Starting in June 2022, Gmail made a significant change by permanently disabling the ‘Less Secure App’ access option, which affected many smart home devices that relied on this feature. For instance, my Hikvision cameras stopped sending motion detection emails, which was a crucial part of my home security setup.
After some research, I discovered that the solution involved generating an App Password from Gmail’s security settings. This App Password acts as a secure alternative to the traditional password and can be used across multiple devices. Here’s how I resolved the issue:
- Generate an App Password: Go to your Gmail account settings, navigate to the security section, and create a new App Password. Make sure to select the appropriate app and device for better security.
- Update Device Settings: Replace the old password in my Hikvision cameras with the new App Password. The email address and SMTP settings remained unchanged.
- Test the Setup: After updating, I tested the setup to ensure that motion detection emails were being sent again. Everything worked perfectly!
For those who prefer a visual guide, there’s a helpful YouTube video that walks through the entire process. I found it incredibly useful and would recommend it to anyone facing similar issues.
This fix not only restored my home security notifications but also highlighted the importance of staying updated with platform changes. It’s a great reminder to regularly check the settings of our smart devices to ensure they’re functioning optimally.
If you’ve encountered this issue or have questions about setting up App Passwords, feel free to reach out! I’m happy to help.