// SKY EMAIL SUPPORT
Sky email won’t add to the new Outlook
Trying to add your Sky email to the new Outlook and hitting a wall? It’s almost always one thing: Sky runs on Yahoo, so it needs a 16-character app password and IMAP settings — not your usual Sky password. Here’s exactly how to fix it, and how we can do it for you. Rated 4.9 on Google.
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/01 — THE SHORT ANSWER
Why your Sky email won’t add to the new Outlook
Sky email won’t add to the new Outlook because Sky runs on Yahoo’s mail system, and Yahoo blocks apps that try to sign in with your everyday Sky password. To get it working you need to create a 16-character ‘app password’ on Sky’s website, then add the account as an IMAP account — not by picking ‘Yahoo’ from the list — using Yahoo’s server addresses.
That one detail is behind almost every ‘Sky email won’t connect’ message we see. People type the password they’ve always used, Outlook rejects it, and the account either refuses to add or shows up empty with no new mail arriving. Nothing is broken — your login simply needs an app password that Yahoo will accept.
The rest of this page walks you through it in plain English: how to generate the Sky app password, the exact incoming and outgoing server settings, and how to add the account step by step. If you’d rather not touch server settings at all, we’re a Bournemouth-based, family-run team and we can set it up for you remotely — scroll to the bottom or get in touch.
At a glance
| Most common cause | Sky mail runs on Yahoo, which rejects your normal Sky password — you need a 16-character app password instead. |
|---|---|
| DIY first step | Sign in on Sky’s website with your Sky iD, generate an app password and copy it straight away — it’s only shown once. |
| Yahoo or IMAP? | Always pick IMAP (or Other); choosing Yahoo starts a web sign-in that often loops or errors with Sky addresses. |
| Sky server settings | Incoming imap.mail.yahoo.com port 993 SSL; outgoing smtp.mail.yahoo.com port 465 (or 587) SSL with authentication on. |
| Can it be fixed remotely? | Yes — with your permission we set it up while you watch, usually same-day, on a no-fix-no-fee basis. |
| Left Sky broadband? | You keep your @sky.com address free — just sign in on Sky’s website now and again so the mailbox stays active. |
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/02 — WHY IT REJECTS YOUR LOGIN
What’s actually going wrong
Your @sky.com mailbox lives on Yahoo’s servers — Sky email has been Yahoo-powered for years. For security, Yahoo no longer lets third-party apps like Outlook sign in with your main password. Instead it expects a one-off app password: a 16-character code you generate once and use only inside Outlook.
There are two common ways it goes wrong in the new Outlook:
- You choose ‘Yahoo’ from the account-type list. That launches a Yahoo sign-in web page (an OAuth prompt) which often loops, errors, or simply doesn’t play nicely with a Sky-branded address. Choose IMAP or Other instead.
- You type your normal Sky password. Yahoo rejects it, so Outlook keeps asking for it or adds the account but never syncs. This is the same root cause behind Outlook repeatedly asking for your password and a password that won’t work on Sky and Yahoo mailboxes.
Get those two things right — an IMAP account and a proper app password — and the new Outlook will connect first time. Everything below is just the detail.
/03 — GENERATE AN APP PASSWORD
Create your 16-character Sky app password
You generate the app password on Sky’s own website, not inside Outlook. You’ll need your Sky iD — the same login you use for your Sky account:
- Go to Sky’s app-password page — the manage-apps section of the Sky Yahoo Mail settings (search ‘Sky generate app password’ if the exact address has changed) and sign in with your Sky iD.
- Find Generate app password and select it.
- Give it a label you’ll recognise later, such as Outlook or New laptop. This just helps you spot it if you ever want to cancel it.
- Click Generate. Sky shows you a 16-character password once — copy it or write it down immediately, because it won’t be shown again.
A few things worth knowing: the app password is different from your Sky iD password, you enter it into Outlook without any spaces, and you can create a separate one for each device. If you set Sky email up on a phone as well as a laptop, generating one password per device means you can revoke a single device later without knocking out the others. Keep the code somewhere safe — a password manager is ideal.
/04 — THE CORRECT SETTINGS
The IMAP and SMTP settings Sky email needs
When you add the account, pick IMAP and enter these settings. They’re Yahoo’s official Sky Mail servers, and they work in the new Outlook, classic Outlook, phones and tablets alike:
- Incoming mail (IMAP): server imap.mail.yahoo.com, port 993, encryption SSL/TLS.
- Outgoing mail (SMTP): server smtp.mail.yahoo.com, port 465 (or 587 if 465 is blocked), encryption SSL/TLS, with ‘outgoing server requires authentication’ switched on.
- Username: your full email address, for example yourname@sky.com.
- Password: the 16-character app password from the step above — never your normal Sky password.
