How to Fix Gmail Not Working on macOS 10.15

Audrey Goodwin

2024-04-12 10:55:47 • Filed to: macOS 10.15 • Proven solutions

Apple mail and Gmail issues on MacOS 10.15 can get you tangled up during a routine login due to a multiplicity of factors. They can creep up because of the new OS upgrade, hardware upgrade, wrong settings, etc.

In this piece, we examine the 5 most common Apple mail and Gmail issues on Mac OS 10.15 and the best solutions for them.

The Common Issues of macOS 10.15 Gmail and How to Fix

Problem 1: Google Security Checks

Google can perceive an OS or hardware upgrade as some security threat, and they can respond by shutting off the connection to your account temporarily. In this case, Google’s two-factor authentication is the culprit behind the MacOS 10.15 Gmail bug.

Try logging in to your account from another device or opening your recovery email, and then searching your inbox for a message saying “Sign-in attempt was blocked…” received around the time of the incident. Now, read through the message to find a link allowing you to respond, saying it was you trying to log in.

Problem 2: You Can’t Send or Receive Gmail Messages

This is a problem that Apple is well are of and has made provisions for easy troubleshooting. You can simply use your Mac’s Mail Connector Doctor to check the status of your internet connection and email accounts.

1. Go to “Mail app > Window > Connection Doctor.” This will bring up details of your internet connection and email accounts.

common apple mail and gmail issues on macos 10.15

A red dot appearing next to any of your accounts indicates a problem with the account. Navigate to the “Details” column to find out the problem’s cause and solution.

Problem 3: You Can’t Log into your Gmail Account

Use your Mail Connector Doctor and check details of the problematic account with the red light beside it. The issue might result from a missing or invalid password or your email service provider currently experiencing a service outage, in which case you need to contact them.

Problem 4: Failed Gmail Login Authentication

In this case, the Detail column of your Mail Connector Doctor will indicate that the red dot results from the failure to connect to the server. This might be due to wrong or outdated email account settings or a network firewall.

Check Mail preferences to ensure your email account settings are current. You can also use the Mail Settings Lookup tool to confirm the settings for Gmail.

If this doesn’t fix your Gmail authentication issues on your Mac OS 10.15 Mail app, then make sure you don’t have a network firewall working against your Mail account. Deactivate any third-party firewall software and ensure that the network you’re using allows the email connection.

Problem 5: Issues with Mail Display

This issue can manifest in many ways when you try to open an email, including an alert that tells you to take your account online while it’s already online and incomplete or garbled texts.

In these instances, you can try viewing the message in another format. In the window showing the message, go to “View > Message > Plain Text Alternative.” This brings up all the available alternative formats based on the original format of the mail.

If that doesn’t work, then try rebuilding the mailbox in Mail in order to update the list of messages in it. That way, you’ll get a fresh, updated copy of the problematic mail.

To do this,

In the window of the open mailbox, go to “Mailbox > Rebuild.”

common apple mail and gmail issues on macos 10.15