See the OIT documentation for instructions on how to setup a new Thunderbird account with OAuth2 settings.

In an effort to enhance the security of the mail system, Microsoft, like most major e-mail providers, is making a change. Rutgers is activating this change early so we can deal with any problems that arise before Microsoft makes the change irreversible. If you use Thunderbird to access your Rutgers Connect email account, then it may be setup with the old authentication settings that Microsoft will be retiring in the coming months. To keep Thunderbird working, a minor setting needs to be changed in your Thunderbird account settings.

To switch Thunderbird to OAuth2 authentication:

  1. Make sure you are running the latest version of Thunderbird (version 91.3 as of this writing). To check for updates in Thunderbird, click on the three-horizontal line (hamburger) menu button at the top right, then select “Help” and then “About Thunderbird”. Thunderbird will notify you if there are any updates available. If Thunderbird on your computer is significantly out of date, then it may require checking for updates several times until you get the “Thunderbird is up to date” message. Alternatively, you can always download the installer for the latest version of Thunderbird at https://www.thunderbird.net/.
  2. In Thunderbird, click on the three-horizontal line (hamburger) menu button at the top right, then click on “Account Settings”.

    change tb to OAuth2 1
  3. In the Account Settings tab, click on “Server Settings” underneath your Rutgers Connect account in the left side column and change “Authentication method” to “OAuth2”.

    change tb to OAuth2 2
  4. While still in the Account Settings tab, click on “Outgoing Server (SMTP)”, then select the entry for “smtp.office365.com” and then click on the “Edit..” button.

    change tb to OAuth2 3
  5. In the SMTP Server pop-up window, change “Authentication method” to “OAuth2”, then click OK.
  6. After making these changes you will need to re-login to your Rutgers Connect account in Thunderbird. A pop-up window like the one below will appear. Sign in with your Rutgers Connect email address and NetID password. You will also be prompted to authenticate with Duo when signing in. After you have signed in and approved the sign in with Duo, then Thunderbird is now setup with OAuth2 authentication.

Please note that at this time the latest version of Thunderbird does not support shared accounts when configured with OAuth2 authentication. It is unknown if Thunderbird will support this in a future update. To access a shared account please use either the Rutgers Connect website, https://connect.rutgers.edu, or the Outlook desktop app. Shared accounts can also be accessed using the Outlook mobile app.