Some setup screens auto-fill imap.tools.sky.com and smtp.tools.sky.com instead. Those are Sky’s own aliases and they generally work too, but if a connection times out or won’t authenticate, switch to the mail.yahoo.com servers above — they’re the most reliable. Because IMAP keeps a copy of your mail on the server, your existing emails and folders download into Outlook and stay in sync across every device.
/05 — STILL WON’T ADD?
When it still won’t connect — and how we fix it
If you’ve used an app password and the right IMAP settings and Sky email still won’t add, these are the usual culprits we work through:
- An old, half-added account is in the way. Remove the part-set-up Sky entry completely, close Outlook, reopen it and add it again from scratch. Our guide to when the new Outlook can’t add an account covers this in more depth.
- The app password has a typo. It’s 16 characters with no spaces — one wrong character and it fails silently. Generate a fresh one and paste it rather than type it.
- The account added but nothing syncs. Give it a few minutes on first connection; if it stays empty, it’s almost always the password path — see new Outlook not syncing.
- The new Outlook itself is playing up. Some people simply prefer the older app, which handles IMAP accounts smoothly — here’s how to go back to classic Outlook.
If it’s still not budging, that’s exactly the sort of fiddly job we sort every day. We’re 365 Techies, a family-run team in Kinson, Bournemouth, trading since 1995, and with your permission we can connect to your PC and set it up while you watch — usually the same day, on our no-fix-no-fee promise. See remote support or call 01202 775566.
/06 — LEFT SKY OR ON ANOTHER PROVIDER
If you’ve left Sky, or use a different provider
Good news if you’ve switched broadband: Sky lets you keep your @sky.com address for free after you leave, so it will still add to Outlook using exactly the settings above. The one catch is that Sky can close mailboxes that sit unused, so log in to your Sky mail from time to time — the simplest way is to sign in through the Sky website now and again — to keep it active. Sky’s inactivity timescales aren’t fixed in stone, so we’d not leave many months between logins.
Using a different provider? The same ‘app password plus IMAP’ pattern trips up other ISPs too. We have step-by-step guides for BT Internet email that won’t add to the new Outlook and Plusnet email that won’t add to the new Outlook. And if you’d rather move off an ISP mailbox altogether, so switching provider never threatens your address again, our email migration service can move you across — for example Virgin Media email to Gmail.
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// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Why does the new Outlook say my Sky password is wrong?
Because Sky runs on Yahoo, and Yahoo won’t accept your everyday Sky password from apps like Outlook. You need a 16-character app password, generated on Sky’s website, and you enter that in place of your normal password. Once you paste the app password into an IMAP setup, the ‘wrong password’ message stops.
Where do I generate a Sky app password?
On Sky’s own website, in the manage-apps section of your Sky Yahoo Mail settings. Sign in with your Sky iD, choose Generate app password, give it a label like ‘Outlook’, and copy the 16-character code it shows you. It’s only displayed once, so save it straight away, and it’s separate from your Sky iD password.
Should I pick ‘Yahoo’ or ‘IMAP’ when adding the account?
Choose IMAP (or ‘Other’), never ‘Yahoo’. Picking Yahoo launches a browser sign-in that tends to loop or error with a Sky address. IMAP lets you enter the server settings and your app password directly, which is what actually works for @sky.com mailboxes in the new Outlook.
What are the Sky email server settings?
Incoming: imap.mail.yahoo.com, port 993, SSL. Outgoing: smtp.mail.yahoo.com, port 465 (or 587), SSL, with outgoing authentication on. Your username is your full @sky.com address; your password is the 16-character app password. Some screens auto-fill imap.tools.sky.com instead, which also works, but the Yahoo servers are the most reliable.
My Sky account was added but no emails appear — why?
That’s the classic sign that Outlook accepted the account but can’t sync, and it’s nearly always the password. Remove the account, generate a fresh app password, and re-add it as IMAP. Give it a few minutes to download on first connection. Our new Outlook not syncing guide has more.
Is the new Outlook the best place for my Sky email?
Honestly, not always. The new Outlook can be fussy with IMAP accounts like Sky, and some people find the older, classic Outlook handles them more smoothly. If you keep hitting walls, it’s a perfectly good option to switch back to classic Outlook rather than fight it.
Can I keep my Sky email if I’ve left Sky broadband?
Yes — Sky lets you keep your @sky.com address free after you leave, and it adds to Outlook with the same settings. The one thing to watch is that unused mailboxes can be closed, so log in through the Sky website now and again to keep it active. We’d not leave many months between sign-ins.
Can you just set it up for me?
Gladly. With your permission we connect to your computer remotely and set your Sky email up in the new Outlook for you — generating the app password, entering the servers and checking it sends and receives before we finish. We’re family-run in Bournemouth, usually same-day, on a no-fix-no-fee basis. Call 01202 775566.
Rather we just sorted it?
We’ll set your Sky email up in the new Outlook remotely, usually the same day — generating the app password, entering the servers and checking it sends and receives before we go.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM