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ML-WH
User level: Level 1 (14 points)

Mail app cannot connect to Yahoo Mail on my New MacBook Air

Just picked up my new MacBook Air. I am trying to get Mail to import my Yahoo Mail, and it will not connect. Apple support just spent an hour with me trying to get it to work, to no avail. I have a MacBook Air with Golden Gate 27.0 installed. Apple support said others have had this issue, but they don't have a solution. Has anyone out there figured this one out yet? Mail says "Unable to connect to server “(null)”." Mail was able to connect my gmail accounts no problem.


I have gone through everything the Yahoo chat bot has suggested with Apple support screen viewing, and am now in a loop cycle where Yahoo keeps telling me things already tried. I have turned off Yahoo 2 factor verification just to see if that matters. Everything is working fine on my iOS devices, and was working fine on my old MacBook Pro.

Posted on Sep 16, 2026 1:19 PM

3 replies

PreCognition
User level: Level 6 (12,236 points)

Sep 16, 2026 3:06 PM in response to ML-WH

Since Gmail works and the same Yahoo account works on your other devices, this points more to the Yahoo account setup on this Mac than to Mail itself.


I’d add it from System Settings > Internet Accounts and choose Yahoo, not “Other Mail Account.” That should use Yahoo’s own sign-in and authorization process.


I’d also turn two-factor authentication back on. Apple Mail shouldn’t require you to disable it.


If you still get “Unable to connect to server ‘(null)’,” I wouldn’t keep changing server settings or repeatedly removing the account. Since Apple Support told you they’re seeing this with other users on Golden Gate 27.0, I’d also keep an eye out for a macOS update.


→ Add and manage email accounts in Mail on Mac – Apple Support

PreCognition
User level: Level 6 (12,236 points)

Sep 16, 2026 4:00 PM in response to ML-WH

Thanks for confirming. One small point: if you’re adding the account through Internet Accounts > Yahoo and getting Yahoo’s own sign-in page, you normally shouldn’t need the app-specific password — that’s mainly for mail clients that don’t use Yahoo’s secure sign-in process.


Since you’ve already tried the proper Yahoo setup and Apple Support is seeing this with other users on macOS 27, I’d leave the account settings alone for now rather than keep changing passwords or removing/re-adding it.


Hopefully an update addresses it.

ML-WH Author
User level: Level 1 (14 points)

Sep 16, 2026 3:27 PM in response to PreCognition

Thanks for the reply! I was adding Yahoo per your suggestion, and even created a special Mail psw in my Yahoo acct per Yahoo suggestion (they require it if 2-factor is enabled). Turned 2-factor back on. A MacOS update appears as best case scenario.

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256358440