-11T22:48:31.09+00:00

Chloe-V,

I also wanted to share some troubleshooting details with you. Please see below.
Veit Marschner 0 Reputation points

2025-12-11T22:55:28.2633333+00:00

Chloe-V,

I am not sure if I sent you a screenshot with Outlook's troubleshooting details. Please see below.
Chloe-V 2,940 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-12T09:45:51.9466667+00:00
Hi Veit Marschner,

Thank you for providing the details and screenshots. Based on your description and the message code shown in New Outlook, this is typically an incident related to the IMAP onboarding process in New Outlook. If Xfinity blocks third‑party app access or requires an application password, the account setup will not complete.

To resolve this quickly, please follow these steps:

Step 1: Enable Third‑party access in Xfinity Email

Sign in to Xfinity webmail > Settings > Security.

Ensure Third Party Access Security is enabled (checked). If it is off, turn it on and save.

Note: Xfinity requires secure connections for SMTP/IMAP; we will configure the correct ports in Step 3.

Step 2: If you have 2‑step verification, create an Application password for Mail

In Xfinity webmail > Settings > Security > Application Passwords > create a password for Mail/IMAP.

Use this app password when Outlook prompts for your password (do not use your regular login password).

Important: The app password is shown only once, so copy it before closing the window.

Step 3: Add the account using manual IMAP/SMTP settings, turn off “Use recommended settings”

In New Outlook:

Settings > Accounts > Email accounts > Add account > enter your email address > select IMAP > click Show more > turn off “Use recommended settings”, then enter:

IMAP (Incoming): imap.comcast.net , Port 993, SSL/TLS

SMTP (Outgoing): smtp.comcast.net , Port 587 (or 465 if needed), TLS/SSL

Username: your full comcast.net email address (e.g., ******@comcast.net)

Step 4: Clear local sign‑in cache in New Outlook and re‑add the account

Exit New Outlook completely.

Delete contents of:

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Outlook\RoamCache (if needed, also delete Olk and OneAuth folders).

Relaunch New Outlook and repeat Step 3.

Step 5: Check if your comcast.net mailbox has been invited to upgrade to Yahoo Mail

If you see an upgrade prompt in Xfinity webmail, complete it first; then third‑party apps will need Yahoo servers and (usually) a Yahoo app password:

IMAP Yahoo: imap.mail.yahoo.com — Port 993 (SSL/TLS)

SMTP Yahoo: smtp.mail.yahoo.com — Port 465/587 (SSL/TLS)

Generate a Yahoo app password in your Yahoo account and use it in Outlook.

Temporary workaround if New Outlook still cannot complete onboarding:

Switch to Classic Outlook (turn off the “Try the new Outlook” toggle), then add the IMAP account using Step 3. Classic Outlook connects directly to the provider’s IMAP/SMTP servers without going through Microsoft Cloud, which is often more stable for comcast.net in this scenario.

Meanwhile, you can use Xfinity Webmail to send and receive emails.

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How can I add my Xfinity mail account to the New Outlook?

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