Connect iCloud Mail with an app-specific password

Why does iCloud need an app-specific password?

Apple does not offer a "Sign in with Apple" option for other mail apps. Instead, Apple lets you create a separate password for one app. You can revoke it at any time without changing your Apple ID password.

How do I make an app-specific password?

1. Sign in at appleid.apple.com.
2. Open Sign-In and Security, then App-Specific Passwords.
3. Create a password and name it something like "Inbox Triage".
4. Copy it. Apple shows it only once.

How do I connect iCloud Mail?

1. On Inboxes, enter a label and your icloud.com, me.com, or mac.com address, and choose Add inbox.
2. A private form opens. Your AI never sees this page.
3. Check the Apple ID email, paste the App-specific password, and choose Connect.

We test the password against Apple's mail server (imap.mail.me.com) before we store it. If the test fails, the new password is not saved, and whatever was there before stays. If it works, the password is encrypted right away.

What if Connect fails?

"Authentication failed" means Apple did not accept the password. Use your Apple ID email and an app-specific password, not your regular Apple ID password. Changing your Apple ID password cancels your app-specific passwords, so if you changed it since, make a new one.

What if the connect form says the link expired or is closed?

The private connect form works for 10 minutes and closes after 5 failed tries. Choose Connect or Repair on Inboxes again, or ask your AI for a new link.

• Link expired: the 10 minutes ran out, or the link was already used. Start again from Inboxes.
• This link is now closed after too many tries: get a new link, and check the password before you paste it.
• Too many failed sign-ins today: after 20 failed tries in a day, wait a day and try again.
• Different account: you are signed in to another Inbox Triage account than the one that made the link. Sign in to the right account, or ask for a new link from your own.

Can I connect my own domain on iCloud+?

Yes. Add it with Mail service set to Other (IMAP): server imap.mail.me.com, port 993, Username set to your icloud.com address, and an app-specific password. The iCloud choice only takes icloud.com, me.com, and mac.com addresses.

What can my AI do in iCloud?

• Read, search, archive, trash, and mark as junk, with undo.
• Write drafts, and send them after you turn sending on and approve each one.

How do I remove access?

Disconnect the inbox on Inboxes to delete the stored password. You can also revoke the password on Apple's App-Specific Passwords page.