Galaxy S9 Plus email setup error: “The username or password is incorrect or POP3/IMAP access isn’t turned on for this account.”
Samsung’s most recent addition to its popular Galaxy line, the #GalaxyS9 and #GalaxyS9Plus, both have advanced software and hardware. Despite the obvious improvements this latest Galaxy model brings, issues that plague older models are still present in them. One of such issues is the “The username or password is incorrect or POP3/IMAP access isn’t turned on for this account.” error when adding email.
Today’s troubleshooting article will deal with this problem and hopefully, we’ll be able to help you fix it.
Today’s problem: Galaxy S9 “The username or password is incorrect or POP3/IMAP access isn’t turned on for this account.” error when adding email
I cant get email to work on my Galaxy S9+. I have used the same settings that work on my previous phone and I’ve double checked that I’m using the correct names for incoming and outgoing servers and the correct ports. I’ve even added the same settings to a different phone and they all work, but the S9+ continues to give me the error message “The username or password is incorrect or POP3/IMAP access isn’t turned on for this account.” Any advice as to what I’m missing? — Debi
How to fix “The username or password is incorrect or POP3/IMAP access isn’t turned on for this account.” error on Galaxy S9 Plus
There’s a number of possible reasons why your S9 Plus encounters “The username or password is incorrect or POP3/IMAP access isn’t turned on for this account.” error. To fix the problem, be sure to follow our suggestions below in the provided order.
Fix #1: Make sure you have the correct username and password
Before you do anything drastic, you should do a simple, yet often overlooked step — ensure that you have the correct email username and password. There’s many reasons why this is possible. Some users may become preoccupied with some other things while setting up their accounts that they may not be able to supply the correct credentials. Others may get confused what username and password to use, especially if they have multiple accounts.
To do this simple solution, make sure that you check first if you got your username and password correct by signing in on another device. For example, if you have a computer near you, try to sign in to your email account on that computer to confirm that you got the two information right. Then, go back to the sign in page on your S9 and enter the same username and password you just entered on your computer.
Fix #2: Follow your email providers instructions how to set your account up properly
Generally, email providers make email account setup for their customers easy by posting them on the web. If you are not sure if you’re doing the email account setup correctly, try to visit the website of your email service provider and look for their official instructions. Third party websites may not provide accurate or updated setup information so try to stick to official channels as much as possible. If your email provider offers chat or voice support, contact them to get firsthand information.
Most popular email providers like Google or Microsoft publish their instructions on the Internet so finding them is just a matter of using common sense during your search.
Fix #3: Disable two-step verification (or similar security protection)
Most, if not all, email providers today wants to ensure that email users feel their accounts are secured. This prompted the likes of Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and almost all other popular email providers to enhance account security by using two-step verification or similar. Two-step verification is just one of a few security enhancements that Microsoft and Google adds to their subscriber’s account to making them more secure.
Basically, two-step verification and likes asks a user to provide another way to verify their account in case their password is compromised, or if their account fell into the wrong hands. For example, if you are a Gmail user, setting up 2-step verification on your account entails providing your phone number or another email address that Google can use to send codes to. If you’ll encounter problems signing in to your account later on, or if you think it’s been compromised, you can rest assure that you’ll still be able to access your account by simply asking Google to send a verification code to the nominated method. As of this writing, you can also verify your account using an Authenticator app, Google prompt, or backup codes. Other email providers like Microsoft offer a similar system to keep accounts harder to hack.
Now, the thing is, this added security can also cause problems when setting up your account to another device. We know that some users won’t be able to set their accounts up to an additional device if their enhanced account security like two-step verification is in place. If the account you’re having trouble adding up to your S9 has a 2-step verification enabled, try to turn it off first before adding the account again.
Don’t forget to turn 2-step verification back on after you’ve successfully added your email to your S9 Plus.
Fix #4: Clear cache and data of email app
Ideally, your issue should already be fixed by now but if it still is not working, it’s time that you deal with the email app directly. It may be having an issue with its cache or data after attempting to add your email multiple times. To fix the problem, try clearing the cache and data of the email app. Here’s how:
- From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
- Open Settings app.
- Tap Apps.
- Ensure All apps is selected (upper-left). If necessary, tap the Dropdown icon, (upper-right) then select All apps.
- Locate then select the Email app you’re using. If system apps aren’t visible, tap the Menu icon, then tap Show system apps.
- Tap Storage.
- Tap CLEAR CACHE.
- Restart your S9 Plus.
- Add your email account again. If the issue remains, repeat steps 1-6 and hit CLEAR DATA.
Fix #5: Try another email app
Using another app may work if you’re still unable to add your account to the one you’ve been working on. As far as our knowledge and experience with S9 Plus so far, Samsung’s stock Email app does not give us any problems adding any email account. If you’ve been trying to work on this app ever since you start your troubleshooting, consider getting another one that might be bug-free at this time. There are a lot email apps that you can use as substitute in the Play Store.
Fix #6: Factory reset
If all else fails, don’t hesitate to wipe the phone clean. This is definitely extreme and usually uncalled for for any email issues but it’s the last possible solution that you can do.
To factory reset your S9:
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
- Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
- Press Power button to select.
- Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
- Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
- When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
IMPORTANT: The steps above will delete user data like photos, videos, etc. Be sure to back them up first before doing a factory reset.