Mail account login fails when passkey is required

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Level 1

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Mail account login fails when passkey is required

I'm trying to log into my yahoo mail account via the mail account system settings, and I've set it up such that a passkey is required. However, whenever the passkey is prompted, the an error is thrown about being unable to find my passkey.

I then tried logging in using google, which also prompts for a passkey, and encountered the same error. I tried again in mobile safari and the passkey correctly prompts in that situation. This leads me to believe that the modal window probably isn't allowing the passkey prompt through correctly, and is most likely a bug.

Does anybody have a workaround for this? Ideally I'd like to use the passkeys because yahoo defaults to a recovery code (which I've lost) to log in with instead.

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 26

Posted on Oct 29, 2025 3:42 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

AlWeir

Level 5

4,983 points

Oct 29, 2025 5:56 AM in response to ccflaneur

Setting Up Yahoo Mail to Work on Apple Mail

If the simple sign-in fails or you receive an "Authentication Failed" error, you will likely need to generate a one-time App Password from your Yahoo account security settings and use that instead of your regular password.

To use an App Password:

Generate App Password: Log into your Yahoo Mail account via a web browser. Go to your Account Security settings and look for the option to Generate and manage app passwords. Create a new password for "Apple Mail" (or another app name) and copy the 16-character code it provides.

Add Account Manually in Apple Mail:

Go to System Settings > Internet Accounts > Add Account.

This time, choose Add Other Account...

Select Mail Account.

Enter your Full Name, your Yahoo email address, and then paste the 16-character App Password into the Password field.

Click Sign In or Next. Apple Mail should automatically detect the correct Yahoo server settings.

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Answer 2

ccflaneur Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 22, 2025 2:52 AM in response to ccflaneur

Got fed up and ended up managing the "passkey" for 2-step verification on my yahoo account (yahoo.com -> myaccount -> security -> 2-step verification -> manage), just to allow myself to log in.

For some reason yahoo called my Apple passkey a security key, which is separate from the passkeys in the panel on the right. At that point you can disable your passkey, which lets you log into your yahoo account in iOS Mail.

Afterwards you can turn it on again if you like, and it'll generate another recovery code which you can save in case the passkey doesn't work again in the future.

I think yahoo just might not have built its login page correctly, probably not an Apple thing.

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